Do something different / Plenty of brands try to be funny. Few are willing to make people uneasy while doing it. It’s Not a Dog doesn’t settle for charm or cleverness – it leans into the awkward, sweaty absurdity of late-night infomercials and holds the camera uncomfortably long. It’s not safe, sanitised humour – it’s very Tim & Eric’s Awesome Show, Great Job! or Tim Robinson’s I Think You Should Leave.
‘To us, the funniest ideas are the ones that feel almost too wrong to say out loud,’ said Zach Tavel, creative director at Easy Pete’s. That instinct – to not pull back – is what makes the spot feel original. The host brushes a machine like it’s a show dog. He calls it a friend. He collides with reality, but never breaks character.
In a wellness category where most brands posture as serene or softly aspirational, this kind of tonal whiplash is a bold move. It doesn’t try to blend in, it dares to repel the wrong audience to win the right one. And in doing so, it gives Molekule something the category sorely lacks: edge.
It taps into one of our Creative Tactics, Embrace the Absurd, where brands such as Nutter Butter, Pop-Tarts and Duolingo are harnessing the weird and wonderful to drive salience.
