Etsy aims to shine a light on sellers named Jeff in its latest campaign, showing consumers that there are non-billionaire Jeffs they can shop from. The marketplace’s VP of brand marketing Daniel ‘Monty’ Montalto explains how they want to say something different in the often “manufactured” ecommerce conversation. 

“We were looking at one of the biggest shopping moments of the year and thinking about the kinds of messages people typically hear during that period,” he notes.

“A lot of the conversation is about deals, speed and convenience, which makes sense, but sort of leaves you asking ‘what does it actually mean?’.”

The marketplace saw an opportunity to build a humorous campaign around the 5,000 sellers with the name Jeff on Esty.

“It felt like a really unique and ownable lens through which to tell that story,” says Montalto. “We also loved that it was immediately understandable and culturally relevant, but rooted in what makes Etsy special. The Jeffs became a stand-in for the millions of independent entrepreneurs who make Etsy what it is.

“The spiciness gets people in the door, but it’s really there to tee up a bigger point. Our goal is to get people to think about who they’re buying from, because every purchase on Etsy supports someone who’s building a business around their creativity and craft.”

Getting the conversation started

The ‘Shop Other Jeffs’ campaign is designed to be “omni-channel” as Etsy works to make a “cohesive” experience for its shoppers. “People don’t think about channels the way marketers do,” explains Montalto. 

“Whether someone encounters our campaign on TV, scrolling social, walking past one of our mobile out-of-home placements or opening the Etsy app, it should feel like they’re seeing the same idea, just expressed in different ways.

“That doesn’t mean every channel does the same thing. Social lets us join the conversation as it’s happening. TV and out-of-home help us build broad awareness, while the app and site let people immediately discover the people and products behind the campaign.

“At the end of the day, they’re all working together to tell the same story and make it easy for people to engage with.”

Putting the people, and their unique products, at the centre of the campaign is part of Etsy’s wider focus on supporting its community of sellers. Montalto stresses: “Campaigns like this help people better understand what Etsy is and why it’s different from other marketplaces.

“The more shoppers associate Etsy with originality, creativity and real people, the more opportunities our sellers have to connect with buyers who are looking for exactly those qualities. That’s value that extends well beyond any single campaign or shopping moment.”

Of course Etsy recognises that not every purchase will be such a “shopping moment”. But as they cater for those consumers looking for a gift or a unique piece for their own home, they have an opportunity to stand out.

“There’s a time and place for speed and convenience, and we all rely on it” he says. “But when you’re looking for something that’s more personal, or to mark an important moment, that’s where Etsy has always been different.

“Every purchase supports an independent seller who’s building a business, pursuing a craft or sharing something they’ve created. In a world where more and more shopping experiences can feel automated, impersonal and interchangeable, that human connection matters even more, especially when you want something special.”

Time and time again, Etsy comes back to its community of independent sellers, and campaigns built to connect these craftspeople with shoppers. 

“We’re not chasing culture, we’re moving with it. The best work usually starts with something that’s already true about your brand. Culture simply gives you the setting to tell that story,” he adds.

The Shop Other Jeffs campaign played with the key peak shopping quarter, and other marketplace’s discount days, but it looked to “reframe” it.

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