Guerrilla Marketing? Ambient Media? Astroturfing? Out-Of-Home?

A general decline in the power of traditional media (print, tv and web advertising) has led art directors, artists, designers and marketing folks to look for new ways to interest people in their messages. For more inspiration check out wired.com’s Underwire: PSAs Keep Getting More Creative

The following information is excerpted from an article “Masterpieces of Disaster” posted on wired.com’s site by Sonia Zjawinski. “On March 6th, a month shy of the 1906 earthquake anniversary, the Bay Area Chapter of the American Red Cross partnered with ad agency Publicis & Hal Riney for The Prepare Bay Area project which attempts to raise awareness on the importance of disaster preparedness. According to the Red Cross, only 6-percent of people are prepared for a natural disaster in the Bay Area, which led to an aggressive push by the non-profit to literally show people what to expect."

“The first was a two-sided mobile billboard parked on Market Street, in front of the Ferry Building. From one side you see the Ferry Building in shambles and from the other you see Market Street torn up by the fictitious quake. The copy reads, ‘What do we have to do to get your attention? Be prepared.’”

“The Red Cross passed out empty water bottles that read, ‘Try living on this for three days.’” — Zjawinski

"Faux Earthquake Early Warning System alarms (a riff on the Tsunami early warning systems that have been implemented in the Pacific) were installed as well." — Zjawinski

The National Gallery takes to the streets! The Guardian’s post on their site The National Gallery’s Grand Tour “It’s not often that you come across a Caravaggio or Van Gogh while walking around London's Soho, but for the next 12 weeks, the National Gallery is taking its masterpieces to the streets. In a bid to give the public a taste of the collection, the gallery has hung life-sized reproductions around the capital. Each painting is framed and accompanied by an information plaque, and passersby can phone a number for an audio guide of the works. Here’s how Londoners reacted to the famous works on their doorstep...”

Publicis and Hewlett Packard team up with Manchester graffiti artist Moose—“clean graffiti”—he sprayed cleaning fluid onto dirty London walls and pavements to promote Hewlett's The Hype campaign aimed at designers and artists. The Hype campaign included a gallery exhibition and commissioned work by 20 emerging artists.

“The World Wildlife Federation launched a new street campaign in China in January that shows just how much pollution one car produces. The 23-foot balloon not only puts a spotlight on individual pollution, but also drives traffic to WWF’s new site that gives 20 tips on how each person can cut their own pollution by 20 percent.” —wired.com

Red Cross Campaign: Blood Drive

The Amsterdam Zoo waas having a baby boom. These decals are inspired by the 70’s stickers you often see in parents’ back car windows… The decals can be moved and resused.

More examples and a buzzword definitions for you after the jump!

Smart car

Bounty "Big Spills"

Grass Is Dumb Sukle Advertising & Design says: “In an effort to reduce lawn watering this summer we let the grass speak for itself. Signs were posted around high traffic pedestrian areas in Denver. The talk bubbles in the grass all contain dumb comments. So far we’ve had all kinds of folks letting us know how much they’ve enjoyed finding the signs and reading the lines, and how they’ve become conversation starters in their neighborhoods. Perfect.”

OH BUZZWORDS!

“Non-traditional advertising is a form of advertising that is atypical. Non traditional advertising can encompass alternative media and outdoor media. Guerilla marketing efforts such as street teams are a form of non-traditional advertising.”

Ambient Media“is the name given to a new breed of out-of-home products and services determined by some as Non-Traditional or Alternative Media.” —wikipedia.org

“The concept of guerrilla marketing was invented as an unconventional system of promotions that relies on time, energy and imagination rather than a big marketing budget (lower budget). Typically, guerrilla marketing campaigns are unexpected and unconventional; potentially interactive[1]; and consumers are targeted in unexpected places.[2] The objective of guerrilla marketing is to create a unique, engaging and thought-provoking concept to generate buzz, and consequently turn viral.”—wikipedia.org

“Guerrilla marketing involves unusual approaches such as intercept encounters in public places, street giveaways of products, PR stunts, any unconventional marketing intended to get maximum results from minimal resources. More innovative approaches to Guerrilla marketing now utilize cutting edge mobile digital technologies to really engage the consumer and create a memorable brand experience. The concept of guerrilla marketing was invented as an unconventional system of promotions that relies on time, energy and imagination rather than a big marketing budget. Typically, guerrilla marketing campaigns are unexpected and unconventional, potentially interactive, and consumers are targeted in unexpected places.” —wikipedia.org

“The objective of guerrilla marketing is to create a unique, engaging and thought-provoking concept to generate buzz, and consequently turn viral. It focuses on low cost creative strategies of marketing. Basic requirements are time, energy, and imagination and not money. Profits, not sales, are the primary measure of success. Emphasis is on retaining existing customers rather than acquiring new ones.” —wikipedia.org

“The buzzwords viral marketing and viral advertising refer to marketing techniques that use pre-existing social networks to produce increases in brand awareness or to achieve other marketing objectives (such as product sales) through self-replicating viral processes, analogous to the spread of pathological and computer viruses. It can be word-of-mouth delivered or enhanced by the network effects of the Internet.[1] Viral promotions may take the form of video clips, interactive Flash games, advergames, ebooks, brandable software, images, or even text messages. The basic form of viral marketing is not infinitely sustainable.” —wikipedia.org

“Astroturfing is a word in English describing formal political, advertising, or public relations campaigns seeking to create the impression of being spontaneous "grassroots" behavior, hence the reference to the artificial grass, AstroTurf.”—wikipedia.org

Out-of-home advertising “(or outdoor advertising)… is essentially any type of advertising that reaches the consumer while he or she is outside the home. This is in contrast with broadcast, print, or internet advertising.” —wikipedia.org