Are you ready for the fast lane? >>> This marketing campaign brought a lot of fun to people in Berlin! [Gorillas of Guerrilla Marketing]
When you hear the words “fast lane,” what comes to your mind?
It could be a…
…fast lane in a fast food restaurant
…fast lane in a supermarket
…fast lane on the road
This brand used that concept and took it to a whole new and EXCITING level!
Volkswagen is an automotive company known for its high quality standards for vehicle products.
In one of the previous Gorillas of Guerrilla Marketing articles, we talked about one of Volkswagen’s guerrilla marketing campaigns that focused on raising road safety awareness.
The Eyes on the Road campaign left a strong message that made its target audience speechless at the cinema.
This week, we’ll talk about another campaign created by the same company.
The “Fast Lane: Driven by Fun” Campaign
In 2010, this campaign promoted the company’s new car model, the VW Polo GTI.
What’s so new and great about this model?
The VW Polo GTI has a 2.0L turbocharged engine that reaches a maximum output of 197 horsepower. A typical car has an average horsepower of 120, while SUVs on average run on 200 horsepower.
The Polo GTI also has a 6-speed dual clutch transmission and requires no driver input to change gears.
It’s a well-built sedan that’s practical and fast enough to keep up with SUVs on the road.
VW’s Polo GTI was also designed to consume less fuel, making it more environmentally friendly…
…perfect for people who value Mother Earth!
These features make the VW Polo GTI a great driving experience for drivers—fun to drive and speedy!
To promote this new model, Volkswagen partnered with Tribal Worldwide DDB, one of the world’s leading creative agencies.
The team came up with the idea of creating fast lanes on 3 different locations in Berlin, Germany that get a lot of foot traffic.
Fast Lane #1: The Slide. This fast lane took place at the Alexanderplatz Subway Station in Berlin.
IDEA: A slide parallel to a long stairway to encourage passersby to use it. A hidden camera was installed to record footage of people using the slide.
By placing the slide beside the stairway, Volkswagen implied that it will take people less time to go down if they use the slide instead of going down the stairs step by step.
RESULT: A lot of people used the slide and had fun!
Fast Lane #2: The Elevator. On this lane, passengers experienced a speedy elevator ride.
IDEA: An arrow on the floor was labeled with a “Fast Lane” sticker. Inside the elevator, a rocket launch sound system, red flashing lights, and cameras to record passengers’ reactions were installed.
RESULT: Passengers enjoyed riding the elevator as if they were riding a rocket ship!
Fast Lane #3: The Shopping Carts. The fast lane in a Berlin grocery store made the customers’ shopping experience easier, faster, and exciting.
IDEA: Carts on the “Fast Lane” section had a skateboard and a camera attached to them.
People who use these carts can skate away while grocery shopping!
RESULT: Shoppers enjoyed their whole shopping experience using these carts! They were able to quickly find the products they wanted, while having fun roaming around the store.
Video footage of the three fast lanes were posted on Volkswagen’s different social media accounts to promote the campaign even more and reach a wider audience.
Just 11 days after posting the videos on YouTube on June 11, 2010, Volkswagen recorded over 3 million views combined for all three executions.
The company also recorded a total of 283,560 pageviews on their official website in the same month!
Not only that!
Through this campaign, the VW Polo GTI was voted the World’s Best Car of 2010!
By engaging with the people through the makeshift fast lanes, Volkswagen created a major buzz on the campaign and brand awareness for the new car model.
This fun brand activation created a lasting impression on people of all ages who witnessed the campaign firsthand and even those who saw it online.
Promoting your business doesn’t have to be all plain, dull, and boring.
Get inspired by Volkswagen’s creative idea!
Engagement is the key!
About The Dynamic Marketing Communiqué’s
“Fridays: Gorillas of Guerrilla Marketing”
Jay Conrad Levinson (1984) said that Guerrilla Marketing “works because it’s simple to appreciate, easy to execute, and inexpensive.”
Guerrilla Marketing is unconventional.
Looking beyond the traditional ways of advertising, marketers, and advertisers need to spice things up in order for their brand to have campaigns that not only make an impact but also stick to their target market’s mind.
Guerrilla Marketing usually aims to have direct contact with consumers.
This type of direct contact should spark an emotional reaction that leads to consumers effectively remembering the brand.
It’s about making a big impression and making that impression last a long time (if not forever).
Guerrilla Marketing is inexpensive.
The effect of this is being able to create a buzz around the brand, and the strategy used to market it. Almost everything is passed around through word-of-mouth.
Word-of-mouth is one of the greatest outcomes and it usually doesn’t cost anything.
This is every business’ or brand’s dream!
Every Friday, we publish tips, examples, and other useful content on unconventional ways of marketing and promotion.
Learn more about how to grab your target market’s attention and make an amazing first and lasting impression without having to spend a lot of money.
Businesses don’t really need to spend much for a guerrilla campaign. You do not need a big budget to be successful. You just need creativity and a good imagination.
Hope you’ve found this week’s guerrilla marketing insight interesting and helpful.
Stay tuned for next Friday’s Gorillas of Guerrilla!
Cheers,
Kyle Yu
Head of Marketing
Valens Dynamic Marketing Capabilities
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