Last year, my colleagues at Sigstr started writing about their favorite TV shows. And more specifically, they detailed what it might look like if the characters from those shows had professional email signatures. The trend spiraled after a coworker’s obsession for Game of Thrones got the best of her. Shortly after, our senior marketing manager dove in with his own version, with a post about his favorite show, Parks and Recreation.
And then there’s me. I’ve loved every minute of reading my colleagues’ nerdy obsessions (which I share). I can’t even begin to tell you how excited my dad and I are for season 7 of GOT. Or how I’ve recognized Andy Dwyer is my spirit animal. Either way, this content has inspired my conversations with my own prospects. It’s given unique (albeit, pretend) use cases that can be translated into real campaigns that drive actual ROI. And, it spurred me to keep the trend moving with my own nerdy obsession: comic book superheroes.
To give a bit of an origin story, comic books based on heroic people with extraordinary or superhuman abilities rose to prominence in the 1940s. During that time, Marvel and DC dominated the market. Through the years, superheroes from these publishers have become iconic figures of optimism, showing up on lunch boxes, backpacks, t-shirts and some pretty spectacular movies.
Each superhero has their own set of values and individualized purpose. (Sort of like how Sigstr is out to save the world, one email signature at a time!) Seeing how I have a Deadpool Bobblehead and my own Baby Groot piggybank on my desk, it was really only a matter of time before I wrote about my favorite Marvel superheroes using email signatures to distribute targeted content for their latest adventures.
Iron Man
When Stark isn’t flying around the world in one of his indestructible suits of armor, he jets around as a self-proclaimed “Genius, Billionaire, Playboy, Philanthropist.” As the CEO of Stark Industries, it’s important for our favorite Playboy superhero to continue building the future of his late father’s name stake company, while saving the world and constructing the Iron Man brand. His flashy campaign banner in his professional email signatures is meant to drive event registrations from the “best and brightest men and women of nations and corporations the world over.”
Wolverine
Wolverine was notorious for his tough guy attitude, constant loner status and, of course, perfectly-manicured retractable claws. In recent years, his old adamantium bones aren’t as strong as they once were. And so, he’s welcomed retirement in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He spends his days watching his favorite college football team and fulfills his lifelong dream of owning and running an upscale nail salon. His campaign banner embodies the beauty and simplicity of a proper manicure, but I’d avoid booking an appointment during Michigan football games. He gets a little rowdy when his team’s losing.
The Incredible Hulk
Bruce Banner is a brilliant scientist, with an introverted personality but an overall pleasant disposition. But he has a real anger management issue. Make this guy mad and he turns into a giant green rage monster with a particularly limited vocabulary and an insatiable appetite for destruction. And, unfortunately for our ginormous green friend, being a scientist-turned-superhero can be quite stressful. Luckily, Bruce has found a productive outlet for the bellicosity. He’s started up his own demolition company. His simple campaign banner relays the perfect message to anyone who needs an entire town leveled to the ground, or an old skyscraper that needs to instantly be turned into a pile of rubble. Just don’t make him angry. You won’t like him when he’s angry.
Captain Marvel
The seventh Captain Marvel, Carol Danvers, has recently shown interest in retiring from a life of crime-fighting. Apply now, through this clickable call-to-action banner for the chance to be the next Captain Marvel. Benefits include: superhuman strength, endurance, stamina, flight, physical durability, a limited precognitive “seventh sense” and resistance to most toxins and poisons. Preferred experience includes: espionage, pilot training, hand-to-hand combat and marksmanship.
Deadpool
Seriously, what’s not to love about Wade Wilson? He’s notorious for breaking the fourth wall. He has a hilariously-dark sense of humor. And there was a comic book series where he killed every Marvel superhero, just because he felt like it. This anti-hero’s campaign is driving views to his newest ebook, in which he claims has a “Fourth wall-break inside of a fourth wall-break. That’s like – 16 walls!”
Captain America
Our country’s favorite son, Captain America was first introduced by Marvel on December 20, 1940. For reference, that was a year before the attack on Pearl Harbor, but a full year into WWII. The cover showed our patriotic pal punching Nazi leader Adolf Hitler. It sold nearly a million copies. Lately though, Steve Rogers is taking his talents to Broadway. He’s hitting the stage as the lead in the USO’s propaganda production, “Star Spangled Man with a Plan.” His red, white and blue campaign banner is sure to drive ticket sales from anyone who’s ready to save the American Way.
Star Lord
The half-human, half-alien leader of the Guardians of the Galaxy, spends a lot of his downtime flying around in his spaceship, The Milano. (Named after the 80’s actress, of course.) Seeing how the 80’s pop culture seems to be his only connection with Earth, Peter Quill (err, Star Lord) has decided to broadcast his love for the decade with weekly webinars showing aliens across the galaxy how to dance like it’s 1988. When his friends asked why he was doing it, he started rambling on and on about some legend from Earth called, “Footloose,” and some great hero named Kevin Bacon who apparently taught an entire city that dancing is the greatest thing there is in life. Ever heard of him? Me neither. People from Earth are weird.
Storm
Marvel’s weather witch has decided to take her weather-manipulating talents to the technology industry. As CEO of a new start-up SaaS company, she’s been taking the world by storm, quite literally. Her new on-demand weather app is putting her powers into the consumers’ hands. Her campaign has boosted downloads of her app, with the slogan, “If you don’t like the weather, wait 10 minutes!” We’ll see how successful her start-up becomes – consumers are requesting different weather for the same location.
Professor X at Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters
This unconventional institute is always accepting new and gifted students to enter its curriculum. So, to boost enrollment, Professor X has upped his marketing game by using his faculty’s outbound emails. This campaign banner is designed to attract scholarly mutants from across the globe to join the X-men. (And maybe learn a thing or two along the way.)
S.H.I.E.L.D.
The Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division (what a mouthful!), is a counter-terrorism organization that defends Earth against superhuman threats. When this agency isn’t aiding the Avengers with catastrophic threats, it’s running campaigns to drive awareness for what the civilians should do if they’re smack-dab in the middle of some super villain who’s trying to destroy the world. Most recently, the group is highlighting an survival guide ebook, written by Colonel Nick Fury. The long-form content piece, “Excuse Me, Did We Come to Your Planet & Blow Stuff Up?” provides 11 survival tips for an alien invasion.
