HubSpot’s ad leans into one of the oldest marketing truths: word-of-mouth wins. But here, it’s turned into a full-on absurdist sketch. Everyone’s heard of HubSpot—except the one person who hasn’t. What unfolds is a surreal, energetic spiral of over-the-top reactions, all centered around one hilarious truth: it’s kind of weird not to know HubSpot at this point.
The Formula (That Works at Any Budget):
Absurd Social Pressure = Viral Concept
The ad’s core idea is simple: one person hasn’t heard of HubSpot. But it’s treated like a scandal, with characters reacting like she just said she doesn’t know what the internet is.
→ Lesson: Flip a common situation (brand awareness) into an unexpected social scenario to make a memorable point.
Escalating Reactions = Engagement Hook
Each reaction gets bigger and weirder—from confused coworkers to existential crises to a panic-stricken news broadcast. The pace keeps viewers hooked, eager to see how far it’ll go.
→ Lesson: Use escalation to keep your viewer engaged. Start small, then keep topping yourself.
The Brand as the Punchline = Confidence
Rather than walking you through what HubSpot does, the ad boldly assumes you already know. It uses that confidence to make the lack of awareness the punchline.
→ Lesson: Don’t always explain your product—sometimes it’s more powerful to imply ubiquity.
Humor Breakdown:
The comedy lives in contrast. The “Have you heard of HubSpot?” line is delivered with the same gravitas you’d expect from a plot twist in a thriller. Characters gasp. Time slows. A newsroom reports on the incident. Even the local fire department weighs in. It’s a classic case of playing it straight while everything around descends into chaos—perfectly deadpan.
Final Verdict:
HubSpot turns a basic brand awareness goal into a hilarious piece of storytelling. It’s confident, clever, and deeply watchable. By treating their platform as something everyone already knows, they create FOMO through laughter—and that’s some high-level B2B psychology.
BRAVE-o-meter Score:
B-8 | R-9 | A-9 | V-9 | E-9
BRAVE – 8.8/10
Watch the full ad & learn more:
Website: HubSpot.com
LinkedIn: HubSpot
