Cards Against Humanity is maybe the most NSFW card game since strip poker. Players match up situations with answers that range from weird to incredibly distasteful in a game designed to leave everyone embarrassed and laughing. While this game is certainly not for everyone and truly offends good taste, their marketing is known for being simple and effective.
However, Cards Against Humanity’s Black Friday “sale” took their marketing to a whole new level. On their website during the most hyped shopping weekend of the year, the company charged customers $5 for… nothing. This Business Insider article has the details, but essentially the company raised money as a simple social experiment.
The best part of the experiment is that the company then distributed the money as an employee bonus and asked employees to share on what they spent their bonus. Debt repayment, political causes, and video game systems make the list, but my favorite has to be the “custom suit of men’s armor”.
I wonder if any other company has the ability/guts/street cred to charge people for no product and get away with it, or if this is just another area where Cards can go where no other game can.
Robert Hay Jr. 