Movember Raises Mo' Money & Mo' Awareness with Superior Branding
November 17, 2010 by Nate Winter
Have you noticed an influx of mustachioed men the past few weeks? Or been privy to any 'stache buzz on Facebook, Twitter and beyond? Maybe you've heard the term "Mo Bro" lately? Happy Movember!
For the uninitiated, Movember (rhymes with November) is a campaign in which participating men worldwide “change the face of men’s health” by growing a mustache (a.k.a. a “mo”) in November. These Mo Bros raise funds throughout the month to help cure diseases that affect men. All donations go toward The Prostate Cancer Foundation and LIVESTRONG, The Lance Armstrong Foundation.
This week, the Movember movement acquired its 1 millionth member-- a huge milestone for a campaign that began with a humble handful of Australians in 2003. So why is Movember such a popular movement? Here's why:
Well-named
Let's start with its clever name, which combines "November" and "Mo," the Australian nickname for mustache. From there, the campaign is quite self-explanatory and quite memorable. "Movember" is easy to say, easy to remember and intriguing. Never underestimate the power of a good portmanteau.
This formidable name has given rise to a whole Mo-cabulary for the campaign. Members are known as Mo Bros and Mo Sistas. The Mo Money section of the site offers stats on the movement’s fundraising efforts. Even the loading screen for The Lodge section of the site contains a clever Mo-ism as it encourages users to “Hang on a Mo.”
Web-savvy
The Movember website is brilliantly designed. It feels modern and youthful with a touch of old-school class. And the site boasts strong functionality behind it all. Each individual member gets a web page to post Mo photos, easily share fundraising messages over social media and securely take donations via credit card.
Inherently viral
Despite the fact that Movember was created years before Facebook and Twitter became household names, the concept is ideally suited for viral success via social media.
Men grow mustaches and tell as many people as possible in order to raise funds. They leave funny posts and silly mustache photos on Facebook and Twitter. And they post links to their individual webpages that accept credit card donations. Movember even sells merchandise-- t-shirts, necklaces for Mo Sistas, and more.
Just look at this hilarious (i.e. viral) Movember ad campaign from Singapore called “Moustaches Make a Difference.” The ads show famously mustachioed figures with and without their ‘staches to illustrate the difference a Mo can make. Here's one:
Upbeat
In my opinion, the biggest strength of Movember is that it stays upbeat where other charities dwell on the negative. The emotional testimonials, graphic photos and dense statistics used with other medical condition fundraising work well for those passionate about the cause. But such tactics can overwhelm or seem to guilt trip less fervent folks interested in participating or donating, making them reticent to get involved. Movember, on the other hand, focuses on the uplifting upper lips of its mustachioed members, and in doing so engages the casually interested masses.
Movember is a mustache-growin', viral-goin’ cure for the outdated fundraising tactics of yesteryear. With its great name and funny concept, it has the marks of a successful consumer brand. It demands to be noticed and begs to be shared, and has a website with all the tools for viral domination. The force of Movember is 1 million strong and counting. And it still has two mo' weeks to let its Mo flow.
