This Netflix bus stop ad has everyone creeped out!
You talk about it. Brands use guerilla marketing to do just that: Make you talk about them! Keep reading to learn how this 2018 Netflix show captured the attention of thousands of American commuters and generated hype through its creatively “creepy” campaign.
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This Netflix bus stop ad has everyone creeped out! Bus stops are a common sight in cities, providing commuters a convenient place to catch a ride. This is also the last place you’ll expect to see anything creepy or out of the ordinary. But… this was definitely not the case for a lot of American commuters in 2018. There were frozen bodies encased in clear plastic on the side of bus stops! These bodies looked very lifelike. If people looked closely, they even looked like they were breathing! Surely, this is something you would not expect to see during your morning commute! This advertisement was used to promote Netflix’s new show. Altered Carbon, a sci-fi series set 300 years into the future. The show features characters who are able to switch their consciousness to different bodies. Hence, the frozen bodies encased in plastic bags. This campaign received mixed reactions—some called it creative and thought-provoking, while others just found it creepy and too graphic. Nevertheless, it was able to generate a good amount of hype for the show, adding more intrigue to the already mysterious sci-fi plot. This also received so much attention from news outlets like Fox and CBS in the US, which definitely led to more people talking about both the campaign and the show.
This guerrilla marketing campaign helped generate some hype for Altered Carbon and gain strong viewership numbers upon its debut on Netflix, with 2.5 million viewers in the first seven days. Altered Carbon received nominations for Outstanding Main Title Design and Outstanding Special Visual Effects at the 70th Primetime Emmy Awards. It also received three nominations at the 17th Visual Effects Society Awards, winning one for Outstanding Effects Simulations in an Episode, Commercial, or Real-Time Project. The campaign was also recognized by Adweek, winning Best Media Plan of the Year. Guerrilla marketing strategies like this are designed to generate buzz and create conversations across social media and news outlets. They might be disturbing, weird, or even grotesque, but they get the job done — they effectively capture people’s attention. The same group of people would then share it with more people! While using a fake frozen body is not something that other brands can do, being creative with your ads is a great way to stand out from the competition. You can place these ads where many people pass by and so they remember your brand. Guerrilla marketing is all about creating a conversation and getting a unique reaction from people, and advertisements like these are a great example of how you can do it! 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 Carlsberg's guerilla marketing campaign in London in 2015 to get the British to flock to the venue? See it on next week’s Gorillas of the Guerilla Marketing! |
