If you haven’t heard, Air is a SaaS startup targeting creatives and positioning itself as the cooler, faster alternative to Dropbox and Google Drive.
And when it comes to competing, they’re not pulling any punches. In fact, the brand’s ‘us vs. them’ mentality is core to its identity.
Just take a look at their press release boilerplate:
“Air is a creative operations system for images and videos that immediately replaces Dropbox and Google Drive for brand-forward businesses.”
Or consider that Ariel Rubin, their head of content, told Inc.com:
“Air’s whole selling point is that it’s attempting to win where Dropbox is failing.”
Yeah – competitive marketing is definitely their thing, which is why I wanted to spotlight the brand in today’s newsletter.
Let’s dive in.
Unconventional Leadership
Last February, Air hired comedian and social media provocateur Kareem Rahma as their first Chief Imagination Officer. Clearly, the team decided that a traditional creative director (with a standard title) wouldn’t cut it for their ambitious marketing plans.
Roasting the Hell Out of Dropox
Later, Air staged a fake protest outside Adweek’s Commerce Week conference, claiming Dropbox and Google Drive were “stealing years” from users’ lives. The stunt featured 30 elderly actors, holding signs reading “Defund Dropbox” and “Creatives Need Air.”
Documentary as a Lead Magnet?
Next, the company produced a documentary-style film starring Kareem, dubbing it “The most controversial movie ever made (about B2B SaaS).” Air then leveraged this content as a lead magnet to drive product demos. While I haven’t had a chance to watch the full film, the promotional ad was genuinely hilarious.
Big Takeaway:
Air’s strategy highlights the bold moves required to enter a market dominated by established players.
By positioning themselves as the anti-establishment choice and directly challenging competitors, they’ve carved out a distinct space in an otherwise crowded field.
They’ve also nailed content-market fit, in my opinion — while tongue-in-cheek documentaries might not work for every brand, it makes a lot of sense for Air’s ICP.
