“Red Light, Green Light!” - Check out how this Netflix show took the marketing industry by storm!
Because of the show’s popularity, various brands hopped in on the “Squid Game” trend to advertise their products. Netflix also created a guerilla marketing campaign that gave the audience the experience of being in the TV series (minus the risk of death, of course). Curious about how this guerrilla marketing campaign played out? Check out the article below to know what Netflix did and learn a thing or two about what makes a great marketing strategy.
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“Red Light, Green Light!” - Check out how this Netflix show took the marketing industry by storm! Imagine this: What if someone told you that you can win USD 38 million by simply playing a bunch of children’s games? All you have to do is win in every single one of these games, from “Red Light, Green Light” to Hopscotch. However, there’s a catch: If you lose, you die. Would you still take the risk? — In 2021, one Netflix hit series about children’s-games-turned-deadly took the marketing industry by storm. Some of the show’s strongest assets? Its viral trends and challenges as well as various guerrilla marketing tactics in different parts of the world… “Squid Game” is a South Korean survival drama series. The story is about a competition where 456 players, all of whom are in deep financial debt, risk their lives to play a series of deadly children's games for a chance to win KRW 45.6 billion.
“Squid Game” is the first South Korean series to top Netflix’s Global Top 10. It ranked #1 in 94 countries, including the US and the UK. As of October 2021, over 142 million households in the world have watched the show. Imagine how big that reach was! … but wait―here’s an interesting fact about the Netflix series: Prior to its premiere, “Squid Game” wasn’t promoted much. In fact, there weren’t any promotional efforts done in the US and the production team only had a small marketing budget in South Korea. Fortunately, this did not stop the show from becoming a global success. As the “Squid Game” series gained traction after its release, Netflix decided to come up with a unique and entertaining marketing strategy to aid the show’s rise in popularity. Global Installations in Various Countries around the World To anyone who’s watched “Squid Game,” the first thing that will most likely come to mind once the show’s title is mentioned is the giant creepy doll featured in the “Red Light, Green Light” game. This became the face of the series.
To further add to the hype, Netflix set up “Squid Game” installations that featured the “murder doll” in different parts of the world. These locations included Sydney, Australia; Manila, Philippines; Los Angeles, USA; and Manchester, England. The streaming platform even went above and beyond with the launch of the “Squid Game World” in Seoul’s Itaewon subway station!
This installation featured replicas of the pastel-colored game venue in the TV series, including the iconic robot doll. Visitors played games and won prizes, and guests who documented their visit via social media received a “Squid Game”-themed gift. Other installations only starred the giant doll in public places. The doll was fully in character as it sang the song for the “Red Light, Green Light” game. Some passersby played along to the game while others only took pictures.
The “Squid Game” Effect The murder doll isn’t the only iconic character in the “Squid Game” series. The players’ and the guards’ fashion styles―green tracksuits, white sneakers, pink boiler suits, and masks―also captured a lot of attention online and offline. In fact, these outfits became the 23rd most popular costume in Google’s search during the Halloween season! Thanks to these fashion trends, certain brands experienced increased sales and online searches for products that involve “Squid Game.” One example is the American skateboarding apparel brand Vans.
The brand reported a 7,800% sales increase in the fortnight after the show’s release. Take note: Vans didn’t even pay for any product placement in the TV series! It’s just that many people were into the green-tracksuit-and-white-sneakers trend that the first thing they thought of about the shoes was Vans. Even the generic “white slip-on shoes” had a 97% increase in online searches. Meanwhile, online searches for “boiler suits” grew by 62%. Other brands also joined the “Squid Game” trend and took advantage of various marketing opportunities provided by the show’s popularity. From Heineken’s beers and Domino’s pizzas to Marigold HL’s milk and others, “Squid Game”-themed marketing was everywhere!
These brands didn’t have to pay for any product placement on the show. All they had to do was reference “Squid Game” in their ads and they’ll catch the attention of casual viewers and fans. Was Netflix’s guerrilla marketing campaign for the “Squid Game” series effective? Netflix’s interactive guerilla marketing campaign further helped the “Squid Game” series become a global phenomenon. At the same time, this also contributed to the streaming platform’s growth.
Clearly, these numbers show that the guerrilla marketing campaign was a hit! There were two things Netflix did right in the “Squid Game” guerrilla marketing tactic. First, it created interactive and life-sized advertisements that integrated iconic elements from the show. These appealed to those who watched the show and those who only heard it through word of mouth. Second, Netflix’s campaign created a marketing trend that brands and individuals were able to take advantage of without spending money on official partnerships. If there is something that you can learn from this guerrilla marketing campaign, it’s that great marketing starts with a great product. Netflix effectively promoted the “Squid Game” series using its own elements because of how critically acclaimed the show is. It has a unique and refreshing plot, smart use of colors, design set, symbolism, and an incredible cast of characters. Simply said, it’s not hard to market something that you know people will enjoy. This leads us to the next point, which is virality through word-of-mouth. The first few people who watched the “Squid Game” series liked the show and talked about it with their peers. This created a chain of people encouraging others to watch the series to a point where even influencers are talking about it. Additionally, Netflix did not settle in making its show popular through word-of-mouth alone. Once the “Squid Game” series took off, the streaming platform put more effort into advertising, effectively using guerilla marketing to encourage more people to watch the show in a fun, interactive way. — If you know you have a good product that’s worth promoting, get creative and let the whole world know about it! Use your brand’s elements to create a marketing campaign that appeals to your target audience and make them curious about what your business has to offer. Whatever marketing strategy you choose, remember that it’s about capturing and sustaining the attention of your audience, positively engaging with them, and letting them know who you are as a brand. Are you ready to get into the marketing playing field? Get inspired with Netflix’s guerrilla marketing tactic for the “Squid Game” series and get a chance to win your target market’s trust and loyalty! 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 Guerrilla Marketing! Do you want to learn about how one toy brand’s guerrilla marketing campaign reminded people about the benefits of playing offline? See it in next week’s article! |
