"Once you see it, it's too late." - How come a supposedly friendly gesture gave people the creeps?
impactful, and easy to execute. Campaigns of this type create a lasting impression that enables consumers to actively interact with a brand. For today’s issue, we’re thrilled to talk about a guerrilla marketing stunt that generated a lot of buzz for a horror film! Find out how a group of guerrilla marketers used a sporting event to capture the attention of thousands of people!
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"Once you see it, it's too late." - How come a supposedly friendly gesture gave people the creeps? Have you ever felt creeped out when you experience something eerie or disturbing? You don’t know why, but whenever you’re feeling this emotion, you find yourself overwhelmed with a sense of uneasiness. According to Frank McAndrew, a professor of psychology at Knox College, when we’re creeped out, our bodies tell us that something isn’t right and we better stay alert. Moreover, when we’re in that emotional state, we’re forced to search for more information about the thing giving us the creeps! Simply said, getting the creeps is a powerful emotion that compels us to act. Did you know the marketing team of a certain horror film was inspired by this emotion when they came up with a guerrilla marketing campaign? The title of that movie is… “Smile!”
“Smile” is a 2022 American psychological horror film written and directed by Parker Finn. The movie is about Dr. Rose Cotter (played by Sosie Bacon), a psychiatrist who was entangled in a traumatic incident involving one of her patients. As a result of this experience, Cotter started to go through a series of disturbing events. In case you don’t know yet, the movie stood out because of the creepy smiles found throughout its runtime. So… what made these smiles iconic and unsettling—was it the act itself, or something else entirely? Research suggests there’s no inherent emotional meaning in smiling; it’s actually the context that brings out the emotions we associate with the act. When smiles are seen in a horror film, some moviegoers start feeling uneasy or creeped out as they watch the movie unfold. In the case of “Smile,” the marketing team picked up on this principle and used it as an inspiration for the film’s guerrilla marketing campaign. Here’s how the promotional strategy went… Before “Smile” was released, the marketing team hired a few actors to stand in multiple sporting venues to grin from ear to ear!
These “smilers” were spotted at different Major League Baseball (MLB) games across the U.S., where over 26,000 fans attended the games on average. As expected, this creepy stunt grabbed the attention of those who were watching the games in person or through television. What’s more? The sightings of these individuals garnered lots of attention on social media! In particular, the guerrilla marketing stunt had over 20 million views on TikTok, a short-form video hosting site. The viewership on social media made it clear that the guerilla marketing stunt was effective in generating buzz for “Smile.” However, was this stunt effective in helping the movie’s performance in the box office? YES! Based on the numbers provided by Deadline, a digital news website dedicated to Hollywood films, “Smile” has earned over USD 200 million globally since its release on September 30, 2022. The movie cost USD 17 million to make, which meant its profits were over 10 times its production budget. While the guerrilla marketing stunt isn’t the sole factor for the film’s impressive earnings, it can’t be denied that it played a huge part in the film’s financial success. After all, horror isn’t the usual genre that’s traditionally known for attracting millions and millions of audiences. By creating a guerrilla marketing stunt that was eye-catching and attention-grabbing, the marketing team behind “Smile” was able to capture moviegoers’ attention, make them curious, and compel them to watch the film. We hope this campaign gave you ideas on how to creatively market your own products! In highly-competitive industries, making your brand stand out is important to attract consumers. Besides, guerrilla marketing stunts are fun and engaging. When they’re crafted thoughtfully and implemented properly, they’ll allow you and your brand to create memorable experiences for your target audience. Smile genuinely (not creepily) this amazing Thursday! 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 what this 2015 science-fiction film did to promote itself to commuters in London? See it in next week’s article! |
