April ecommerce moments of the month 2023

April. A month of drizzle, 4 day weeks, animal-shaped chocolate and tentative steps towards the summertime we’ve all so badly been craving. 

And whilst we’re already getting a bit too over-excited about it being May (and not just for all the bank holidays this month has…), it’s time to briefly revisit some of our favourite eCommerce moments of the last month. 

Without further ado…

1. F*ck Oatly

A wise person once said that the best way to recover from a mistake is to own it. This wise person must’ve made quite the impact on Swedish food company Oatly – because that’s exactly what they’re doing.

In April, a new website, with all the visual familiarity of the Oatly brand, made waves on the internet. But with a domain name entitled F*ckOatly, surely this site couldn’t be the work of the brand itself? Think again! 

Turns out that Oatly had actually launched this site themselves, way back in October of 2022. Upon noticing it gaining traction, Oatly shared the website onto their social accounts in April, encouraging users to check it out – and, if outraged, to share their disdain. 

This was a clever Gen Z-orientated move from Oatly.

Firstly, Oatly is known for its irreverent marketing, often pulling tongue-in-cheek stunts (like this billboard!). Secondly, Oatly recognises that young consumers value transparency more than anything. Rather than pretending their brand’s history is untarnished, Oatly were able to explain their mishaps in their own words.

Check it out... https://fckoatly.com/

2. Hendrick's launches Chat G&T

In April, Twitter and TikTok went mad as Gen Zers posted their conversations with Snap’s latest feature ‘My AI’. Snap’s introduction of this tool follows brands like Expedia and Instacart as they race to the AI summit. 

Alcohol brand Hendrick’s, however, had a slightly different idea.

Launching a marketing campaign aptly titled “Chat G&T” (we see what you did there…), users were able to interact with Elliot – an IRL human, who took over the brand's US Instagram account. Armed with a Hendrick’s G&T to sip on throughout the Instagram live event, Elliot’s responses to user questions took a more outlandish route. 

“While not the most efficient chatting service, we believe Elliot is the most tasteful,” the brand said in the statement. “Whether regaling you with jokes, belting out your favourite lullaby while advising you on cocktail pairings or telling you what the capital city of Tuvalu is, chatting with Elliot is to be best enjoyed with your very own Hendrick’s Gin & Tonic in hand.”

3. L'Oreal posters are *just asking* to be torn down

Did you know that despite 57% of women and 40% of men identifying as feminists, only 6% of women harassed on the street have had the assistance of someone else intervening on their behalf?

These statistics are a depressing reminder that we still have a long way to go in tackling street harassment; and global beauty brand L’Oreal is having its say. 

Working with the anti-harrassment charity Right To Be, L’Oreal launched an initiative titled ‘Stand Up’. This campaign saw posters stuck up containing “purposefully provocative” messages, with a sentence goading readers to rip down the poster if they disagree.

However, when the posters are torn down, they reveal new ones beneath. A QR code is displayed that links directly to Right To Say’s website, and once the user interacts with the site, they are offered free digital training to prevent street harassment.

This is a powerful campaign – and one that is sure to capture the hearts of Gen Z, after our research revealed that young consumers want brands to have a social conscience.

4. Liquid Death makes it's UK debut

Viral water brand, Liquid Death, officially made its UK debut in April. Currently holding 2 million followers on Instagram and over 3 million followers on TikTok, this aluminium-water brand has been immensely popular with Gen Z.

The success can be attributed to a few factors – firstly, they place an emphasis on sustainability, which we know is a big selling point for Gen Z. Secondly, they’ve got a great eCommerce influencer marketing strategy.

The brand has partnered with Gen Z and millennial favourites Steve O and Travis Barker. Travis Barker's collaboration was the latest eCommerce stint that got the internet talking, after he launched an enema kit named after Blink-182’s 1999 album, Enema of the State.

The limited edition collaboration with Liquid Death is priced at an eye-watering $182, coming complete with an enema bulb, plus a can of liquid Death Mountain Water signed by Barker himself. Gen Z went into overdrive online, with many expressing both disbelief and excitement.

Despite the slightly unorthodox nature of the product, it sold out immediately. One twitter user joked that 'NFT's are dead – we trade autographed Liquid Death x Travis Barker Enema Kits now...'

5. It's time to BeReal (again!)

It's been over a year since BeReal exploded onto the scene.

Praised for it's anti-influencer and authentic approach to social media, users flocked to the platform. However, after a decline in usage, the app has recently unveiled some new (and surprising) features.

One new feature is the 'Bonus BeReal', allowing users to post two additional images throughout the day – but only if you follow the guidelines and post within the allotted two minute window. The platform has also partnered with Spotify to allow users to embed music onto their daily snapshots.

Some praised the new update:

Whilst others were a little more discerning...

Either way, it's certainly got the internet talking.

BRB – we're off to post our second snapshot of the day...

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