Unconventional and Unforgettable
Guerilla marketing is a promotional strategy that eschews big budgets in favor of big ideas. Named after guerilla warfare, which relies on small, tactical, and surprising attacks, this marketing approach uses creativity, imagination, and unconventional methods to create a memorable brand experience. The primary goal is to generate a massive amount of buzz and word-of-mouth promotion from a relatively low-cost activation, often by targeting consumers in unexpected places and ways during their daily routines.
The best guerilla marketing stunts are designed to be photographed and shared on social media, allowing a local, physical event to become a viral online phenomenon. The film industry, particularly for genres like horror and sci-fi, has produced many memorable examples:
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For the 2017 horror film It, simple red balloons were found tied to sewer grates in cities around the world, accompanied by the stenciled text, “It is closer than you think.” This minimalist, creepy stunt perfectly captured the film’s tone and became widely shared online.
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For The Simpsons Movie (2007), the 7-Eleven convenience store chain partnered with the studio to transform a dozen of its stores into real-life Kwik-E-Marts, complete with products from the show like Buzz Cola and Krusty-O’s cereal. This immersive experience drew huge crowds and media attention.
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For the 2014 sci-fi film Ex Machina, a marketing team created a fake Tinder profile for “Ava,” the film’s AI protagonist, during the SXSW festival. Male attendees who matched with her engaged in a text conversation before being directed to the film’s Instagram account, a clever and surprising reveal of the promotion.
Guerilla marketing succeeds by breaking through the clutter of traditional advertising and creating a genuine moment of surprise and delight for the audience.