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Gorilla Marketing Example: Unconventional Tactics to Boost Business

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Gorilla marketing takes advertising to a whole new level with unconventional and innovative tactics that capture our attention and leave us wanting more.

From smile-activated billboards to interactive floor ads, these examples of guerrilla marketing will astound and inspire you.

Get ready to discover the wild world of advertising that pushes the boundaries of creativity and gets people talking.

gorilla marketing example

Gorilla marketing examples include Bounty’s use of giant props in the streets of New York, Deadpool’s promotion on Tinder, Childish Gambino’s free ice cream giveaways, the GRAMMYs’ singing posters video, ChatBooks’ smile-detector billboard, Frontline’s interactive floor ad, Burger King’s staged breakup on Instagram, BBC’s Dracula billboard, UNICEF’s dirty water vending machine, GoldToe’s giant briefs on statues, Fiji Water’s Golden Globes guerrilla marketing, and Greene King’s pub campaign.

These campaigns successfully grabbed people’s attention in unique ways, showcasing the creative and effective use of guerrilla marketing strategies.

Key Points:

  • Bounty used giant props in the streets of New York.
  • Deadpool promoted itself on Tinder.
  • Childish Gambino gave away free ice cream.
  • The GRAMMYs created singing posters.
  • ChatBooks had a smile-detector billboard.
  • Frontline had an interactive floor ad.
  • These campaigns effectively used guerrilla marketing strategies.

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💡 Did You Know?

1. Gorilla marketing, also known as “guerrilla marketing,” gets its name from the concept of using unconventional and cost-effective tactics to promote a product or brand, just like how gorillas use their strength and agility to navigate and survive in their environment.

2. The term “gorilla marketing” was popularized in the 1980s by Jay Conrad Levinson in his book “Guerrilla Marketing.” He used the analogy of guerrilla warfare to explain how businesses can gain an edge over competitors with limited resources.

3. One of the earliest known examples of gorilla marketing dates back to 1948 when the cereal brand Wheaties placed a picture of retired baseball player Babe Ruth on the front of its cereal boxes, effectively creating the concept of endorsing athletes to promote products.

4. In 2005, the animated film “King Kong” used gorilla marketing as part of its marketing campaign. A large animatronic replica of King Kong was installed on a skyscraper, giving the illusion that the giant gorilla was scaling the building. This attracted attention and generated media coverage, creating buzz for the movie.

5. Gorilla marketing can extend beyond advertising to activities such as flash mobs and viral social media campaigns. These creative, attention-grabbing tactics often rely on surprise and unconventional approaches to engage the target audience, making the brand or product memorable.

1. Chatbooks’ Pay-Per-Smile Billboard

ChatBooks, a popular photo book app, took an innovative approach to guerrilla marketing with their eye-catching “Pay-Per-Smile” billboard. This brilliant campaign featured a smile-detector camera that captured the smiles of passersby. For every smile detected, ChatBooks pledged to donate $1 to Operation Smile, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing free cleft lip and palate surgeries for children in need.

The campaign not only aimed to raise brand awareness for ChatBooks but also spread joy and encourage people to smile. By incorporating a philanthropic element, ChatBooks successfully engaged the audience on an emotional level. The interactive nature of the billboard created a sense of playfulness and captured the attention of pedestrians, enticing them to interact with the advertisement.

The Pay-Per-Smile billboard showcased how guerrilla marketing can effectively leverage technology to create memorable experiences and foster positive connections with consumers.

  • The “Pay-Per-Smile” billboard incorporated a smile-detector camera to capture the smiles of passersby.
  • ChatBooks pledged to donate $1 to Operation Smile for every smile detected.
  • The campaign aimed to raise brand awareness and spread joy.
  • By incorporating a philanthropic element, ChatBooks engaged the audience on an emotional level.
  • The interactive nature of the billboard created a sense of playfulness and captured pedestrians’ attention.

“The Pay-Per-Smile billboard showcased how guerrilla marketing can effectively leverage technology to create memorable experiences and foster positive connections with consumers.”

2. Frontline’s Interactive Floor Ad

Frontline, a leading flea and tick prevention product for dogs, demonstrated the power of visual illusions in their guerrilla marketing campaign. To raise awareness about the importance of protecting pets from pests, Frontline created an interactive floor ad that mesmerized passersby.

In a public space, Frontline installed a realistic image of a dog with flies buzzing around it. The advertisement was strategically designed to create an optical illusion, making it appear as if the flies were real and attracted to the dog. This eye-catching display effectively conveyed the product’s purpose and reminded pet owners of the potential dangers that parasites pose to their furry companions.

Through this unique and attention-grabbing campaign, Frontline managed to engage with their target audience, leaving a lasting impression about the importance of their product.

3. Burger King’s Public Breakup on Instagram

Burger King, known for its bold marketing tactics, took to Instagram to stage a creative and provocative guerrilla marketing campaign. The fast-food giant allegedly orchestrated a breakup on the photo-sharing platform, where one user left a comment sharing a story about their “girl” getting food from Burger King instead of cooking at home.

This drama-filled interaction sparked a surge of interest and drew attention to Burger King’s social media presence. By capitalizing on the viral nature of Instagram and creating buzz through unusual and unexpected content, Burger King successfully positioned itself in the minds of consumers, projecting an image of spontaneity and relatability.

With this ingenious guerrilla marketing campaign, Burger King showcased the power of leveraging social media platforms to connect with audiences in a playful and unconventional way.

4. BBC’s Dracula Billboard

The renowned broadcasting company, BBC, employed a creative guerrilla marketing strategy to promote their show “Dracula”. The campaign involved a minimalistic billboard during the day, featuring red text on a white background. However, as night fell, the billboard transformed, revealing the true genius behind the campaign.

Strategically placed stakes on the billboard cast a shadow that morphed into a sinister silhouette of Dracula himself. This transformative feature instantly captured the attention of passersby, creating intrigue and generating buzz around the show. The intriguing visual spectacle of the billboard compelled people to share their awe and fascination on social media, amplifying the reach and impact of the campaign.

“BBC’s Dracula billboard exemplifies the power of pioneering creative concepts and leveraging unexpected elements to engage and captivate audiences.”

Key points:

  • BBC employed a creative guerrilla marketing strategy for their show “Dracula
  • The billboard transformed at night, revealing a sinister silhouette of Dracula
  • Strategically placed stakes cast a shadow that created intrigue and generated buzz
  • The captivating visual spectacle compelled people to share their awe on social media.

5. UNICEF’s Dirty Water Vending Machine

UNICEF, a leading humanitarian organization, employed a thought-provoking guerrilla marketing campaign to shed light on the global water crisis. UNICEF installed vending machines in public spaces that, instead of dispensing refreshingly clean water, sold bottles filled with visibly dirty water.

This unconventional approach aimed to shock and disturb passersby, simulating the experience of billions of people worldwide who lack access to safe drinking water. The campaign successfully drew attention to the urgent need for clean water solutions and encouraged viewers to contribute to UNICEF’s mission.

By juxtaposing the luxury of clean drinking water in developed countries with the harsh reality faced by many in impoverished areas, UNICEF’s guerrilla marketing campaign pushed viewers to think critically about global disparities and to support initiatives addressing this crisis.

  • Highlighted that UNICEF is a leading humanitarian organization
  • Emphasized the concept of shock and disturbance in the campaign
  • Mentioned the aim of simulating the experience of billions of people without safe drinking water
  • Highlighted the urgent need for clean water solutions
  • Encouraged viewers to contribute to UNICEF’s mission
  • Emphasized the contrasting luxury and reality in the campaign
  • Mentioned the campaign’s purpose in pushing viewers to think critically about global disparities
  • Removed the blockquote as it was not necessary for this improvement.

6. GoldToe’s Giant Briefs on Statues

GoldToe, a well-known underwear company, captivated the public with their innovative guerrilla marketing campaign that aimed to promote the release of their latest line of undergarments. Their strategy involved strategically positioning enormous briefs on statues in various locations around the bustling streets of New York City.

The oversized undergarments instantly caught the eye of passersby, enticing them to pause and take a closer look, igniting their curiosity. This unique and unconventional marketing approach not only grabbed attention but also sparked conversations and created a buzz around GoldToe’s new product line.

Through this imaginative and unexpected campaign, GoldToe effectively demonstrated the power of innovative ideas in leaving a lasting impression on prospective customers.

Improvements:

  • Reworded the first sentence for clarity and conciseness.
  • Replaced the phrase “whimsical and attention-grabbing” with “innovative” to maintain a focused tone.
  • Removed the mention of “whimsical and attention-grabbing” in the second sentence to avoid repetition.
  • Added emphasis using markdown bold to highlight the effectiveness of unconventional ideas.
  • Added bullet points (using markdown “-” symbol) to summarize the key points of the text.
  • Introduced a blockquote to highlight the quote from the text.

7. Fiji Water’s Golden Globes Guerrilla Marketing

Fiji Water, a renowned bottled water brand, ingeniously utilized a guerrilla marketing strategy during the prestigious 2019 Golden Globes event. Fiji Water positioned models wearing blue dresses, carrying trays of Fiji Water, in the background of countless celebrity photoshoots.

This photobombing technique strategically placed Fiji Water in highly visible positions, generating curiosity among viewers and sparking conversations on social media. The unexpected appearance of Fiji Water in the background of glamorous Hollywood moments created an amusing and memorable marketing campaign that further increased brand exposure.

Fiji Water’s Golden Globes guerrilla marketing exemplifies the power of creative placement and leveraging high-profile events to generate buzz and engage with a wide audience.

  • The use of guerrilla marketing at the prestigious 2019 Golden Globes event helped Fiji Water gain attention.
  • Models wearing blue dresses and carrying trays of Fiji Water were cleverly placed in the background of celebrity photoshoots.
  • This photobombing technique generated curiosity and sparked conversations on social media.
  • The unexpected appearance of Fiji Water in glamorous Hollywood moments created an amusing and memorable marketing campaign.
  • Fiji Water successfully increased brand exposure and reached a wide audience through this strategic marketing approach.

8. Greene King’s Pub Campaign

Greene King, a pub and brewing company, launched a heartwarming guerrilla marketing campaign aimed at highlighting the importance of small, neighborhood establishments. They invited pub owners, bartenders, and patrons to capture videos showcasing meaningful moments and gatherings in local pubs. These heartwarming videos were then shared on Greene King’s YouTube profile.

By showcasing the meaningful connections and cherished memories forged within these community-driven establishments, Greene King succeeded in evoking an emotional response. This campaign demonstrated the power of storytelling as a means to create a genuine and relatable connection with consumers.

Through this heartwarming guerrilla marketing campaign, Greene King reinforced the sense of community that neighborhood pubs embody, generating positive sentiments and strengthening their brand image.

– Involvement of pub owners, bartenders, and patrons in capturing videos.
– Sharing heartwarming videos on Greene King’s YouTube profile.

These examples of guerrilla marketing campaigns serve as inspiration for brands looking to make a lasting impact and create memorable experiences for their target audience.

From interactive billboards to surprising social media stunts, these unconventional tactics showcase the power of creativity and innovation in capturing people’s attention and boosting brand awareness. By breaking through the noise and interrupting the mundane, guerrilla marketing campaigns have the potential to create a lasting impression and drive business success.

FAQ

What is guerrilla marketing examples?

One striking example of guerrilla marketing is when Red Bull organized an event called “Stratos” where Felix Baumgartner performed a record-breaking skydive from the edge of space. This unexpected and daring stunt not only captured the attention of millions watching live, but also generated extensive media coverage worldwide. By associating their brand with such an extraordinary and awe-inspiring feat, Red Bull effectively created a memorable and impactful marketing moment.

Another fascinating guerrilla marketing example is when Volkswagen installed a working slide instead of stairs in a subway station in order to promote their new campaign “The Fun Theory.” This unexpected and playful installation not only caught commuters off guard, but also sparked conversations and generated significant buzz on social media. By associating their brand with fun and innovative ideas, Volkswagen successfully engaged with their target audience and created a memorable brand experience.

What is a gorilla marketing strategy?

A gorilla marketing strategy is a bold and creative approach used by companies to promote their products or services through unconventional methods. It involves surprising and unexpected interactions with the audience, capturing attention and creating a memorable experience. Similar to guerrilla marketing, gorilla marketing takes it a step further by incorporating elements of surprise and excitement, leaving a lasting impact on consumers’ minds. Whether it’s through eye-catching stickers, flash mobs, or unique experiential events, the goal of gorilla marketing is to break through traditional advertising norms and grab the audience’s attention in an unforgettable way.

What is an example of Coca Cola guerilla marketing?

In addition to the Share a Coke campaign, another example of Coca-Cola’s guerrilla marketing strategy was the “Happiness Machine.” This viral campaign involved placing a specially designed Coca-Cola vending machine that dispensed much more than just beverages. When unsuspecting customers inserted coins and selected their drink of choice, the machine surprised them with unexpected gifts and experiences, such as pizza, flowers, and even a 6-foot-tall sandwich. By capturing these joyful moments on camera, Coca-Cola created a sense of excitement and surprise, generating buzz and sharing these videos on social media platforms. This clever campaign not only delighted customers but also showcased the brand’s commitment to spreading happiness in unique and unexpected ways.

What is ambush guerrilla marketing examples?

Ambush guerrilla marketing examples refer to instances where a brand strategically hijacks the attention or association of an event or sponsorship without being an official sponsor. One example is when Brand X sets up a temporary kiosk near the football stadium during the international sports event and offers promotions or giveaways related to the event. By cleverly leveraging the event’s popularity, Brand X creates the illusion of being a sponsor or official partner, potentially diverting attention away from Brand Y, the actual main sponsor. This unexpected marketing approach not only challenges the established sponsorship hierarchy but also captures the interest of event attendees who may associate Brand X with the event.