The weirdest growth ideas that broke the internet 🤯
Steal these 5 ridiculous growth ideas you can test this weekend
Hey there 👋
Sam here with your Friday Quick Growth Idea.
Because this is issue #01, I want to give you not one but FIVE quick growth ideas that'll make you laugh... then make you money.
I'm sharing the weirdest marketing stunts I've seen. The kind that make you think "there's NO WAY this worked" - until you see the numbers.
The crazier it sounds, the better it converts 🚀
🥤 #1: The $10 shipping trick with 1,000% ROI
Frank LLosa had a problem. People added Hard Ketones seltzer to their cart, then disappeared.
His solution? Mail them the seltzer they (*forgot) to buy.
Not a coupon. Not a discount code. An actual can of drink delivered to their doorstep.
Here's the math that'll blow your mind:
Cost to ship one can: $10
Lifetime value per subscriber: $3,000
Break-even rate: 1 conversion per 300 freebies
Result: They're profitable if just 0.3% of people who get free seltzer buy a subscription.
Why it works: When a seltzer shows up at your door randomly, you remember that brand forever. This is the ultimate abandoned cart flow.
Your move: What's your version of "mailing the product" before purchase?
Copywriter? Record a 60-second video audit of their homepage
Social media manager? Create 5 post ideas for their brand and DM them
SEO consultant? Send a voice note listing their top 3 ranking opportunities
Fitness? Mail protein bars with QR codes to your new program
Costs more upfront. Converts way better long-term.
✈️ #2: Own viral moments (zero budget required)
Married CEO gets caught on kiss cam with his Head of HR at a Coldplay concert. Internet explodes. CEO resigns from Astronomer.
Royal Jordanian Airlines notices everyone's making memes about it.
Instead of another joke, they offered flight deals to America for anyone wanting to apply for the vacant CEO job.
"There's a CEO vacancy in the USA. Fly to Apply. Amman – New York starting at JD 499."
And they closed with a cheeky line: "Our Wings… Your Cold Play."
The results in 24 hours:
1.48 million organic reach
16,000 shares across platforms
Their highest-performing organic post in 5+ years
$0 production budget
Why it works: Speed + cultural relevance = viral gold. They responded in hours, not days.
Your move: Set up Google Alerts for industry news and topics like “viral campaign” and “freelance news.”
When something big happens, be the first to add your spin and relate this back to the product/service you offer.
🚫 #3: Tell people NOT to buy your product
Patagonia ran the ballsiest ad campaign ever.
On Black Friday, every retailer screams "BUY MORE!"
Patagonia's full-page ad in the New York Times? "DON'T BUY THIS JACKET"
They literally told customers NOT to buy their best-selling jacket.
Result: On Black Friday and in the months following, Patagonia experienced a 30% increase in sales.
Why it works: Psychological reactance. Tell someone they can't have something, and they want it more.
Your move: Try telling your audience NOT to do something:
"Don't sign up unless you're serious about results"
“Don't book a call unless you have a realistic budget (not $200)”
"Don't apply unless you can commit 30 days"
“Don't work with me if you won't kill your pet project ideas”
Reverse psychology isn't dead. It just needs to be authentic.
⚡️ #4 The Dwayne Johnson who isn't Dwayne Johnson
Surreal (a cereal brand) didn’t have the budget for celebrity endorsements.
Their solution? Find a different Dwayne Johnson.
They ran ads saying "We’re Dwayne Johnson’s Favourite Cereal*" - featuring a testimonial from Dwayne Johnson... a bus driver from London.
Completely legal. Completely hilarious.
Why it works: The best clickbait admits it's clickbait. They weren't trying to fool anyone long-term. Just long enough to get attention.
Your move: Find the "celebrity" version of your customer:
Marketing consultant targeting SaaS? Find Michael Jordan who runs a startup
Designer? Get a testimonial from Serena Williams who is a creative director
Copywriter for e-commerce? Quote Ryan Reynolds who owns an online store
Get their genuine testimonial. Use it with a wink and a smile ;)
🧢 #5 The hat trick that raised £3 million
January 2003. Innocent Smoothies co-founder Adam Balon had a weird idea:
"What if we ask customers to knit tiny hats for our smoothie bottles?"
Everyone thought he was insane.
Twenty years later:
11 million hats knitted by customers
Over £3 million raised for charity
Countless PR mentions worldwide
Still running in 2025
Customers literally work for free to promote their brand. And they love doing it.
Why it works: People LOVE creative participation. Give them a fun way to contribute, and they'll become your biggest advocates.
Your move: What's your version of "knit hats for our product"?
Design contest for your next packaging
Send me your worst subject line, I'll fix it for free
Post your biggest marketing fail, I'll roast it publicly
The weirder the better. Normal is forgettable.
💡 Your Friday takeaway
Normal quick growth ideas fight for attention. Weird ideas create attention.
These tactics cost almost nothing. They just require courage to be different.
I'm testing #3 myself.
I updated my Fiverr bio to say "DON'T Hire Me Unless You Hate Boring Marketing That Does Not Convert" - this uses reverse psychology to attract clients who are tired of generic marketing.
I also updated my portfolio with nostalgic pixel art visuals that are oddly satisfying. Why? Because every other freelancer uses stock photos and boring screenshots. Sometimes weird is what makes you memorable.
Weird works because it breaks patterns.
And breaking patterns creates memories.
See you next week 🚀
Sam
—If you enjoyed issue #01, please tap the Like button below ♥️ Thank you!