Vol. 35. Blendtec: The Infomercial legend 🥼

What’s the first viral brand video you remember seeing? If you were on YouTube anytime from 2006 to now, there’s a chance it might be a Blendtec Will It Blend? video. 

This series is like that person who looks amazing without even trying. We’re not saying there wasn’t a lot of hard work that went into it. But even the company says it all started with them “fooling around.” 

This week, Case Studied explores how Blendtec turned a product demo into a viral video series. 

The Brief:

Blendtec creates blenders for commercial and consumer markets. They were well-respected for their high quality products on the commercial side, but their brand awareness (and sales) with consumers was low. 

So with the hopes of building up their B2C side of the business, they hired a new marketing director in 2006. And this marketing director discovered that Blendtec’s CEO, Tom Dickson, often tested the sturdiness of his blenders with unorthodox items like blocks of wood. 

That’s when the idea of the Will It Blend? series was born. At the time YouTube was a very new channel. It had only been open to the public since December 2005. But Blendtec was open to trying out the channel to see who they could reach—and convert. 

The Execution:

The first Will It Blend? video was uploaded to YouTube and the Blendtec website in October 2006. Its budget was $50, and featured Dickson blending up glass marbles on the ice cream setting of the blender. 

After showing 50 marbles dance around the bottom of the blender, Dickson dumps a pile of marble dust onto a table and concludes: “Yes, it blends!”

Each video always starts with Dickson saying, “Will it blend? That is the question.” The products they test are divided into two categories: try this at home or don’t try this at home. 

Blendtec has Will It Blend? videos from as recent as 2021. And while the videos are pretty consistent over time and maintain their “retro” vibe, Blendtec noted the key areas of the series’ evolution. 

“If you watch the first 10 or so Will It Blend? episodes, you’ll see Tom with almost no comedy lines, no gags, or sound effects. Tom basically said, “Here are some marbles; I think we’ll blend these. That’s it.”

Compared to its iPad episode four years later, you can see the progression the videos take (without losing the original essence of it). There are a few more humorous lines for Dickson, a handful of sound effects, and some bubble text. Even just three years ago, the key fob episode includes slow motion video shots and some pretty funny shots of the Blendtec parking lot as the keys are destroyed.

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The Results:

Within just one day of releasing their first video, the Blendtec website saw a spike of 23k visitors. 

By the fourth year of the campaign, it increased sales by over 700%. Media coverage of the campaign included Jay Leno’s The Tonight Show, where Dickson blended a wooden rake handle and a Discover Channel appearance on Time Warp. 

To date, the first Will It Blend? episode has 7.4m views and the iPad episode has 19m. Blendtec has over 844k subscribers on YouTube, with 187 video uploads. All in all, brand awareness and sales both saw a boost thanks to the series.

The Takeaways:

There’s a lot to learn from Blendtec’s viral video series. Here’s a few you can take with you:

1. Don’t be afraid to market atypical product use cases

People don’t often buy blenders with the intention of blending glass marbles or Coke cans in them. But showing these unorthodox product capabilities was an entertaining way to spotlight the quality of Blendtec’s product. Not only that, but it helped emphasize the quality of the blenders strength uniquely.

Look for creative ways to tell stories about your product, even if it doesn’t align perfectly with your audience’s use cases. The story can still highlight your product’s benefits, but in more interesting, memorable ways. 

2. Show your brand values, perhaps with a touch of humor

The authenticity behind Blendtec’s videos really helped make them special. Their CEO would actually test out the blender’s sturdiness on random items, which directly corresponds to the company’s dedication to quality and assurance. 

What are some ways you QA your products? Obviously not all of them will be interesting to consumers but if your company takes extra care in specific ways, consider bringing them into your marketing. They could be a worthwhile way to show customers what your company stands for and cares about.

3. Bring company leaders into your marketing when it makes sense

Dickson got to showcase his passion for his product in the Will It Blend? Series. That CEO storytelling can go a long way in connecting with customers, especially in the early days. 

If it makes sense for your brand and your CEO, bring them into your marketing when it feels relevant and authentic. People are often more open to hearing from the person behind it all, especially in industries where there’s heavy competition or saturation. 

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