Visual Marketing: 99 Proven Ways for Small Businesses to Market with Images and Design

59. Get Me a Doctor, STAT: Using a Witty or Humorous T-Shirt to Interject Fun into How People Perceive Your Business

The American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) wanted to attract young talent to the emergency room (ER) field but wasn't sure how to do it. ER physicians work long hours, and the work isn't glamorous. So the ACEP brought in design firm ohTwentyone to come up with a promotional item that would appeal to younger doctors.

ohTwentyone turned to pop culture to find its ideas. After watching a video put out by the staff of an ER that consisted of a tongue-in-cheek ER rap, the designers came up with an ingenious idea: a T-shirt, styled to look like the band AC/DC's logo, but instead reading ER/DR.

Why It Works

The medical industry isn't one known for humor. With lawsuits and malpractice cases abounding, it can be difficult to find the fun in being a doctor. This shirt elevates the ER physician into a rock star, and who doesn't want that?

The shirt was actually initially rejected by the client's board of directors, but a rebellious marketing manager had 2,000 of them printed on the sly to take them to ACEP's annual convention. They gave away all 2,000 in a few hours, proving the reluctant directors wrong.

Success Metrics

• This promotion received media attention from the producers of the television program ER and requests from hospitals and doctors to buy the shirts ...