Come on, Barbie, Let’s Go Market!

Posted on July 13, 2023April 22, 2024 by Sarah

Experiential Marketing

There’s no doubt about it — Barbie is back. Everyone’s favorite childhood dream girl is hitting the big screen on July 21, and the hype has people of all ages seeing pink.

The Barbie movie represents an iconic moment in pop culture because Barbie herself is iconic (so is the movie’s cast). But also, because the experiential marketing surrounding the release of such a renowned brand has created enough buzz to have people longing for the days when they could spend their afternoons pushing Barbie around in her dream car instead of “circling back” and “following up” on emails.

Just like FTP, Barbie is known for her collection of show-stopping vehicles. Her history with hot wheels dates a little farther back than ours, as Mattel gave Barbie her first ride in 1962 when they introduced her Austin-Healey convertible.

Since then, Barbie has been behind the wheel of a host of other larger-than-life cars, like:

Barbie’s 1971 Country Camper: Barbie wasn’t just about girly dresses and bows — she enjoyed the great outdoors, too. The groovy, original camper captured the era’s emphasis on peace and love, and everyone loved seeing the adventurous side of the notoriously posh girly girl. If FTP were in charge of hitting the road in this vehicle, we’d have it serving up timeless classics like hot dogs and s’mores to reel in crowds across the country.

Barbie’s Limos: When she wasn’t embarking on a cross-country road trip, Barbie knew how to enjoy the finer things in life. She also knew that the finer things in life were better in hot pink! We agree that if you’re going to make a statement with a limousine, you might as well go big or go home.

Barbie’s Corvette: Barbie’s Corvette was by far her most recognizable dream car. It’s the vehicle featured in the Barbie movie trailer and a model that was continuously upgraded year after year. We can’t think of anything more fitting for Barbie to hit the town with her friends in than this one.

It’s clear that Barbie and FTP have similar tastes in cars, and we’re no strangers to creating one-of-a-kind experiences on wheels that feel like they’re straight out of a fantasy. Nothing would make us happier than fabricating a vehicle to help Barbie paint the town pink.

Since Barbie was a little too busy with her Hollywood debut to ask us to build her a car, we took it upon ourselves to dream up Barbie’s dream car on our own. We weren’t about to miss this monumental marketing moment (experiential marketing is our thing, after all), so we jumped on the Barbie trend to create an activation worthy of the “it girl” on everyone’s mind — whether she asked us to or not.

Barbie is definitely going to need to unwind after all the hard work she put into her movie. If you ask us, adding FTP’s Barbie’s Dream Airstream to her collection would be the perfect way for her to enjoy some much-needed R & R while promoting her movie on the road. So, Barbie, if you’re reading this, let’s go market!

Get in touch today to get started on your own project with Food Truck Promotions.

Top 10 Best Pop-Ups of 2023

Creating Experiences That Drive UGC

Rendering of a Barbie themed pink airstream with a water slide a pool and people enjoying the event.

Come on, Barbie, Let’s Go Market!

Real Simple Guerrilla Marketing Tactics To Get Ahead In 2022

Posted on November 9, 2021November 23, 2021 by Claire Kelly

Experiential Marketing

As a marketer who keeps their finger on the pulse, you’ve certainly noticed a shift in what tactics get results. Long gone are the days of massively successively print ad campaigns or sustainable brand activations from radio spots. To reach ad-averse generations like Gen Z and Millennials, you have to think a little bit differently; That’s where guerrilla marketing comes in.

Guerrilla marketing is an innovative and unconventional way to advertise to a younger demographic, while saving money on your advertising budget. These strategies take your company to the street level, connecting directly with consumers and fostering long-term valuable brand activations. So, what guerilla tactics will be the most effective in 2022?

Guerrilla Marketing Tactics for 2022

While there are a wide variety of different strategies you can employ, the most effective are tactics related to branded vehicles. Branded vehicles belong to a subset of guerilla marketing known as experiential marketing. This style of engagement brings consumers and your brand closer together by helping them associate your company and services with a positive promotional experience.

There are several different kinds of branded vehicles that would work for your guerilla marketing campaign, and each have distinct advantages to help you garner long term customers. Make sure to choose a tactic that best aligns with your brand’s image, and what you think will connect best with your customer base.

Branded Food Truck

Branded food trucks are a cutting edge guerrilla marketing tactic that takes the universally relatable experience of a meal and ties that experience directly to your brand. Potential consumers will enjoy delicious food or beverages served by well-trained brand ambassadors who can guide customers through the benefits of buying your product or services.

These consumers then connect the positive experience created by your branded food truck and associate it with your product or service. This helps ensure long-term emotional connections between you and your customers.

Glass Box Trucks

Glass box trucks are a type of experiential vehicle that can create an eye-catching mobile display to draw in consumers for further engagement. These trucks can display your product or another product that connects to the service you provide. An example of an effective use of this vehicle would be Zara’s World Pride promotion.

Food Truck Promotions helped Zara by filling a glass truck with 9,000 colored water bottles, creating an attention-grabbing rainbow display. They passed the water bottles out, and through the event and subsequent sharing on social media created almost 1 million global impressions for Zara’s brand.

Mobile Pop-Up

Mobile pop-up shops are a modern twist on the classic guerilla marketing tactic, the pop-up shop. Instead of being rooted in a single location, mobile pop-up shops can stop in several areas populated by your key demographic.

Not only that, but while a mobile pop-up shop is in transit it is essentially a moving billboard. Pedestrians will be curious as to what this vehicle is and where it’s going, and that curiosity will create the opportunity for more potential customers.

Where Can I Find an Agency Who Specializes in Experiential and Guerilla Marketing?

If you want the best possible outcome and optimal R.O.I from your guerilla marketing campaign, you’ll want to go with Food Truck Promotions.

We’ve helped industry giants like Adidas, Uber, and Chanel with their guerilla marketing campaigns. These promotions helped establish millions of brand activations as well as a significant increase in potential consumers. Our campaigns are proven to establish long-term connections with customers and help boost brand awareness.

If you want your guerilla marketing campaign to succeed, you’ll want to get started right away. Contact Food Truck Promotions today!

Top 10 Best Pop-Ups of 2023

It’s been a big year here at Food Truck Promotions. With the holidays on the horizon and the new year quickly approaching, we’ve been looking

Creating Experiences That Drive UGC

Why UGC is a Key to Successful Modern Marketing If you are interested in modern marketing, you already know that the advertising world has dramatically

Come on, Barbie, Let’s Go Market!

There’s no doubt about it — Barbie is back. Everyone’s favorite childhood dream girl is hitting the big screen on July 21, and the hype

How To Create and Optimize a Great Guerrilla Marketing Strategy

Posted on May 3, 2021May 13, 2021 by britney

Experiential Marketing

If you’re a brand or marketer with lofty goals but a small budget, guerrilla marketing is enticing. Why? Because it’s a low investment, high impact strategy. The best guerrilla marketing strategy is big on ideas and low on expenses. But that requires sticking the landing, and that’s no easy feat. You want consumers to notice you but for the right reasons. Thankfully, that’s easy. All it takes is thinking like your audience— something you spend a lot of time doing already— and captivating them in a way aligning with what excites them.

Still interested? Let’s look at tips that’ll help you create and optimize a guerrilla marketing strategy that’ll launch an epic campaign.

The Art of Guerrilla Marketing

In 1984, advertising executive Jay Conrad Levinson penned the first edition of his pioneering book, “Guerrilla Marketing.”

The essence of Levinson’s book is simple: “guerrilla marketing is the art of getting consumers to pay attention through brute force of a vivid imagination.”

It’s crucial to remember that consumers are bombarded with hundreds, if not thousands, of media messages on a given day. The best kind of guerrilla marketing strategy is rooted firmly in resourcefulness and ingenuity that goes further than just throwing money at an idea.

Tip #1: Go Against The Grain

When developing a guerrilla marketing strategy, the simplest way to separate your business from its competitors is sometimes going in the opposite direction of what they’re doing. So, when they “go left,” you “go right.”

What does that mean? Here’s an example: In the feel-good era of body positivity, Dutch fitness company Fitness First launched a direct— albeit risky— guerrilla marketing campaign that flew in its face. The campaign saw commuters sitting on a bus stop bench showing their weight.

Was it confrontational? Perhaps. Would it cause a backlash if executed elsewhere, say in the U.S.? Most likely. But did it make an impact that made headlines worldwide? Yes.

When your brand takes a strong, contrarian stance, people are going to take notice. But before you commit, make sure you understand there’s a high probability some will be turned off. Alternatively, others will be drawn into your campaign’s boldness. If nothing else, it’s a surefire way to turn heads.

Tip #2: Hit the Streets

In the guerrilla marketing playbook, street team marketing is as old as marketing itself. With the outside world at your disposal, you have an outlet for— near— unlimited creativity. Plus, compared to other guerrilla marketing strategies, this one tends to generate immediate impact and a high chance of going viral on social media. Here’s one strategy that paid dividends:

Bounty Cleans Up Life-Sized Messes

Bounty paper towels wanted to show consumers that its products can “make small work of big messes.” Really big messes. In New York City, Bounty erected life-sized “messes,” like a giant coffee cup knocked over and a melting popsicle. Not only did these visuals grab attention, but they were also photo-ops that had Bounty’s logo and slogan front-and-center. And that guerrilla marketing strategy helped the brand be the background for social media selfies shared by millions.

Tip #3: Disrupt the Space You’re In

Guerrilla marketing gets a bad rap for being too aggressive and shocking people that can be jarring and— frankly— off-putting. But your brand can be the disruptor without disrupting people’s lives. This is commonly referred to as “ambient marketing” and is about using physical space, opposed to who’s in it.

In other words, you are altering the atmosphere by inserting yourself in it.

Take a look at this ad from Bic. A giant razor cutting through thick grass? Not something you’d expect to see. But this is a unique take for a well-known product that showcases its effectiveness in an unconventional space.

Bonus Tip: Leverage Your Loyal Fans

Marketing— any form of marketing really— requires polish and finesse. It takes a team of creative minds a lot of time and energy to execute successful campaigns. But did you know you aren’t the only one who can generate content for your brand? Take a look at your customers because they’re built-in marketers keenly aware of who you are, what you do, and why you’re so great at it! Oh, and they’re probably on social media, creating free PR for you with user-generated content.

When you have fans active on social media and/or who can create visual content like images, videos, and designs, you have a marketing team that’s at your fingertips. It just takes engaging and encouraging them to post and share. It’s a guerrilla marketing strategy that’s low risk and high-reward.

Fashion and beauty brands have leveraged content created by their loyal fan bases for years. By getting customers to post pictures in their clothes or wearing their makeup, companies make an echo chamber that’s 1. Free and 2. Highly-effective.

The Best Guerrilla Marketing Strategy Is an Extension of Your Brand

Guerrilla marketing is both scrappy and strategic. But before you get started, you need to know what makes you stand out. The campaign is one component of your overall guerrilla marketing strategy that ultimately captures your core message. Ask yourself these questions:

What makes my brand different?
What do I do that my competition doesn’t?
Are there misconceptions about my business?
How is my brand “breaking the rules”?
What does my target audience want, and how can I give it to them?

Guerrilla marketing surprises and delights. But make sure you give your audience something they crave that’s beyond your brand, whether it’s an experience using a food truck serving delicious eats or an experiential vehicle that’s an eye-catching billboard to get your message seen and heard.

Understanding yourself, knowing your audience, and the kind of impact you want to make (and why) are at the heart of achieving the results you want. With these handy tips, guerrilla marketing will help you experience marketing in the most fun and creative way possible and drive your brand’s success.

Top 10 Best Pop-Ups of 2023

It’s been a big year here at Food Truck Promotions. With the holidays on the horizon and the new year quickly approaching, we’ve been looking

Creating Experiences That Drive UGC

Why UGC is a Key to Successful Modern Marketing If you are interested in modern marketing, you already know that the advertising world has dramatically

Come on, Barbie, Let’s Go Market!

There’s no doubt about it — Barbie is back. Everyone’s favorite childhood dream girl is hitting the big screen on July 21, and the hype

Guerrilla Marketing Stunts That Still Work in 2023

Posted on March 22, 2021April 5, 2024 by britney

Experiential Marketing

Are you a marketer looking for ways to surprise consumers and go viral on social media? If the answer’s yes, turn to guerrilla marketing. With the right approach, guerrilla marketing stunts are an affordable and effective way to launch your brand’s visibility to new heights. However, you may be wondering, where do I start?

Thankfully, this blog will help you get a closer look at the world of guerrilla marketing. First, we’ll clearly define the strategy, then explore the pros and cons, and last but not least, outline examples of past stunts that still work wonders for brands in 2023. Let’s get started!

What Is a Guerrilla Marketing Stunt?

The name guerrilla marketing originates from guerrilla warfare, a type of physical combat characterized by out-of-box, non-traditional methods to get a leg up on opponents. Instead of large, organized efforts to reach your goals, guerrilla marketing— like guerrilla warfare— relies on small tactics to inch closer and closer to success.

In other words, guerrilla marketing is different from traditional marketing strategies because it involves unconventional and low-cost techniques to either raise general brand awareness or drive up sales around a specific good or service. High energy and imaginative, this marketing strategy relies on the element of surprise to leave a lasting emotional impression on audiences.

The general idea behind this marketing strategy is that as long as the marketing effort is memorable or worth sharing, the promotion will reach a wider audience through viral marketing or word of mouth, for free.

We can sum up guerrilla marketing with three key takeaways:

Guerrilla marketing uses unorthodox strategies to increase sales or entice consumers to a brand and its products or services.
These stunts are low-cost and utilize personal communications.
Guerrilla marketing stunts have risen in popularity thanks to social media that help amplify messaging specific to target audiences.

The Pros and Cons of Guerrilla Marketing

Before you read on, it’s essential to know that there are advantages and disadvantages to guerrilla marketing stunts. Take the following pros and cons into careful consideration before moving forward with a guerrilla marketing campaign:

Pros:

In comparison to traditional marketing and advertising, it’s budget-friendly.
It relies on word-of-mouth advertising, one of the most potent brand awareness tools in experiential marketing.
The right guerrilla marketing stunts can boost publicity and communicate your brand ethos in a fresh way.

Cons:

Messages can be muddled and misunderstood without clear communication.
Guerrilla marketing stunts are susceptible to unforeseen obstacles that may undermine a campaign, like bad weather.
If a guerrilla marketing event falls flat, it may be subject to potential backlash by savvy audiences.

5 Types of Guerrilla Marketing Stunts and Successful Examples tO USE AS INSPIRATION IN 2023

1. Event Ambush Marketing: Samsung vs. Apple.

There’s always a debate raging between fans of Apple’s iOS mobile devices and Samsung’s Android products. But, how did this heated competition start? In 2011, as Apple prepared to launch the anticipated iPhone S4, Samsung decided to crash the party. At Apple’s prestigious storefront in Sydney, Samsung erected a pop-up store of its next door. While Apple devotees stood in line, waiting patiently to get their hands on the new $700 iPhone, Samsung sold its Galaxy SII for $1.50. While many resisted Samsung’s offer, Samsung’s tactic paid off; many more walked away with a brand-new — and much cheaper — Galaxy SII.

2. Mobile Tour: JUST Egg

The JUST Egg mobile tour was a clever, two-sided campaign by the brand calling for government action on climate change while at the same time, promoting JUST Egg plant-based breakfast sandwiches as an alternative to less sustainable meat options.

The guerrilla marketing stunt involved everything from funny menu options poking fun at government officials, free breakfast sandwiches for people to try, and a QR code that sent consumers to their website page to write a direct letter to congress calling for a stronger emphasis on fighting climate change.

As planned, the mobile tour resulted in thousands of new JUST Egg fans and a more unified response to government inaction.

3. Holiday Pop-Up: Bacardi Winter Summerland Campaign

Bacardi wanted to promote its beverage with a holiday pop-up, during a time of year that their business is slower. To do this, the brand fabricated a glass truck to capture the synergy of the summer and winter seasons, and for two days, New Yorkers were surprised by a whole slew of different guerrilla tactics.

The guerrilla campaign included elements like the opportunity to purchase Bacardí X Aviator Nation merch and last minute holiday gifts— socks, sweatshirts, t-shirts, candles— along with surprise appearances from West Side Story actors Mack Wilds and Ana Isabelle. Not to mention, the branded pedicabs, flash mob dancers, and the billboard takeover that dominated Times Square and other heavily foot-trafficked areas like Union Square, the Winter Village at Bryant Park, and Columbus Circle Holiday Market.

4. Buzz Marketing: The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge

Even if you were didn’t know the mega-viral ALS Ice Bucket Challenge was an example of buzz marketing, you undoubtedly heard of it. Why? Because it’s one of the famous word-of-mouth marketing campaigns ever. The ALS Foundation’s clever fundraising campaign challenged audiences to pour a bucket of ice water over their heads and post reactions on social media while nominating a friend to do the same. Celebrities like Dwane Johnson, Will Smith, Bill Gates, Oprah Winfrey, Lady Gaga, and others participated in the challenge for free. The tactic was so successful; the ALS Foundation raised a staggering $115 million in the process.

5. Street Team Marketing: Twitter Scores a Winning Goal

In 2019, the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team won its record-setting fourth World Cup. Twitter aimed to capitalize on the team’s monumental success by promoting women’s soccer in the U.S. The social media platform’s #StartWithThem campaign raised awareness for the brand and support for women’s sports. Launching a three-day street team marketing tour in New York City, Twitter turned a branded food truck into an interactive experience with free food and prizes. Guerrilla marketing stunts that use engaging ambassadors and offer complimentary gifts or branded swag are always a good rule of thumb when courting potential customers.

Use Guerrilla Marketing Stunts to Your Advantage

Guerrilla marketing is a clever alternative to old-school marketing and advertising tactics. If executed well, they are a compelling method for attracting customers. Because of its ingenuity and creativity, guerrilla marketing stunts are low-cost yet can produce high rewards. So, if you’re looking for a strategy to win over audiences and get ahead of your competition, a well-executed guerrilla marketing campaign will help you get there.

Top 10 Best Pop-Ups of 2023

It’s been a big year here at Food Truck Promotions. With the holidays on the horizon and the new year quickly approaching, we’ve been looking

Creating Experiences That Drive UGC

Why UGC is a Key to Successful Modern Marketing If you are interested in modern marketing, you already know that the advertising world has dramatically

Come on, Barbie, Let’s Go Market!

There’s no doubt about it — Barbie is back. Everyone’s favorite childhood dream girl is hitting the big screen on July 21, and the hype

Guerrilla Marketing and the Element of Surprise

Posted on September 18, 2020 by britney

Experiential Marketing

In marketing, employing guerrilla marketing techniques means creating an element of surprise for consumers, through unconventional campaigns that reach people in an unexpected and memorable way.

When we think of the word “guerrilla,” “guerrilla warfare” comes to mind, but “guerrilla marketing” isn’t meant to be aggressive or combative. It is, however, meant to raise brand awareness in an imaginative and eye-opening way.

So, let’s take a look at what guerrilla marketing is and how it can take your next experiential marketing campaign in a fun, unique, and creative direction.

Roots of Guerrilla Marketing

Guerrilla marketing traces its roots back to the 1980s, as brands and agencies began the shift from traditional print, television, and radio marketing to electronic media. The term “guerrilla marketing” was coined by late American business writer Jay Conrad Levinson in his 1984 book “Guerrilla Marketing: Easy and Inexpensive Strategies for Making Big Profits from Your Small Business.”

While the marketing landscape looked vastly different over 35 years ago than it does in 2020, the core principles of Levinson’s book (i.e. generating buzz about a product or brand that translates into sales) still rings true today, even as the ever-changing digital landscape continues to transform brand, agency, and consumer perceptions and expectations of what experiential marketing is.

A good example of the roots of guerrilla marketing can be found on cable television of the late 1980s and early 1990s, specifically MTV. Instead of advertising being a by-product of a show, tuning into a music video’s “world premiere” was, in itself, a creative and subtle call-to-action from brands.

For a more recent example, take Lady Gaga’s 2010 “Telephone” music video remix featuring Beyoncé, which showcased a whopping 12 brand placements, from Diet Coke to Virgin Mobile and even Miracle Whip.

And, all that product placement translated into an astonishing amount of brand awareness, with over 360 millions views of the video (as of this writing) on YouTube alone.

Guerrilla marketing relies heavily on unconventional strategies, a lot of energy, and even more imagination. “Surprise” is a quaint, yet accurate, way to sum up guerrilla marketing in one word. Most guerrilla marketing campaigns strike consumers on a more personal and memorable level, which leaves a far more valuable impression than traditional marketing strategies.

Types of Guerrilla Marketing

On its own, guerrilla marketing seems niche enough in the world of experiential marketing. But, there are actually several sub-categories:

“Indoor” Guerrilla Marketing: These are activations executed inside public areas like college campuses and brick-and-mortar retail stores. Indoor guerrilla marketing examples can range from “flash mob” performances to signage placement.

“Ambush” Guerrilla Marketing: Not for the faint of heart, “ambush guerrilla marketing” is defined as activations that are implemented at large-scale events (i.e. sporting events, festivals, and/or trade shows) without permission. This form of guerrilla marketing can be extremely challenging to pull off as most large-scale events have heightened security in order to protect attendees, as well as the integrity of official sponsors.

“Experiential” Guerrilla Marketing: Experiential guerrilla marketing is the most common form of guerrilla marketing, can be held in almost any public environment, and has the ability to bring with it more reward than risk. From pop-up shops to city-wide scavenger hunts, the most successful form of experiential guerrilla marketing is one that successfully engages with and invites consumers to interact with a brand.

“Street” Guerrilla Marketing: These are activations that take advantage of existing public areas or environments to create a unique brand presence. They’re often temporary, and include marketing signage and/or installations.

A prime example of street (or “outdoor”) guerrilla marketing is GoldToe’s 2010 street guerrilla marketing campaign, centered around that year’s New York Fashion Week. The well-known sock retailer wanted to make a statement as they unveiled their first underwear collection.

Brand ambassadors, clad only in GoldToe underwear, were dispatched throughout New York City to trigger excitement about the new line and direct consumers to the brand’s “main event” in Herald Square Park, where some of Manhattan’s most iconic statues, including the Wall Street Bull, were decked out in GoldToe’s briefs, boxers, and boxer-briefs.

Along with the eye-catching stunt, 100 gift baskets loaded with GoldToe goodies were delivered to notable Wall Street firms and anyone who stopped by the event and donated a piece of gently used men’s clothing received a free pair of GoldToe underwear.

And, the guerrilla marketing campaign had a philanthropic element to it, with GoldToe donating $10,000 to non-profit Career Gear, which provides underprivileged men with clothes for job interviews.

Guerrilla Marketing and Experiential Vehicles

Experiential vehicles and guerrilla marketing go hand-in-hand, taking your “surprise” activation “mobile,” therefore allowing your brand to hit the road and go directly where your consumers are.

In winter 2018, as part of their month-long “Le Rouge Chanel” pop-up, iconic French fashion house Chanel partnered with Food Truck Promotions to enhance their activation with a guerrilla marketing campaign that took their luxury in-store experience onto the streets of Manhattan.

Creating their very own “winter wonderland,” three vintage vehicles (clad in red, with holiday lights, red and white candy canes, and fluffy marshmallows), were stationed outside three of the brand’s most popular storefronts across New York City and greeted shoppers with a complimentary cup of the Chanel’s own “Hot Coco” (crafted alongside Food Truck Promotions in-house culinary team) for consumers to indulge on a chilly December day.

Serving over 10,000 cups of “Hot Coco” throughout the campaign, Chanel’s avant-garde guerrilla marketing experience drove over five million impression and the brand’s “Hot Coco Trucks” successfully engaged with Chanel’s target audience of Millennials, nurturing new relationships and cementing existing ones.

Surprise and Excite Consumers with Guerrilla Marketing

Guerrilla marketing is an out-of-the-box alternative to traditional marketing. It thrives on creativity and original thinking, centered on imagination and ingenuity. When your brand can personalize an experience with excitement and the element of surprise, you can generate buzz and engagement that translates into lasting impressions and memorable engagement with consumers.