Guerilla marketing is a creative, innovative way to promote your business. It uses unconventional methods to get your message out there. Guerilla marketing can be very effective, but it takes a lot of creativity and planning to pull it off.
Today, we’ll discuss some guerilla marketing examples that have been successful. But first, let’s define guerilla marketing.
What is Guerrilla Marketing?
Guerrilla marketing is an advertising strategy that uses unconventional ways to promote brands. This includes anything from handing out flyers in high-traffic areas to setting up creative street displays.
The goal is to generate buzz and get people talking about a product or service. This type of marketing often relies on shock value or striking visuals to grab attention.
Guerrilla marketing can reach a wide audience without spending a lot of money. However, it is important to consider the target audience and the message, before embarking on a guerrilla marketing campaign.
Advantages of Guerrilla marketing
Guerrilla marketing is a low-cost promotional strategy that involves unexpected and creative interventions. The goal is to capture the attention of the public. While traditional marketing efforts are expensive and time-consuming, guerilla marketing campaigns can be executed quickly and cheaply.
The best guerilla marketing campaigns are those that generate media attention and word-of-mouth buzz. This viral effect is valuable to businesses, as it results in free and organic publicity.
However, not all guerrilla marketing campaigns are successful. To create a campaign that gets people talking, businesses need to be strategic and thoughtful.
Common guerrilla marketing tactics
Common guerrilla marketing tactics include stealth marketing, flash mobs, stickers, treasure hunts, viral videos, and creative billboards.
Stealth marketing involves secretly promoting a product or service in a public place. For example, a company might plant employees in a busy street to hand out free samples or flyers. The goal is to generate word-of-mouth buzz about the product.
Flash mobs are another popular guerrilla marketing tactic. A group of people suddenly gathers in a public place and performs an unusual or interesting activity. This creates a sense of curiosity or excitement that encourages onlookers to pay attention.
Stickers are another common form of guerrilla marketing. They are used to promote a brand or event in a public place. For example, companies will often put stickers on phone booths or bus stops with their logo or contact information.
Treasure hunts are another popular tactic. They involve hiding promotional materials in public places and then using social media to encourage people to find them. This creates a sense of anticipation and excitement that helps to generate word-of-mouth.
Viral videos are also effective for guerilla marketing. This is because they can be easily shared online, and they have the potential to reach a large audience. For example, the ALS ice bucket challenge was a guerilla marketing campaign that went viral and raised awareness for the disease.
Creative billboards are a great medium for a guerrilla campaign. This is because they are usually located in high-traffic areas, so there is a good chance that people will see them. Additionally, they can be very eye-catching and memorable. For example, the guerilla marketing campaign for the film “The Blair Witch Project” featured a billboard covered in blood.
Lastly, you can mix different types of guerrilla marketing tactics to create an even more effective campaign. For example, you could combine account-based marketing (ABM) with viral videos or flash mobs.
ABM is a type of marketing that focuses on developing relationships with specific accounts. It is often used in B2B markets, and it involves creating tailored content and experiences for each account.
These are just a few mediums and tactics you can use. The best guerrilla marketing ideas can come from anywhere and will use any medium where your audience is present.
The 11 best guerrilla marketing campaigns
1. Axe Body Spray
In 2006, Axe Body Spray did a guerilla marketing campaign that involved custom stickers attached to “exit man” signs. The stickers featured the Axe logo and the tagline “The smarter way out.”
The campaign was designed to appeal to young men who might be interested in using Axe body spray. The clever use of the exit man sign helped to grab attention and create a sense of exclusivity around the product. The campaign was a success, and it helped to increase brand awareness for Axe body spray.
2. Guinness Billiard Cues
In a guerrilla marketing campaign, Guinness Co. added small custom wraps to pool cues in bars, offering a clever reminder to pool players to grab a brew.
The campaign was effective because:
- it reached its target consumers directly
- it helped create a better brand identity among those who didn’t know the Guinness brand.
3. San Francisco Zoo
To engage the local community and raise awareness about the animals at the San Francisco Zoo, they launched a guerrilla marketing strategy.
The zoo’s marketing team came up with the idea of painting a tall street lamp to look like a giraffe. With this, they gave a visual reminder to the community of these beautiful animals they can come to see at their local zoo.
4. Colgate Cavity Campaign
The Colgate Cavity Campaign used Popsicle sticks that resembled toothbrushes inside chocolate and cake. It was to remind whoever ate the cake to brush after enjoying a sweet delicacy.
The campaign was designed to eliminate cavities manifestation. The sticks were placed in the cakes of unsuspecting people who then posted pictures of the strange cake on social media. The campaign went viral and was successful in raising awareness about dental health.
5. Deadpool’s Tinder
In a brilliant guerilla marketing example, the team behind Deadpool 2 created a Tinder profile for the movie’s main character. Ahead of the film’s Valentine’s Day release, those who matched with Deadpool on the dating app were given a link to buy tickets.
The campaign was a clever way to reach potential moviegoers and generate buzz for the film. The viral marketing stunt playfully embodied the character’s anarchic spirit, as one of the most subversive superhero movies in recent memory.
6. The GRAMMYs Posters
To promote the nominees for its Album Of The Year category, the GRAMMYS music awards show decided to take its marketing campaign one step further. They created a video to show what would happen if posters for the nominated artists began singing.
The video, which was shot in an outdoor setting, immediately caught people’s attention and generated a great deal of buzz on social media. By putting a unique spin on promo trailers, the GRAMMYs promoted their nominees and get people talking about the Awards show.
7. Discovery Channel Shark Week
Discovery Channel’s Shark Week is a highly anticipated TV event for many people. To generate excitement for the event, the channel executes some great guerilla marketing tactics.
In 2016 they placed bitten boards along beaches to remind people of the dangers of swimming with sharks. This type of marketing gets people talking and creates a lot of buzz around the event. It’s a great way to get people interested in what’s coming up on Shark Week and to get them tuning in.
8. Lego
One outdoor guerrilla marketing example comes from the toy company Lego. To promote its new line of construction-themed toys, Lego strapped a giant Lego brick to the arm of a construction crane.
The stunt generated attention on social media and helped raise awareness of the new product line. When done right, guerilla tactics are a fun and memorable way to promote your business.
9. GoldToe’s Giant Briefs
On March 7, 2019, GoldToe launched an experimental marketing campaign in New York City to promote their new line of giant boxer briefs. The campaign involved placing an enormous pair of briefs on an iconic charging bull statue.
The reaction to this guerilla marketing tactic was mixed. Some people found it humorous and others felt that it was in bad taste. Yet, the campaign generated a great deal of attention for GoldToe’s new product. And in the end, isn’t that what all advertising campaigns are striving for?
10. IKEA Staircase Drawer
IKEA is well-known for its innovative and space-saving furniture designs. In this guerrilla marketing campaign, the company cleverly used a staircase to showcase one of its products. A drawer that can be attached to the side of a staircase.
By placing the drawer at eye level, IKEA created an experiential marketing campaign that visualized how the product could be used in homes.
11. King Kong 3D
In 2010, Universal Studios launched a guerrilla marketing campaign for their new King Kong 3-D attraction. As part of the campaign, they left huge footprints in the sand on Santa Monica Beach, complete with a crushed lifeguard vehicle. The stunt was successful in generating buzz for the attraction, and it helped to create an immersive experience for beachgoers.
Time to put your guerilla suits on
We hope you enjoyed checking out these 11 brilliant guerilla marketing ideas. As you can see, this type of marketing is all about being creative and thinking outside the box.
So if you’re feeling stuck in a rut with your marketing campaigns, remember that guerilla marketing may be the thing you need to inject some new life into them. Until next time, happy marketing.
