An edgy advertising campaign is a great way to tell customers you’re different than those corporate chains, and many controversial ad campaigns have the added advantage of drawing local media coverage, which spreads your message for free. Of course, the line between edgy and over the top is very thin, so proceed with caution. You don’t want to find yourself having to defend something your advertising said that others found offensive.

Controversial may not even be the right word here. Shock value advertising is far too short lived to effectively serve your purposes, especially since you’re probably spending a large portion of your budget on one campaign. Racy might be more appropriate – something that challenges people’s expectations in an unexpected way.

Nobody can decide what an appropriate message for your restaurant is but you, and nobody’s suggesting that you be something your restaurant isn’t. What is important to remember is that your audience sees the same old tired advertising coming from the big chains over and over again. The pump is primed for a message that’s fresh and different. Because you’re and independent operator, you have the flexibility to outmaneuver the big boys and key in on the unique culture specific to your local community. That’s something a big chain could never do.

Being controversial just for the sake of controversy isn’t going to win you new customers, and will instead result in a lot of lost marketing dollars. But setting yourself apart with something unique that communicates directly to your neighborhood can be a real winner.