Getting to an idea worth fighting for rarely begins from an obvious starting point. Inspired by former Wieden+Kennedy Creative Director Jason Bagley, this series uses provocative questions to mine the Big Ideas That Work Engines for repeatable creative tactics that can help answer them.
This time, we’re asking:
What behaviour associated with our product could we turn from a reason for blame into a reason for reward?
Here are five campaigns that probably were not thought of by asking this question and some related follow-ups, but they could have been...
- Reward the supposed cause of the problem
- Reward the excess the product encourages
- Turn evidence of the offence into the reward
- Reward everyone for the unwanted consequence
- Reward the behaviour the brand would normally punish
1. Reward the supposed cause of the problem
Make the purchase blamed for creating the problem become the route towards solving it.
Guacabono — Taco Bell Spain, Fuego Camina Conmigo, 2026
Young people have repeatedly been blamed for damaging their chances of home ownership by spending money on avocado toast. Taco Bell Spain encouraged them to consume more. Buying a menu item containing guacamole unlocked entry into a competition to have up to a year’s rent paid.
The campaign did not argue against the accusation. It reversed its commercial logic. The supposedly irresponsible purchase became capable of delivering the financial security people were told it prevented.
The question that could have produced it:
Which purchase people blame for causing the problem could we make part of the solution?
The creative move: Reverse the Accusation → Reframe Anything Engine
An earlier version of the same cultural reversal came from Virgin Trains. Its 2018 #Avocard promotion turned the avocado, already a symbol of supposedly wasteful millennial spending, into temporary proof of eligibility for a one-third rail discount.
2. Reward the excess the product encourages
Let excessive use of the product qualify people for a better version of the experience.
Binge Ads — Netflix, 2024
Streaming services are routinely accused of encouraging people to watch too much television in one sitting.
Netflix made sustained viewing commercially advantageous. Members on its advertising tier who watched three consecutive episodes could receive a fourth episode without adverts.
The campaign did not distance Netflix from binge-watching. It treated commitment to the behaviour as something worth recognising. The excess used to criticise the product became the qualification for an improved product experience.
The question that could have produced it:
Which excessive use of our product could unlock a better way to use it?
The creative move: Loyalty and Redemption → Creative Commerce Engine
