What Is Guerrilla Marketing? 11 Examples to Inspire Your Brand

The phrase “guerrilla,” in its written type, seems fairly intense. It conjures photos of riot and battle. Put it subsequent to the time period “advertising,” which makes many individuals ask, “Huh?”

However guerrilla advertising isn‘t some form of combative type of communication. Actually, it’s truly a really unconventional type of advertising in that it raises model consciousness amongst giant audiences with out interrupting them.

What is guerrilla marketing?

Guerrilla Marketing Examples to Inspire Your Brand

Guerrilla Marketing Tips From Experts

What’s guerrilla advertising?

The time period itself was created within the early Nineteen Eighties by the late enterprise author Jay Conrad Levinson, who wrote a number of books about guerrilla techniques in a number of skilled areas.

After all, advertising at the moment appeared very completely different. Whereas guerrilla advertising remains to be used at present, the ever-growing digital panorama is altering what it seems like.

Roots of Fight

After we hear the time period “guerrilla advertising,” it’s onerous not to consider guerrilla warfare — which is smart since that’s the place this advertising model acquired its title.

Within the context of battle, guerrilla techniques rely primarily on the component of shock. Suppose: “Ambushes, sabotage, raids,” based on Creative Guerrilla Marketing.

However how does that translate into the work we do every single day? In advertising, guerrilla strategies principally play on the component of shock.

It units out to create extremely unconventional campaigns that catch folks unexpectedly throughout their day-to-day routines.

Price range-Pleasant

What entrepreneurs take pleasure in about guerrilla advertising is its comparatively low-cost nature. The precise funding here’s a artistic, mental one. Its implementation, nonetheless, doesn’t must be costly.

Michael Brenner summarizes it properly in his article on “guerrilla content material,” he frames this advertising model in the identical context as repurposing your current content material, like taking particular report segments and increasing every right into a weblog publish.

It is an funding of time however not cash, per se.

In a approach, guerrilla advertising works by repurposing your viewers’s present setting. Consider it and decide which segments may be repurposed to incorporate your model.

Sorts of Guerrilla Advertising

As area of interest because it might sound, there are a couple of sub-categories of guerrilla advertising, as outlined by the agency ALT TERRAIN:

• Outside guerrilla advertising adds one thing to preexisting city environments, like placing one thing detachable onto a statue or placing momentary paintings on sidewalks and streets.
• Indoor guerilla advertising. Like outside guerrilla advertising, it happens in indoor areas like prepare stations, outlets, and college campus buildings.
• Occasion ambush guerilla advertising. This tactic engages the viewers of an in-person occasion — like a live performance or a sporting recreation — to advertise a services or products noticeably, normally with out permission from the occasion sponsors.
• Experiential guerilla advertising. This consists of all the above however is executed in a approach that requires the general public to work together with the model.

With out context, guerrilla advertising could be a little complicated, so let’s see the way it’s been executed by a couple of different manufacturers.

Guerrilla Advertising Examples to Encourage Your Model

1. UNICEF’s Soiled Water Merchandising Machines

I am as responsible as anybody of losing cash on bottled water. I’ve no excuse. I’ve a reusable one. My office provides filtered water from a machine, not a conventional cooler, but it stays a nasty behavior.

This guerrilla advertising marketing campaign from the aid group UNICEF resonated with me. It posed the query, “What if these bottles of water you waste cash on have been stuffed with soiled water?”

It reminded the privileged lots that in too many components of the world, total populations haven’t any entry to wash consuming water.

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So, as a substitute of frivolously spending that cash on bottled water, UNICEF advised placing it towards efforts to convey clear consuming water to those areas.

It created makeshift merchandising machines that offered soiled bottled water, with every button labeled as a illness attributable to a scarcity of fresh consuming water.

The large takeaway: Guerrilla advertising works within the not-for-profit sector, too. And whereas scary, saddening photos are sometimes an impactful approach of speaking your mission.

There is a solution to convey it by creating one thing much less in-your-face and interactive for the general public.

2. BBC’s Dracula Billboard

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Once I consider Rely Dracula, I conjure the penultimate villain synonymous with all the things that goes bump at night time. The BBC wished to capitalize on this sense to advertise their present Dracula.

By day, their billboard was designed to be minimalistic, with pink textual content on a white background with a couple of bloody stakes. Nevertheless, like its topic, the billboard modified utterly each time night time fell.

The stakes have been strategically positioned to solid a shadow of Dracula himself.

The set up was featured in Adweek and had some viral success for its creativity and skillful implementation.

The large takeaway: Suppose outdoors the field to your promoting supplies. On this case, mild and shadow have been sufficient to convey the message and seize consideration.

3. Burger King’s Moldy Whopper

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Within the historical past of quick meals, who’d have thought {that a} rotten burger could be the face of a widespread advert?

Not many individuals — which might be why Burger King thought it might be a good suggestion to launch a time-lapse video of their Whopper burger decaying for 35 days.

Many individuals complain about how near-perfect burgers and cereal look in adverts, so Burger King did the precise reverse to indicate how profitable they have been at eradicating synthetic preservatives from the Whopper sandwich in European international locations and america.

The photographs present the mould rising over the burger, from the buns to the freshly sliced tomatoes, lettuce, and onions to the juicy beef patty.

Within the advert, there’s a reference to the variety of days which have handed because the burger was made. And beneath, an announcement learn, “The fantastic thing about no synthetic preservatives.”

Whereas it might appear very gross, the audience did recognize the advert’s message, and a few even admitted that they’d choose the Whopper burger over others.

The large takeaway: Do not be afraid to go to the acute when advertising your merchandise. It simply may need the impact you need. Be cautious — however don’t be afraid.

4. Airbnb’s ‘Evening At’ Marketing campaign

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If you happen to have been jealous of Beyonce and Jay-Z’s taking pictures their “Apesh*t” music video within the Louvre and wish to expertise it, get in right here. Rapidly.

To exhibit its appreciation for artwork and its dedication to offering constructive, unmatched experiences, Airbnb supplied prospects an opportunity to expertise an evening on the Musee du Louvre (sure, you learn that proper. Free.).

For its experiential marketing campaign titled “Night At,” Airbnb remodeled the glass pyramid within the Louvre Museum into an enthralling bed room the place company can spend the night time surrounded by the world’s most cherished (and costly) artworks, together with the famed Mona Lisa.

In doing this, Airbnb bridged the hole between artwork and hospitality, creating lifelong prospects of artwork aficionados who skilled this.

However Airbnb didn’t cease on the Louvre. It remodeled different iconic areas into properties for an evening, together with the Shark Aquarium, the Paris catacombs (for Halloween Evening), Dracula’s Citadel in Transylvania, and the Nice Barrier Reef.

The purpose is to supply folks the prospect to immerse themselves in locations with cultural, emotional, or historic significance — one thing Airbnb has achieved to the max.

The large takeaway: Join along with your viewers emotionally by providing experiences that capitalize on their needs and pursuits.

5. Paper Tree x Rock Paper Actuality Marketing campaign

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Rock Paper Actuality (RPR), an immersive content material and design agency, collaborated with Adobe Aero and Google’s Geospatial Creator to create an augmented actuality (AR) expertise for the Paper Tree origami retailer in Japantown, San Francisco.

Guests within the space would scan a QR code, permitting them to view giant, 3D origami sculptures built-in into the world round them by way of their system screens.

Beside every sculpture was an inventory of supplies folks may buy within the Paper Tree retailer to recreate the mannequin.

This elevated enterprise for the origami retailer and confirmed how corporations can use Adobe and Google tech to make 3D experiences extra accessible to their prospects.

The large takeaway: If you happen to can not create an elaborate advertising marketing campaign in the actual world on account of finances points (or another inconvenience), you may make it right into a 3D digital expertise that your audience will love.

6. Budweiser’s Reunited With Buds Marketing campaign

The unfold of COVID-19 made 2020 a difficult 12 months for everybody, together with manufacturers like Budweiser that goal to convey folks collectively for a very good time.

So, to have a good time the reopening of bars, Budweiser launched their Reunited with Buds campaign, which targeted on uniting folks after a difficult 12 months.

Within the advert, Budweiser’s cute Labrador retriever pet and its well-known Clydesdale horses every make lengthy journeys to fulfill up, presumably after spending the previous a number of weeks social distancing.

With the spirited tune “Do not Cease Me Now” by Queen enjoying within the background, the Reunited with Buds advert celebrated the thrill that comes with household, mates, and colleagues having the ability to seize a drink on the closest bar once more.

Along with precisely portraying the thrill of reopening, Budweiser displayed its product positively by way of balanced storytelling and nostalgic music.

The large takeaway: It is okay to get slightly sentimental and fill your marketing campaign with parts that invoke highly effective (and feel-good) feelings in your viewers.

7. KFC Crocs

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I’ve acquired two questions: Do you’re keen on KFC’s world-famous fried rooster? Now, do you want Crocs?

Suppose your reply is sure to each questions. In that case, you’ll perceive the genius behind KFC’s choice to companion with Crocs, the pioneers of arguably essentially the most snug sneakers that exist proper now (that is simply my opinion, although).

In 2020, KFC and Crocs launched restricted version Clogs that includes a sensible Kentucky Fried Hen sample and the recognizable red-striped bucket.

The 2 Clog variations — the heeled and the common — got here with removable drumstick-shaped Jibbitz charms connected to the highest.

Magnificence icon Me Love Me A Lot (MLMA) debuted the heeled model of those KFC x Crocs clogs at New York Style Week, one of many world’s most important vogue occasions.

This garnered a whole lot of consideration, which led to the restricted version Clogs promoting out in lower than an hour after the official launch.

For each pair offered, KFC donated $3 to the KFC Basis’s Attain Instructional Grant Program, which helps KFC workers get faculty scholarships.

The large takeaway: To get as many eyes as attainable in your marketing campaign, launch it at a giant occasion. You may as well incentivize folks to purchase your product by making donations or doing a little charity work that you just love.

Or you are able to do each, like KFC and Crocs.

8. McDonald’s Quarter Pounder Fan Membership

For almost 5 a long time, McDonald’s Quarter Pounder burger has been a fan favourite. In 2020, McDonald’s determined to capitalize on the Quarter Pounder’s reputation in Sweden to generate extra buzz for it.

And it did so by organising a Quarter Pounder Fan Membership — a secret membership for Quarter Pounder lovers.

Not solely did this membership have restricted membership slots, however the individuals who have been accepted got a particular membership card and entry to Quarter Pounder-related perks, reminiscent of a candle pack, mittens, calendars, T-shirts, stickers, and pins.

This marketing campaign motivated members of the fan membership to share their experiences and love for the Quarter Pounder on social media platforms.

This piqued the curiosity of those that haven’t tried the enduring burger (or any McDonald’s menu merchandise), and the large fast-food chain acquired extra prospects by way of the marketing campaign.

The large takeaway: Create a way of exclusivity and make your buyer really feel particular by making a fan membership or group of some form. Then, supply them incentives to attract extra consideration to your marketing campaign.

9. Samsung’s Seize The Evening Marketing campaign

To advertise the launch of the brand new Galaxy S23, Samsung launched its Seize The Evening marketing campaign, which served to bridge the hole between creativity and expertise.

Initially titled “Captura la noche” for its Argentine customers, Samsung confirmed how a lot love and appreciation its customers had for music as a lifestyle, as an intimate language, and as a coping mechanism.

Samsung created an online platform the place its customers can add their night time pictures taken with Samsung Galaxy S23’s unparalleled night time digital camera. This platform analyzes the pictures and makes use of AI algorithms to outline the model of music for every photograph.

Not solely can Samsung customers determine the form of music they’d prefer to take heed to, however they will use the platform’s recommendations to create authentic songs of their very own, identical to Agusto Schuster did.

The large takeaway: Work out one thing your audience loves and discover a solution to give it to them by way of your marketing campaign.

10. Google Pixel Fold marketing campaign

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Foldable gadgets have been all the craze for almost a decade, so when Google Pixel launched the Pixel Fold, it knew it needed to go above and past to spotlight its superb options.

Working with Anomaly, an progressive advertising company, Google Pixel launched a marketing campaign with 3D anamorphic DOOH.

Anomaly used larger-than-life 3D phantasm billboards and animation to showcase the foldable telephone’s smooth design and spotlight its immersive show options, amongst different issues.

There may be additionally footage of the shows that’ll be shared throughout social media to garner extra consideration.

The large takeaway: Work out some progressive, novel methods to make use of common advertising channels, reminiscent of billboards, video commercials, and social media.

11. SPAR Gown To Impress the AI Marketing campaign

In terms of guerrilla advertising, nothing beats interactivity. SPAR Slovenia knew this when it partnered with promoting company AV Studio to arrange an interactive metropolis mild proper on the entrance of Interspar shops.

When a buyer stands in entrance of town mild, the machine studying algorithm will scan their clothes model and use that to find out the client’s musical tastes.

The method takes lower than ten seconds and is protected because the system doesn’t retailer customers’ pictures. It solely scans a buyer’s clothes and performs music that matches their model, together with rock, pop, and hipster music. The town mild additionally recommends songs that prospects may take pleasure in.

The large takeaway: Take into consideration the issues your viewers may simply cross by every single day — and make these issues do one thing surprising and interactive.

Guerrilla Advertising Suggestions From Consultants

Listed below are some ideas that will help you run a profitable guerilla advertising marketing campaign:

1. Know your audience.

Since you realize the product you‘re selling, you seemingly have a good suggestion of the form of folks you wish to goal along with your guerilla advertising techniques.

Nevertheless, due to the spontaneity, creativity, and generally interactive nature of guerilla advertising campaigns, you’ll must develop a deeper understanding of your audience.

Guerilla advertising isn‘t nearly reaching folks however about forming a reference to a phase of your goal market that has the identical pursuits, wants, and values because the model you’re selling.

To do that, examine your viewers and determine:

• The place they hang around (on-line and offline).
• What they like and dislike.
• What they care about.
• How they convey.
• What their routine seems like.
• What can shock them?
• How they spend their leisure time.

Figuring out this info might help you select an acceptable location, craft a message that resonates, and select the appropriate on-line promotion channels to your marketing campaign.

“The key sauce is admittedly attending to know your viewers just like the again of your hand,” says Sudwir Khatwani, the director of The Money Mongers.

Khatwani explains, “It’s about chatting with them, understanding their quirks, and determining what actually will get them excited. While you nail this, you possibly can whip up a marketing campaign that looks like a heart-to-heart chat fairly than a gross sales pitch.”

That‘s what Pink Bull did with their Stratos Soar marketing campaign. It was an enormous success as a result of the model understood and tapped into its viewers’s curiosity in journey and excessive sports activities.

That is why they sponsored Austrian skydiver Felix Baumgartner’s groundbreaking freefall from Earth’s stratosphere, producing worldwide consideration and growing model consciousness.

2. Be artistic and authentic.

The fantastic thing about guerilla advertising is in its idiosyncrasy. It is a advertising tactic that requires you to assume outdoors the field for a solution to embrace the component of shock and create one thing related but surprising.

With guerilla advertising, the very last thing you wish to be is a copycat.

So the onus is on you to both give you one thing that is by no means been carried out earlier than or put a singular spin on an current idea — whereas making certain that your concept aligns completely along with your model identification and values.

Adebayo Samson, the founder, and CEO of Academicful, believes that ambient advertising is the way in which to precise your authenticity and creativity.

Ambient advertising entails integrating your messaging seamlessly into the setting by which your audience interacts.

“It is about be­coming part of their world, whether or not by way of strategically positioned visuals, memorable experiences, or interactive eleme­nts,” Samson explains.

Samson says, “This strategy guarantee­s that your advertising efforts price­l pure and unobtrusive, capturing potential prospects’ consideration with out being intrusive or disruptive.”

Location does make all of the distinction with guerilla advertising. Jon Morgan, the CEO of Venture Smarter, is aware of this all too nicely.

“One memorable guerrilla advertising marketing campaign concerned a journey company inserting life-sized cardboard cutouts of unique animals in surprising city areas. This sparked intriguing conversations, in the end driving extra folks to their journey packages,” Morgan says.

This marketing campaign’s purpose was to encourage folks to discover new locations and expertise wildlife of their pure habitats. It labored.

As Morgan says, “The secret’s to evoke feelings and make folks cease and assume.”

3. Check your concept earlier than executing it.

The primary purpose of a guerilla advertising marketing campaign is to wow your audience. However in the event you execute your unconventional marketing campaign with out testing it first, you may find yourself doing the precise reverse.

Regardless of how genius your guerilla advertising concept feels, Tom Golubovich, the top of promoting at Ninja Transfers, advises that you just check it on a spotlight group first.

“Guerilla advertising is exclusive and superior, nevertheless it’s at all times a good suggestion to grasp and respect the bounds of your goal market in order to not trigger an reverse impact,” Golubovich says.

“Decide a small group of individuals to check your concepts beforehand, ask them for his or her ideas, opinions, and suggestions, and make your selections accordingly,” he explains.

Testing your concept on a small group of individuals helps you expect how your bigger viewers will react to your marketing campaign and the outcomes you will get from it.

4. Promote your guerilla advertising marketing campaign on-line.

After executing your guerilla advertising marketing campaign, what occurs subsequent?

Some entrepreneurs select to sit down again and watch outcomes pour in.

However a way more productive strategy to take is the one which Jas Banwait Gill, the expansion supervisor at SwagMagic, advises — which is to amplify the affect of your marketing campaign by way of on-line advertising.

“As soon as the present is over, sustaining momentum is essential. Hold the thrill going by hyping the success of your guerilla advertising marketing campaign throughout your model’s on-line channels. This extends the lifetime of your marketing campaign and retains your viewers engaged and enthusiastic about your model,” Gill says.

Gill’s proper. The presence of an offline guerilla advertising marketing campaign shouldn’t imply the absence of a web based marketing campaign.

As an alternative, each your on-line and offline campaigns ought to work in tandem to extend consciousness and generate certified leads to your model.

You need to use completely different on-line channels, reminiscent of social media, e-mail, blogs, podcasts, and PR, to advertise your marketing campaign, amplify user-generated content material, and share testimonials and behind-the-scenes content material.

You may even create a hashtag to your marketing campaign and use it throughout all of your advertising methods, together with content material advertising, influencer advertising, and paid promoting.

5. Do not concentrate on going viral.

Who would not love their advertising marketing campaign to go viral? I certain would!

Nevertheless, do not let the prospect of virality make you are taking your eyes off the purpose you wish to obtain — offering worth and getting extra prospects to your model.

Going viral merely signifies that your marketing campaign will attain many individuals; it would not assure that it’ll attain the proper folks. So, whereas the guerilla advertising campaigns outlined above went viral, this should not be what you pursue.

Focus first on including worth to your audience. If you happen to go viral within the course of, that‘s nice. However in the event you do not, you‘ll nonetheless get good outcomes since you’re focusing on the people who matter.

6. Analyze and study from the outcomes of your marketing campaign.

When your guerilla advertising marketing campaign is over, it’s essential analyze your outcomes and see what you probably did proper (and what you did not).

Jon Morgan, the CEO of Venture Smarter, proposes that you just measure the success of your guerrilla advertising marketing campaign utilizing each quantitative and qualitative metrics.

“Observe engagement, web site visitors, social media mentions, and gross sales, but additionally take note of the conversations and model sentiment it generates. These insights will show you how to fine-tune your technique for future campaigns,” Morgan says.

You may as well gather suggestions out of your audience, companions, and stakeholders. Via this suggestions, determine what labored nicely and what might be improved.

Doc all the course of and observe some greatest practices to stick to for future reference. This ensures that you do not battle an excessive amount of while you run one other marketing campaign sooner or later.

Guerrillas within the Wild

Beginning to make slightly extra sense?

Hopefully, you will be impressed by these examples, particularly in the event you’re selling a smaller model. Don‘t be afraid to crowdsource the content material for these campaigns.

In spite of everything, artistic approaches to your work assist keep guerrilla advertising’s budget-friendly, inbound nature.

Bear in mind: Catch folks the place they’re, and insert your model there. Do not interrupt, however invite them to take part.

Editor’s observe: This publish was initially printed in July 2018 and has been up to date for comprehensiveness.