DRAMARAMA! This marketing stunt shook a quiet Belgian town square!
It can even compel your target market to do the marketing for you! Keep reading to learn how this TV channel in Belgium captured the attention of Flemish folks in the middle of their town square .
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
DRAMARAMA! This marketing stunt shook a quiet Belgian town square! Imagine a small, quaint town in Belgium. Simple, quiet, and peaceful. At the center is a town square where people are going about minding their own business. It seems to be a normal day with nothing out of the ordinary happening. But what if you could change all that with just a push of a button? Crazy? Nope. Ask the folks in this Flemish town who suddenly found themselves stuck in place as insanity ensued everywhere. Right smack in the middle of their town square was a big red button with a large arrow hanging above it that had only one instruction: “PUSH TO ADD DRAMA” Everyone saw it, but no one dared to go near it. People were clearly keeping their distance. Passersby just looked at it. Diners at nearby cafes or restaurants just stared at it. After all, who would want to be responsible for whatever happens once the button is pressed, right? After a while, someone curious enough would decide that a button that big and red just needed to be pushed. What happened next was definitely drama.
It was a spectacle of action, comedy, drama, and sports combined! Right after, a tarp rolled out from the top of a building that said:
It was the launch of the TV Channel TNT in Belgium. All this happened so fast that the person who pushed the button stood dumbfounded, frozen in the same spot. The crowd watching was left shocked and speechless. Did that really happen? What was that madness that had just unfolded before them? Were their minds playing tricks on them? What they all just witnessed was one of the most ambitious guerrilla marketing campaigns of 2012. <Watch the whole thing on YouTube here.> This marketing stunt was created by Duval Guillaume Modem , an agency known for conceptualizing unique guerrilla marketing campaigns for different brands The concept behind the entire display was made in just five days. No storyboards, just pure brainstorming. The first idea was a “Cowboys and Indians” stunt, but they decided to go bigger. After a series of rehearsals, the plan was all set, and the rest is history! It was a success. The ad generated 29 million views on YouTube in just one week. To put things into perspective, the population of Belgium at that time was just 11 million! The ad was also shared more than 3 million times two months after its release , reaching more people in different parts of the world. The campaign won in Cannes Lions 2012, which is one of the most prestigious advertising award shows in the world. They won 5 Gold awards and 1 Bronze award!
This spectacular TNT ad showed that you can use shock and awe to wow the crowd, and leave a huge impression that will make them remember your brand! There are different ways to do this: flash mobs , controversial ads in bus stops , billboards that serve beer , and many more. Guerrilla marketing is all about creativity and getting a memorable reaction from your audience. With the right execution, guerrilla marketing could be an effective way to promote your brand. In the end, your ad can become the talk of the town, shared all over social media and by word of mouth. Hope you’ve found this week’s guerrilla marketing insight interesting and helpful. Follow us on LinkedIn. Stay tuned for next Thursday’s Gorillas of Guerilla Marketing! Do you want to learn about Volkswagen’s Guerilla Marketing strategy? See it on next week’s Gorillas of the Guerilla Marketing ! |
Miles Everson
CEO of MBO Partners and former Global Advisory and Consulting CEO at PwC, Everson has worked with many of the world's largest and most prominent organizations, specializing in executive management. He helps companies balance growth, reduce risk, maximize return, and excel in strategic business priorities.
He is a sought-after public speaker and contributor and has been a case study for success from Harvard Business School.
Everson is a Certified Public Accountant, a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and Minnesota Society of Certified Public Accountants. He graduated from St. Cloud State University with a B.S. in Accounting.
SIGN UP FOR THE NEWSLETTER
The Business Builder Daily