I refer to ‘Friday 13th’. Hollywood has already recognised the potential, with a series of blockbuster films using the date for their title. I reckon there are a host of opportunities to pin your campaign message colours to the mast of Friday 13th.
If you have a message about overcoming obstacles, fear or adversity then Friday 13th could be the day to make your announcement. Or, if you wanted to prove a point, emphasizing how you are overcoming preconceptions, then Friday 13th could be your day.
I am surprised a major charity or cause has not sought to hijack ‘Friday 13th’ where the date becomes intimately attached to their issue. Friday 13th is a great example of a meme: it has an underlying meaning and host of associations as well as great awareness; people are already aware of, and talking about ‘Friday 13th’. So you are halfway there in getting your message broadcast.
Each year typically has three ‘Friday 13ths’ (and any month’s Friday 13th will fall on a Friday – if the month starts on a Sunday.) A morbid, irrational fear of Friday the 13th is actually called friggatriskaidekaphobia: Friday is ‘Frigga’s Day’. Frigga (Frigg) was an ancient Scandinavian fertility and love goddess, equivalent to the Roman Venus who had been worshipped on the sixth day of the week. Christians called Frigga a witch and Friday ‘the witches’ Sabbath’.
The Friday 13th phobia is also called ‘paraskevidekatriaphobia’ as well as ‘triskaidekaphobia’. Curiously, for both Greeks and Spanish-speakers, the 13th of the month is considered unlucky if it falls on Tuesday, instead of Friday.
Will you be using Friday 13th to bring your campaign extra impact, or are you fearful of trying to using it?