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Paramount Pitches G.I. Joe to Middle America: In lieu of New York and Los Angeles, Paramount is focusing its marketing campaign for G.I. Joe on less traditional locales to boost interest in the film. The company is spending the bulk of its reported $150 million campaign on outreach to Midwestern states, with outdoor advertising focused on places such as Kansas City, Missouri, and Grand Rapids, Michigan, activations at Kid Rock's current tour, promotions at Minnesota's Mall of America, and a recent premiere at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland. [LA Times]

Crowds Flock to Scaled-Back Fairs and Fests: Drops in sponsorships, slashed grant budgets, and general belt-tightening have put fairs and festivals in a unique position this summer. Although many have decided to forgo the 2009 season in an effort to stay afloat, downsized efforts are being greeted with record crowds. Industry professionals attribute this to producers keeping an eye on costs, attendees' need for cheap and local entertainment, and a lack of competition now that so many of these events have been canceled. [AP] MORE >>

Paramount, G.I. Joe, Purity.Organic, Guerrilla Marketing, Junkets

EVENT INTELLIGENCE 06.02.09 9:00 AM

Guerrilla Marketing Guide: Where to Stage Stunts in Six Cities

Tennis pros Venus Williams and Andy Murray stopping traffic in Miami
Photo: Getty Images

Chicago
Where to Go: One of the Windy City’s most iconic locales, the Daley Center, allows marketers to reach consumers—including the lunching masses—under the watchful eye of a 50-foot untitled Picasso sculpture. A few blocks northeast, and just outside the Loop, is Pioneer Court. The petite, extremely busy plaza sits where the Chicago River meets Michigan Avenue and sees most of the 40 million tourists who visit Chicago annually.
What It Takes: The Daley Center’s plaza is owned by MB Real Estate (312.603.7981), which prices permits individually. Pioneer Court is controlled by the Equitable Life Insurance Company and the Chicago Tribune Company, but any event using the streets around it would require permits from the City of Chicago (Office of Special Events, 312.744.0626). Months of red tape and a 28-page application packet might persuade you to go guerrilla instead.
Recent Stunt: When More put future first lady Michelle Obama on its October 2008 cover, the magazine deployed 100 readers to the streets around Pioneer Court to pose with issues—and it didn’t spend a penny on permits.
Who Can Help: Based in Chicago, Legacy Marketing Partners has earned a lot of attention from experiential campaigns like the Stoli Hotel and the mobile Burger King/NFL Challenge. MORE >>

Guerrilla Marketing, More Magazine, Sony, DirecTV, Budweiser, Ikea, Ikea, Sony Ericsson

NEWS 12.09.08 10:00 AM

For Guerrilla Marketers, Engaging an Audience Gets Tougher

Countless factors work against guerrilla marketers looking to grab the attention of consumers today. The busy advertising landscape, preoccupation with personal media devices, and an overwhelming frustration with the sour state of the economy mean that marketers must respond with smarter, more winning concepts.

Last week Brandweek outlined some of the challenges and offered a look at successful international campaigns that overcame them in 2008. The defining quality of these success stories: "Guerrilla marketing has to be more than disruptive,” said Renegade Marketing C.E.O. Drew Neisser. “It has to be appealing enough that someone in a walking cocoon actually wants to stop and engage." MORE >>

Guerrilla Marketing

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