From Norms to Algorithms: Find out how this city rallied against censorship to promote its artworks!

Thursday: Gorillas of Guerrilla Marketing From the desk of Miles Everson: Hello! Are you familiar with guerrilla marketing? For those of you who aren’t, guerrilla marketing is an unconventional strategy that is simple to appreciate, easy to execute, and sometimes, inexpensive. I am personally fond of this strategy because it reminds me that we can never run out of creative ways to get our target audience hooked. Today, we’ll talk about guerrilla marketing through a concrete example. Keep reading the article below and find out how a particular campaign sparked conversations about social media censorship. CEO, MBO Partners Chairman of the Advisory Board, The I Institute

From Norms to Algorithms: Find out how this city rallied against censorship to promote its artworks! Vienna, the capital city of Austria, was one of the centers for artistic innovation in the early 20th century. The city is home to world-renowned artists like Carl Moll, Koloman Moser, Joseph Maria Olbrich, and Josef Hoffmann. However, these people’s journeys were far from smooth. These artists faced censorship and societal disapproval on their masterpieces a hundred years ago. As a form of protest, artists like Egon Schiele and Gustav Klimt continued to incorporate overtly sensual themes in their works. The problem? Every protest has consequences. Schiele was even arrested on the grounds of obscenity… but according to him: “To restrict the artist is a crime. It is to murder germinating life.” An artist’s creative expression should not be bound by any restrictions. Schiele and other artists fought against these limitations such as societal norms and censorship. … but does this fight against censorship, which took place a hundred years ago, mean the problem is over? We don’t think so… The War Against Algorithm Iconic artworks such as “The Embrace” by Schiele, “The Kiss” by Klimt, and “Venus in the Grotto” by Koloman Moser can be found in the museums in Vienna. What do these artworks have in common? These artworks depict sensuality and nudity. Despite the artistic value of the paintings, Vienna and its Tourist Board faced a significant challenge in promoting these works on a larger scale through social media. Why? It’s because of the good ol’ censorship. This problem started in 2018 when social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram labeled the “Venus of Willendorf” pornographic and removed it and similar artworks on their sites. This is another wave of censorship that made Schiele and other artists’ fight years ago useless… but unlike before, the enemy now is the algorithm, not the people. Fortunately, the Vienna Tourist Board found an ingenious solution in partnership with Jung Von Matt, a creative company based in Europe, in 2021. They took a controversial approach by launching a campaign called, “Vienna Strips on Onlyfans.” They took a controversial approach by launching a campaign called, “Vienna Strips on Onlyfans.” The “Vienna Strips on Onlyfans” campaign aimed to reclaim art from algorithms and spark a discussion about censorship and artistic freedom. How did the Vienna Tourist Board do this? It published the censored artworks in OnlyFans, a platform known for its adult content. In case you’re unfamiliar, OnlyFans is a subscription-based platform known for its 18+ content, including nudity. This makes the platform ideal in displaying the artworks that Vienna’s museums house. The artworks posted in the Vienna Tourist Board’s OnlyFans account were from its partner museums such as the Albertina Museum, Leopold Museum, Kunsthistorisches Museum, and Naturhistorisches Museum. Some of these artworks include Schiele’s “Reclining Women,” Peter Paul Rubens’ “Het Pelsken,” and Rudolf Weyr’s “Power at Sea.” What’s more? Several people mentioned that finally OnlyFans had an artistic content besides the usual. Some called this an online revolution in the creative sphere. Additionally, every active subscription in the OnlyFans account of the Vienna Tourist Board received free admission to the museums in Vienna for a month. Now, the million dollar question… Was the “Vienna Strips on OnlyFans” campaign effective? As it turned out, the campaign was not just a playful tease but also an avenue to spark valuable conversations about censorship, artistic freedom, and Vienna's historic sexual liberty. Moreover: The campaign gained 2.5 billion social media impressions and 150 million social media engagements throughout its duration. The campaign was featured in more than 2,500 articles worldwide, with media coverage reaching over 730 million people. The campaign also received the Public Relations Grand Prix Award at the 2022 One Show Awards. It also brought home 1 Gold Award and 2 Bronze Awards in the 2022 D&AD Awards. Kudos to the Vienna Tourist Board for a campaign that went beyond social media and awards. Although the fight against censorship is still ongoing, the campaign managed to shake the algorithm and redefine cultural perception. *Applause* — “Vienna Strips on OnlyFans” underscored the ongoing relevance of Schiele and other Vienna artists’ fight for artistic freedom. The campaign also served as a reminder that the battle for free expression remains crucial and that art must remain unbound and accessible to the people. In doing so, the campaign also highlighted Vienna’s commitment to preserve and promote its cultural legacy. This strategic use of OnlyFans further demonstrated the importance of choosing the right platform to boost the success of your campaign. So, marketers, will you just let your ideas be restricted? Dare to break the norms just like what the Vienna Tourist Board did! Hope you’ve found this week’s guerrilla marketing insight interesting and helpful. EXCITING NEWS AHEAD The world of work has shifted, and there’s no going back. The barriers to entry have never been lower for talented professionals to work independently, and today’s massive external workforce is hardly a pandemic-produced fad. Business owners can only survive in the new work landscape by partnering with this deep talent pool. With decades of experience in both small-business entrepreneurship and executive management at PwC, I truly believe that the future of work is independent. 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