More Than Likes

What’s in a hashtag?
Quite a lot, actually. A lot of ruminating. Thesaurus-playing. Word-games in your head on morning jogs. Spending time within a brand, letting your psyche settle upon its truth.
And then, bam. Like a bolt from the blue, a cheeky wink from the muse. The hashtag, the byline arrives and says so much with so little verbage.
With our work for clients, the magical hashtag that accompanies their content makes itself known in its own good time. Sometimes it’s quick and gorgeous, like Bayside Family Law Solution‘s utterly charming #FamilyMatters. Other times, it’s ready-made like Chisholm & Gamon‘s eponymous #HelloCandG. Then there’s the hashtag for luxury accommodation Aquabelle (they’re award-winning, don’tcha know) that accompanies all their guest-blogger content in addition to their artwork – #HowVeryAquabelle.
Not all creative births are swift, however. It’s taken eight years for Ruby Assembly to finally reveal a hashtag that fits, perfectly.
#MoreThanLikes.
This neat, clever and utterly representative byline was the result of brainstorming for another Ruby Assembly first – a dedicated paste-up campaign! Also known as ‘Plakkit’ campaigns or rockposters, paste-ups are the artworks that decorate our city’s hoardings, building-sites, cafe sidewalks and more. They’re part of the visual language of our city. And shortly, you’ll see Ruby Assembly artworks ( pictured above) gracing the streets of Melbourne.
It’s our first traditional media campaign, and one I’m hugely excited (and proud) to finally be able to execute. When colleagues and friends ask me what I think I’ll get out of it, I’m equivocal: it’s an awareness-raising campaign. There’s no ROI on this project.
As with social media, this form of ‘guerilla’ marketing engages with the audience’s emotions, inciting curiosity, providing beauty and a place to rest the eye. Perhaps encouraging an occasional visit to our website, too. And maybe a little graffiti. The purpose of this form of marketing is part of our overall commitment to awareness-raising, slow-branding and organic community development.
More than likes, indeed.