We all make mistakes. Whether it’s choosing the wrong car, wrong wife/husband, or even forgetting to pick up the kids after school. All can be forgiven and we can move on. Pick a new car, get a divorce, and set a reminder on your phone to pick up the kids.
These are big mistakes that can take time and effort to rectify, but what do you do about smaller everyday mistakes?
If you’re a growing company with a strong on-line presence then the chances are you will have heard of the 404 page. It’s the page that pops up when somebody types in a URL that doesn’t exist; you’ve probably stumbled across one yourself.
So how do you go about making one that makes your customer laugh and feel a little less stupid? Take a look at three great 404 error campaigns for a little inspiration.
Teenhan+Lax
This forward thinking company that help clients bring digital products to market, have been using a campaign based around images of unfortunate looking men with really bad hair styles and zero fashion sense whatsoever. Alongside each image, was the caption ‘Something went wrong. Very, very, very wrong’. They run the risk of that all-important, niche market of mullet haired male customers, but do you think they care?
Check it out: http://www.teehanlax.com/404notfound/
Curator and Mule
Known for their supercool, mens accessories, Curator and Mule used a fantastic cartoon image of a flatulent donkey alongside the caption ‘Excuse me, butt that page doesn’t exist.’ Ironically, the page doesn’t exist anymore, but you can still check it out on the link below.
Check it out: http://www.404notfound.fr/page/curator-and-mule
SCA Promotions
Dallas based promotions company, SCA, used an image of US martial arts actor Chuck Norris lighten the mood of their unfortunate customers. Featuring the phrase ‘Looks like CHUCK NORRIS broke this page…it may never recover’, it was a big hit with customers and even won them some new customers off the back of it.
Check it out: http://scapromotions.com/404/404.html
Virgin Holidays
The beautifully animated 404 page from Virgin Holidays provides a relaxing oasis for its customers with a beach setting and the following phrase: “Uh oh! Looks like you’re stranded…”
Check it out: http://www.virginholidayscruises.co.uk/404page.phtml
