Mayhem: Facebook Brand Awareness Done Right

Mayhem is the protagonist of Allstate Insurance's current advertisement series, played by actor Dean Winters, usually seen walking in the middle of freeways or clinging to the backs of semi trucks in a grubby suit. So, perhaps the Mayhem Facebook page isn't technically an example of a business Facebook page done right. However, I think Allstate made the right choice in funneling resources towards this character's page as opposed to keeping their focus on only the official Allstate page. While most Facebook users wouldn't necessarily want to spend time commenting on an insurance provider's page (I wouldn't, unless I had a grievance), people engage with pages for fictional characters all the time.

What makes the Mayhem page phenomenal is that they don't just rest on the likability they've already established through their ads. "Mayhem" posts, a lot--and comments on lots of fan posts. Because Mayhem the character has such broad-ranging situational possibilities (Allstate's ads have established that Mayhem=any ridiculous situation you can't see coming) the posts are usually listing some new terrible situation that "is" Mayhem. For example, this post from January 25: "I'm the gossip about your coworker that ends up in the wrong chat window." Or: "If I had a cologne, it would be eau de public transportation." Fans often comment about their brushes with Mayhem: on January 31 a fan posted "You're that person who makes me increase my maximum bid on eBay, aren't you?" Mayhem's response: "Were you bidding on those lawn darts, too?"

Mayhem's hilarious and often aptly-timed posts (recent postings include mention of the Superbowl and Groundhog's Day) frequently get upwards of 3,000 shares and even more likes, and the fans of the page number 1.5 million (compare that to the Allstate Insurance page, which only has 200,000). Overall, I think Allstate made a wise choice in keeping their official page more staid and businesslike, and letting Mayhem roam the Internet separately, boosting brand awareness and likability.