Small objects, BIG impact: Find out how this guerrilla marketing campaign helped generate buzz for a film!

Thursday: Gorillas of Guerilla Marketing FROM THE DESK OF MILES EVERSON: Have you ever witnessed a clever marketing tactic that was so simple but incredibly impactful? That’s guerrilla marketing! According to Jay Conrad Levinson, campaigns of this type leave a lasting impression that enable people to actively remember a brand. Today, we’re excited to share an example of a clever guerilla marketing campaign for a film. Keep reading to know how a creative campaign helped a movie about a lesser-known character attain box office success. Keep reading below. CEO, MBO Partners Chairman of the Advisory Board, The I Institute

Small objects, BIG impact: Find out how this guerrilla marketing campaign helped generate buzz for a film! Marvel Studios’ “Ant-Man” is a 2015 film about Scott Lang, a thief who steals a suit that enables him to shrink in size while increasing his physical strength. Throughout the movie, audiences get to witness Lang’s transformation from a felon to a superhero. Despite having a relatively simple plot and lower stakes compared to other Marvel Studios films, “Ant-Man” received positive reviews from both critics and fans. However, that’s not the only noteworthy thing about the movie since it stood out in how it was marketed to viewers as well! Before “Ant-Man’s” release, Marvel Studios was hard at work coming up with ways to market the film to both casual and hardcore moviegoers. Even though notable actors like Paul Rudd (Scott Lang), Michael Douglas (Hank Pym), and Evangeline Lilly (Hope van Dyne), starred in the film, not everyone was familiar with the world and characters of “Ant-Man.” Due to this, the marketing team behind the film had to come up with a clever and catchy campaign that could effectively capture the attention of those who weren’t familiar with the film. The marketing team’s answer to this challenge? Tiny billboards and bus shelters! In April 2015, several tiny bus shelters and billboards were scattered all over Australia as part of the lead up to “Ant-Man’s” release. These displays were clever and playful references to the superhero’s ability to shrink in size. The guerrilla marketing campaign was held in places like bus shelters and sidewalks—areas commuters and pedestrians frequently visit, thus making it easy for these people to notice the tiny objects. Based on the discussion above, it seems that lots of thought was put into the guerrilla marketing campaign. One question remains though: Was the guerrilla campaign successful in generating buzz for the film? YES! The social media posts about the tiny billboards and bus shelters went viral on social media websites like Reddit. In fact, one of the first posts that talked about the guerrilla marketing campaign reached over 16,000 upvotes on the popular website! Aside from going viral, the guerrilla marketing campaign was featured in notable publications like Entertainment Weekly, TIME, New York Magazine, Adweek, Fortune, and Vulture. Being featured in these news outlets helped expose the film to a wider audience. Based on these results, it’s no surprise that “Ant-Man” achieved TONS of success during its theatrical run! At the end of its box office run, the film earned over USD 515 million in gross profits against a budget of USD 130 million. That’s nearly 4 times the cost it took to make the film. Now that’s what you call an effective guerrilla marketing campaign and a massive return on investment! — The positive reception to the tiny billboards and bus shelters campaign for “Ant-Man” proves the effectiveness of guerrilla marketing. Tactics like this remind us that thinking outside the box can produce great results. The guerrilla marketing campaign for “Ant-Man” successfully generated buzz for a film about a character and a world that not everyone has heard about. The main takeaway? Whether you’re promoting a brand, service, or product, it’s important to find creative ways that would allow you to effectively capture the attention of your target audience. This is especially important when you’re marketing a brand or offering that lots of people aren’t familiar with. So, the next time you’re coming up with your own marketing campaign, think about how you can creatively and effectively capture the attention of your target market! Hope you’ve found this week’s guerrilla marketing insight interesting and helpful.     Do you want to know how an international non-profit and non-governmental organization used Minecraft to combat cyber censorship? See it in next week’s article!