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Guerrilla marketing and stunts

With so many advertisers and campaigners clamoring for people's attention, how can you stand out from the crowd? Guerilla marketing is all about coming up with unconventional, surprising ways to get people talking about your campaign.  Absurd, surreal, odd, dramatic stunts are sure to get you media coverage and engage people with your charity. 

Ingredients of a marketing stunt

  • Lay siege to a building (well sort of). Have a look at how TimeBank used London billboards. Also have a look at footage of when the charity Kikass took over Trafalgar Square.
  • Set up an amazing photo opportunity. Have a look at Shelter's contortionists stunt and Everyman's Prostrate for Prostate stunt when 24 men lay down in the  middle of Leicester Square (see the photo). Have a look at TimeBank's angel stunt. 
  • Random acts of kindness (and freebies) are always popular. TimeBank gave free bottles water (with volunteering information) to London commuters. Ikea decorated bus shelters and left people sofas to sit on around New York (see their Everyday Fabulous photos). 
  • Start a whispering campaign. Create a buzz. This is perhaps the most subtle form of marketing/ advertising. One publishing company hired actors to travel around the London Underground network reading their books. Read more about this in this article from The Guardian: Psst! Have you heard? 
  • Hold a weird/ funny contest. Have a look at The Great British Duck Race.
  • Put someone in fancy dress somewhere unexpected. Hire promotional staff and target a particular place. Keep an eye on Marketing Week to see the latest promotion. Have a look at TimeBank's angels stunt.

  • Make sure to get PR coverage for your stunt. Alert target media's photo desks before the event. Book your own photographer and get the photos of your stunt distributed by PA Photos. 

Inspiration

  • Have a look at the agency Cunning's case studies. They're the people who came up with the idea to pay students to become human billboards (messages and adverts were printed on their foreheads).
  • Diabolical Liberties are another agency known for their stunts. Have a look at their stunt for The Observer newspaper.
  • Keep an eye on Hot Cow's blog to find out about the latest creative stunts.
  • The agency Firefly has come up with some original stunts too.

 

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