| NEWS 08.01.08 3:27 PM |
PRINT | SEND TO A FRIEND |
|
| Stunt Marketing Grows Increasingly Divisive (and Unavoidable) |
|
 |
A Ray-Ban stunt on July 1 stopped New York City traffic for 20 minutes.
Photo: Jemal Countess
|
|
|
FROM NEW YORK Today’s New York Times reports on the growing budget for unconventional stunt advertising, citing some of the biggest hits and misses of the year. Summer brings prime weather for taking branded messages to the streets, and we’ve seen plenty of examples in our different markets. With so many drawing equal ammounts of critism and praise, some avant-garde efforts may do more harm than good.
Missteps, however, seem to remain in the eye of the beholder. A London prank by Right Guard had a street team infiltrate the Underground rush hour commute with small video screens embedded into their clothing. Each time a team member raised his or her arm to grab the rail, the armpit TV played a Right Guard commercial. Despite negative reactions from bloggers (and photo documentation of grimacing witnesses), Right Guard owner Dial was pleased with the effort. “We were obviously hopeful that the Right Guard brand would come out in a good light, which I believe that it did,” Dial marketing manager Nina Daily told Times reporter Stephanie Clifford.
Brian Martin, chief executive of New York marketing firm Brand Connections, shared his opinion of the Right Guard stunt with The Times: “I wouldn’t want to look under someone’s arm,” he said. “I don’t care whether you’re a deodorant or not, it’s just not something a consumer’s going to go home and feel good about.”
This past month we covered a similarly polarizing stunt by Ray-Ban in New York. After the company hired a troop of Wayfarer-wearing actors to stop traffic in Midtown Manhattan by staring up at a Ray-Ban billboard on a nearby building, many wrote in wondering if this kind of advertising is less of an advantage and more of an annoyance.
—Michael O'Connell
RELATED TOPICS
Ray-Ban, Right Gaurd, Stunt Marketing
MORE NEWS STORIES
Obama's First State Dinner Calls on Marcus Samuelsson, Jennifer Hudson
Art Basel Preview: New Convention Center Layout, Giant Beach Structure for Audi
Poll Results: Readers Opting for iPods Over DJs
P.C.M.A. Honors Wardman Park, Fairmont at First Nighttime Annual Meeting
Poll Results: Informal Nights Out Make Most Appropriate 2009 Holiday Parties
MORE STORIES ABOUT RAY-BAN
Marketers Consider Coachella Too Important to Skip in Lean Times
Levi's and The Fader Team Up for Massive South by Southwest Performance Series
How Improv Stunts Are Inspiring Guerrilla Marketing Efforts
| More Suppliers/Venues to Consider |
ADVERTISEMENT |
|
|
|
Penn Quarter Conference Center
This newly renovated venue is at the heart of Washington’s power scene, blocks from the U.S. Capitol and across the street from the National Archives. More >>
EMAIL THIS RESOURCE |
|
AFR Event Furnishings - Orlando
AFR Event Furnishings is thrilled to introduce a new, captivating custom line of event furnishings. They provide exceptional rental solutions for special events, corporate meetings, and trade shows nationwide. More >>
EMAIL THIS RESOURCE |
|
CSI—Capitol Services Inc.
CSI is the leading destination management and special event service provider in the Washington, D.C., area, offering the best of the area’s event management resources all under one roof. Known for developing cost-effective programs quickly and flawlessly, CSI has provided DMC services for countless organizations since 1987. More >>
EMAIL THIS RESOURCE |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
