No Internet? No Problem! Here's how one campaign reminded people of the good old times spent OFFLINE!

Thursday: Gorillas of Guerilla Marketing FROM THE DESK OF MILES EVERSON: Marketing is an essential part of businesses. As the action of promoting and selling products or services, including market research and advertising, marketing helps brands connect with their customers. For those of you who are looking for ways to boost your engagement rates with your target market, have you ever tried Guerrilla Marketing? This marketing strategy uses surprise and/or unconventional methods to promote a brand. Campaigns of this type are fun, unique, interactive, buzz-worthy, and sometimes even inexpensive. Do you want to see an example of an effective guerrilla marketing campaign? Read the article below and learn how one toy brand creatively used indoor and digital ads to capture online users’ attention and encourage them to bond and reconnect with their loved ones through fun play times offline. CEO, MBO Partners Chairman of the Advisory Board, The I Institute

No Internet? No Problem! Here's how one campaign reminded people of the good old times spent OFFLINE! Children growing up in today’s fast-paced world of Internet and technology are missing out on a childhood spent OFFLINE. By “offline,” we mean a childhood spent outdoors riding bikes, skipping stones, playing in the rain, and just letting one’s imagination run vividly and enthusiastically. Many children spend their time cooped up indoors nowadays. With their heads down, they are engrossed in the digital worlds of their tablets, smartphones, and gaming consoles. One toy brand decided to challenge this glorification of the virtual world by creating a guerrilla marketing campaign targeted at parents. With captivating posters and series of digital ads, the campaign cleverly communicated the benefits of having fun offline. The name of the brand? Play-Doh! Play-Doh is a toy brand manufactured by toy company Hasbro. The brand’s products are generically known as “clay” and are used by children and some adults to sculpt various objects and bring their imaginations to life. Going Offline with Play-Doh In January 2016, the clay brand poked fun at people’s electronic devices and their addiction to technology through a guerrilla marketing campaign called… “OFFLINE” (yes, Play-Doh is a fan of simple yet cleverly captivating marketing strategies and even in thinking of campaign titles, the brand carries this principle). This campaign reminded people from all over the world, especially parents of children in the Internet age, that they also need to spend some play time off screen. So… how did Play-Doh communicate this message? With the help of South African marketing agency TWO.AM, the campaign team created a series of colorful indoor ads/posters that had messages centered around technology. [Indoor Ads/Posters: A type of advertising where messages announcements about products, events, or services are published within an area that is easy to control.] The pastel-colored posters used Play-Doh clays to form images and texts. Once done, these ads were posted on public places in South Africa―malls, bus stops, public restrooms, and more. Check them out below! “No Charger Needed” “No Internet Required” “No In-App Purchases” “No Loading Time” “No Updates Necessary” Passersby can touch the Play-Doh clay and even play with it. However, once they’re done using the clay, they have to return it to where they took it. That’s not all! To reach more people not only in South Africa but also in other places around the globe, Play-Doh and TWO.AM digitized the posters and uploaded them on LinkedIn and Facebook as digital ads. By putting a spin on the “high-tech” phrases that have become part of the Internet and technology era, the campaign made passersby in South Africa stop on their tracks to check out and take photos of the posters. The campaign also emphasized the advantages of playing offline and playing with Play-Doh. Truly, creativity and having fun play times with family and friends require no batteries or electrical outlets! Was Play-Doh’s “OFFLINE” campaign effective? By using some of the Web’s most recognizable icons, the clay brand delivered its message: Put down your tablets and smartphones, step away from your laptops and flat screen mirrors, and do something offline―get your hands on some Play-Doh―instead. What else did Play-Doh achieve through this brand activation? Play-Doh’s digital ads on Facebook garnered 20,000+ likes and 10,000 comments. Meanwhile, the brand’s ads on LinkedIn had almost 30,000 likes and 435 comments. Both parents and non-parents who saw the campaign online commented on the ads. Most of them said Play-Doh’s post made them think twice and reconsider their online and offline activities. The “OFFLINE” campaign was featured on various industry-related websites and blogs. These included The S3 Agency, The American Genius, Media Update, and more. TWO.AM won the Award of Excellence from the Communication Arts magazine in 2016. The campaign won the Communication Arts magazine’s “Creative Circle Ad of the Month” award, became a finalist for The Shorty Awards’ “Ad of The Year” award, and won the Loerie Awards’ “Bronze Loerie” award―all in 2016. Clearly, these numbers and awards show that Play-Doh’s simple yet cleverly captivating guerrilla marketing campaign became a hit and appealed to its target market’s interest. Kudos, Play-Doh and TWO.AM! *Clap, clap, clap* Heavy use of technology and the Internet isn’t limited to adults. According to an article from Media Update, it’s easy for children nowadays to learn to use electronic devices, use an online app, or play an online game as if they’re learning basic life skills. That’s why Play-Doh created the “OFFLINE” campaign―to serve as a good reminder for people to play in the REAL world and not just in the virtual world. By dramatizing the real-world benefits of the classic modelling clay and juxtaposing it with some of the iconic tech phrases, the brand was able to highlight the pitfalls of its modern technological counterparts and remind people that true happiness, relaxation, creativity, and fun are found offline. Besides, who says clays are only for children? Adults like you can also use that! With a jar or two of the squishy material on your desk, use it to give your eyes rest from staring at computer screens for too long or to discover the hidden sculptor inside of you. Get inspired with this simply clever guerrilla marketing campaign from Play-Doh! Know your target market and their preferences, activities, and demands. You’ll see, these details will help you plan, shape, and execute a campaign that appeals to your consumers the most. Have fun strategizing and “molding” your next marketing tactics! 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 campaign helped generate buzz and awareness for the “Red Notice” movie? See it in next week’s article!