Side Pieces Save Marriages
If you're triggered, good!
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The other day, I came across an Instagram reel with the thumbnail: “Side Pieces Save Marriages.”
I didn’t even need to watch the video. The comment section was already an absolute warzone—people triggered, arguing, laughing, spitting hot takes like it was a group chat gone wrong. But here’s what I saw that most people missed:
That tagline is pure marketing gold.
Think about it. You’re riding the subway in NYC, scrolling your phone, minding your damn business. Then bam, you and your wife look up and see a billboard that says, “Side Pieces Save Marriages.” No product image. No brand logo. Just those five words on a red background and written in bright yellow words.
I don’t care who you are. You’re stopping to read it. You might even snap a pic and send it to your group chat.
We call this “Strategic Provaction.”
Now, imagine that tagline wasn’t about what you thought it was. What if it was a campaign for a new kitchen product that prevents arguments between couples? A smart device that reminds you to take out the trash before your partner has to nag you? Or a service that plans date nights so you don’t have to?
You see where I’m going with this?
The #1 Skill Most Brands Lack: Getting Noticed
Most brands are boring by design.
They focus-group the soul out of their messaging until it’s a bland, beige, corporate-sanitized nothingburger. Meanwhile, in 2025, people have the attention span of a TikTok scroll. If you’re not making them stop, react, or think, you’ve already lost.
Great marketing makes people feel something.
Confused
Curious
Amused
Maybe even a little triggered
Doesn’t matter which. As long as they feel something. Because once you have their attention, you’ve got them curious about your product.
Check out this recent marketing campaign by Anduril, a defense technology company that specializes in autonomous systems and AI-powered command and control solutions. They are fighting to establish themselves as the Category King of Defense Tech, dethroning old heads like Lochhead, and need to attract A-Player talent to pull it off. So what do they do? They launch a campaign encouraging people not to work at Anduril.
Even if you don’t know what Anduril is, I can almost guarantee you’ll Google them or visit their website.
Why “Side Pieces Save Marriages” Slaps
This tagline works because it checks every box of a killer marketing hook:
Plays with Expectations – People assume “side pieces” mean cheating. So when you flip that expectation, they have to know more.
Instantly Starts a Conversation—People will screenshot it, argue about it, share it, and debate whether it’s genius or problematic. It lives rent-free in their heads.
Forces a Second Look – If they’re intrigued enough to take a second look, your job is done. Now they’re primed to receive your actual message.
The best brands get this. Liquid Death made canned water look like a hardcore energy drink. Dollar Shave Club built an empire off a single video making fun of overpriced razors. The goal is to make people give a damn about your brand, before they even know what you sell!
How to Make This Work for Your Brand
Not every brand can (or should) go this edgy. The level of creativity bravery this campaign would take ain’t for the faint of heart. But if you’re trying to stand out and bold enough to give it go, here’s how you tap into strategic provocation:
Flip a Common Belief – Take something your industry assumes is true and turn it on its head.
Use Humor & Surprise – If you can make people laugh or go “wait, what?”, you’re on the right track.
Make Sure It Aligns – The hook should be bold, but the actual product has to connect the dots. Otherwise, you’re just clickbait.
Test the Waters – Not every audience will respond well to edgy marketing. Start small. Run A/B tests. Gauge the reaction.
Fortune Favors The Bold
Look, I get it. Being bold takes guts. Playing it safe feels comfortable.
But if you’re not willing to be memorable, you’re choosing to be ignored. The brands that break through? The ones that dominate their space? They don’t tiptoe. They own the room. So here’s my challenge:
What’s the boldest tagline you could create for your business?
Drop it in the comments. No judgment, just real talk. Let’s see who’s got the guts to market like a Misfit.
— “IRON” Mike
The Category Whisperer
***P.S. If you’re struggling with driving revenue, chances are you don’t have a marketing problem, you have a category one and we should chat. Remember Category First, Brand Second.
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Additional Resources:
The Category Design Reading Lists
This was golden. You have me revisitng some of the titles of my substack post