Ugly: At Ozmosis, surfers and skaters pay with pain

For surfers and skaters, their scars, scrapes and bruises have value. They wear them as badges of honour and consider them proof of their rise through the ranks from beginner to expert.

At Australian chain of surf and skate stores, Ozmosis, surfers and skaters can pay for their purchases with their scars, scrapes and bruises.

In the campaign by new Australian agency, Ugly, customers can go into any of Ozmosis’ fifty-five stores and show a scar, scrape or bruise to a staff member or upload a photo to social media with #PayWithPain to receive exclusive deals.

It’s the first work from the new creative boutique, which was launched in Sydney in April by former Anomaly Amsterdam CEO, Hazelle Klønhammer, Whybin TBWA ECD, Gary McCreadie, and M&C Saatchi Sydney Head of Strategy, Ross Berthinussen.

Adland Australia gets Ugly

McCreadie noted, “To connect with this audience we had to be real. Really real. You can’t just talk to this generation in the language of advertising, and expect them to do anything, it doesn’t work. You have to respect the things they respect and understand that their lives aren’t these utopian fairy-tales of driving their VW Combi up the coast, listening to Jack Johnson in a perpetual, golden dusk scenario.”

Jo Aird, marketing manager of Ozmosis, added, “We’re stoked with how Ugly took a promotional brief and turned it into something bigger. It’s a great example of them using creativity to solve ugly problems.”

The campaign will run across a variety of youth and surf and skate media, and in and around skate parks and shopping malls. It also includes an influencer outreach and partnership with surf content platform, Stab.

McCreadie commented, “More than a promotion, the campaign is a philosophy about life. That in pursuing our passions we get knocked down but those failures make us better.”

Klønhammer commented, “Behind every brave campaign is a brave client. The retail environment is becoming an increasingly tough nut to crack, so it’s inspiring to see brands like Ozmosis shake things up.”