Learning From The Best Guerrilla Marketing Campaigns

Five successful, modern day guerrilla marketing campaigns and how they helped their brands.

Flash mobs, giant art installations, and risky sporting events have something in common. They all attract eyeballs and attention. Guerrilla marketing uses unique, unconventional, and creative tactics to drive awareness.

The approach, introduced in 1984 by Jay Conard in his book ‘Guerrilla Marketing’, is now a popular marketing tactic.

I’ve always been interested in the art of marketing, and guerrilla marketing in particular has always been intriguing to me. Prior to things going “viral”, we had guerrilla marketing. It’s still used today, of course, and amplified by the internet. Which got me thinking: what are some campaigns that did well recently?

So, let us look at some of the best guerrilla marketing campaigns in modern times — at least the ones that I was able to find.

What Is Guerrilla Marketing?

Guerrilla marketing is an out-of-the-box, unconventional, and creative way to achieve maximum exposure and impact for a product, service, or brand.

The approach leverages hype, curiosity, and intrigue towards something that does not fit in a situation or a place to increase mentions, word-of-mouth, and attention toward a business. Think of it as an alternative to traditional advertising methods, which are too costly or ineffective for small businesses or those with limited resources.

Examples include street performances, installations, or unusual events that spark public interest and generate social media shares. It can also take the form of digital campaigns, like viral videos or interactive websites.

Is Guerrilla Marketing Really Effective?

Marketers, entrepreneurs, and agencies often debate the impact and benefit of Guerrilla marketing. To justify the impact, here are a few real-world statistics:

• Guerrilla marketing tactics bring down the cost of marketing to almost 90%, when implemented.
• About 42% of millennials get influenced by guerrilla marketing campaigns online.
• Around 57% of consumers say that guerrilla marketing is an effective promotional tool.
• More than 25% of companies agree that guerrilla marketing tactics help them reach new target groups.

Guerrilla marketing is an effective way to enhance reach, increase exposure and brand awareness. Now, let us look at a few famous examples of Guerrilla marketing.

5 Guerrilla Marketing Campaigns From Today

One of the most famous examples of guerrilla marketing comes from Sony Erricson, which used actors to hand over new camera phones and ask strangers to click pictures in 10 cities (in 2002). Such campaigns enhance consumer interest in a product, and some of the most successful guerrilla marketing examples include:

Coca-Cola — The Happiness Machine Campaign

This campaign was part of Coca-Cola’s global integrated campaign Open Happiness. Vending machines were installed in various places across many countries, which required customers to interact with the machines in fun and weird ways to get a free Coke. Or even just get a free surprise Coke bottle.

The reactions of delighted participants were filmed and released as videos across multiple platforms like YouTube.

The campaign succeeded due to its engaging and surprising nature, which led to a strong connection with viewers. The videos became viral, and Coca-Cola reached millions of users online through YouTube. This wide reach and the connection viewers felt with the video strengthened Coca-Cola’s image as a brand that spreads joy.

IT Movie Launch — Red Balloons on Sewers

This is probably one of the recent most interesting guerrilla marketing campaigns. Sydney’s sewers saw red helium balloons tied to their grates (as above), attracting pedestrians’ attention. The simple but eerie tactic was too good to ignore, and soon, photos of balloons started spreading over social media.

The campaign successfully created hype about the movie’s release, and many fans (and social media buffs) admired the idea’s ingenuity (and budget-friendliness).

Red Bull — 24-Mile Space Jump

Red Bull is known to pull off spectacular guerrilla marketing campaigns for a long time now. But the Stratos Space Jump is the most successful one, probably. This campaign involved Felix Baumgartner literally ‘getting wings’ to do a 24-mile high space jump in an attempt to do the highest altitude skydive.

The goal was to become the first man to travel at Mach 1 (speed of sound) without an aircraft. The jump was successful, and Felix just took 34 seconds to achieve the speed.

The campaign brought around 8 million people together to watch the event’s live coverage and the Red Bull logo. When accounted for in terms of exposure for the brand, the campaign was upwards of tens of millions of dollars as the video footage was shared for a long time. The Red Bull Stratos video on YouTube has been watched over 6 million times.

TNT — Push to Add Drama

The Push to Add Drama guerrilla marketing campaign was planned by TNT to announce its action TV channel launch in Belgium.

A large red button labeled “push to add drama” was placed in a quiet town square. When unsuspecting people pressed the button, a series of dramatic events unfolded, including fights, gunfire, and bikini-clad women on motorcycles tearing up the street. The entire spectacle was filmed and used as an advertisement.

The ad went viral immediately after its release and was viewed over 42 million times. The campaign was praised for its creativity, creating a memorable brand moment for TNT that helped it stand out in a crowded media landscape. The campaign also generated significant buzz and discussion, likely contributing to its brand awareness goals.

Frontline — Ticks & Fleas on Mall Floor

Frontline did this guerrilla marketing campaign in a busy shopping mall. It involved pasting a giant image of a dog on the mall floor.

The intention was to create an illusion of fleas and ticks on the dog’s body. People viewing from higher up saw others walking on the floors as ticks and fleas. A common situation — people appearing like ants when viewed from a skyscraper, inspired this guerrilla marketing campaign.

The campaign garnered interest from media outlets; it is one of the greatest guerrilla marketing campaigns ever. Don’t trust me? Google ‘great guerrilla marketing,’ and you will see the dog’s image.

Power Your Marketing With Consumer Insights

You might not be in an industry where guerrilla marketing makes sense, but that doesn’t mean you can’t learn from it.

Guerrilla marketing tactics require a creative mindset and critical thinking about your customer’s likes, dislikes, and interests. It’s all about shock, surprise, and awe. But without consumer insight, you cannot put together an effective campaign.

This lesson transcends any form of marketing, and is a good reminder about what our focus should be when we try to spread our message. Understand what your audience cares about, and what they respond to. When you can create an accurate profile of your ideal client, you are able to create better messaging. You bridge the gap. This is marketing at its core, be it for guerrilla marketing, online ads, or content marketing.

Hey, thanks for reading!

I’m Justin — I help founders to get “unstuck” and grow their profits.

Prior to coaching, I was the founder and CEO of an edtech startup, achieving a respectable 32% YoY growth and 76% profit margin over eight years before eventually selling the business.