We wish we had known about this particular election campaign before the polls closed. Jeweler Larry Jaffe would have definitely gotten our vote for the most creative marketing campaign we’ve seen in a while. Rather than trying to connect with his customers using traditional romantic, fashion, or bridal imagery, Jaffe “ran for office,” using road side signs and a social media campaign urging voters to choose him as their jeweler.

Depending on where you are in the country, election season could be a very big deal. First in the nation primary states like Iowa and New Hampshire often find their local news cycles and communities being overwhelmed as candidates sweep into town, hoping to be chosen their party’s darling. In those communities, a campaign like Jaffe for Jeweler might win hearts and minds by providing some much needed comic relief. In communities having less exciting elections, the Jaffe for Jeweler campaign could be a winner because it gives people something to talk about.

We really like the way Jaffe integrated social media into his campaign. The store set up a Facebook page specifically for the campaign, where the content was presented in such a way as to make it seem as if Jaffe was legitimately running for an elected office. They wound up with more than 30 followers – not bad for a wholly tongue in cheek political campaign in a small town! This campaign came with an expiration date built in, as Jaffe’s town requires all campaign signs be taken down after the election is over, but given the community goodwill and media attention the jeweler received this time around, we wouldn’t be surprised to see him run again!