On 28 November 2014, the creators of the popular party game Cards Against Humanity (a play on words referencing crimes against humanity), advertised as "a party game for horrible people," announced an unusual promotion for the day after Thanksgiving retail event commonly known as Black Friday. A post made to the game's official Facebook page directed users to a promotion termed Cards Against Humanity's Bullshit Blowout:
Those who clicked through to the site were offered the chance to buy "literal feces, from an actual bull." The limited edition item was called "Bullshit by Cards Against Humanity" and priced at $6 as part of a larger "12 Days of Kwanzaa or Whatever" sale, and reportedly all available units of the item sold out within one hour. On the day of the unusual sale, fans of the game were not entirely sure what the promotion (or anti-promotion) entailed, and the only clue to the box's genuine contents was provided via a picture:
On 28 November 2014, game co-creator Max Temkin posted a tweet assuring fans the promotion in question indeed involved literal cow feces, as promised:
On 15 December 2014, TIME magazine published an article in which Temkin explained the brand's distaste for Black Friday, the impetus behind the promotion, and other ideas that had been rejected in favor of Cards Against Humanity's Bullshit edition:
While the promotion looked to entail a relatively straightforward promise, participating consumers were not sure what they would receive in the mail after clicking the "consume" button and purchasing the limited edition item. On 10 December 2014, one customer posted an unboxing video (which contains profanity) to YouTube showing him unwrapping his shipment and discovering the box did indeed contain cow excrement:
When all was said and done, Cards Against Humanity sold 30,000 units of "Bullshit by Cards Against Humanity" but only made 20 cents per box due to manufacturing and other costs. The company confirmed in a 15 December 2014 tweet it made $6,000 on the promotion and it was donating the proceeds to a charity which provides livestock to communities in need:
The stunt was not the brand's first atypical Black Friday promotion: In 2013, the company priced the game $5 higher than its standard retail cost of $25. Sales of the game on that day spiked despite the price increase.
Last updated: 18 November 2014