Mini gyms on the street?! This brand encouraged consumers that they have more power than they think! [Fridays: Gorillas of Guerrilla Marketing]
A billboard is a large outdoor board that is used for displaying advertisements.
However, since this tool has become commonly used for marketing, some people nowadays don’t bat an eyelid when they see a plain one.
Hmm… is there a way to make billboards more captivating and interesting again?
There is!
Check out how this brand’s guerrilla marketing campaign caught the attention of thousands of consumers through the use of these outdoor ads.
Powerade is a sports drink brand manufactured and marketed by The Coca-Cola Company.
In April 2015, the brand, together with advertising company Ogilvy & Mather, revolutionized the concept of billboards with an experiential activation across 3 cities in Germany for 3 weeks.
The campaign was called…
The “Powerade Workout Billboards” Campaign!
This series of billboards consisted of 3 specifically constructed, interactive installments:
A rock climbing wall that scrolls once someone uses it…
… a punching meter that measures how strong a person’s punch is…
… and a lat machine that uses the billboard as a weight.
The campaign team chose locations for the “Workout Billboards” based on places with the highest foot traffic in Germany and areas with lots of sports clubs, gyms, and climbing gyms.
True enough, the billboards caught the attention of many passersby!
People of all ages in Germany took a pause at what they were doing to showcase their own strength and demonstrate Powerade’s slogan,
“You have more power than you think.”
All 3 variants of the brand’s billboard made passersby work up a thirst that Powerade could quench.
As a result…
Once participants were done working out using the billboards, Powerade staff (who stayed in a tent nearby and monitored the billboards every single day of the campaign) rewarded each consumer with a refreshing bottle of the sports drink.
What a great way to tout the benefits of the Powerade beverage!
Who would’ve thought that billboards could also serve as fun mini gyms on the streets of Germany?
Clearly, that’s one clever tactic from Powerade and Ogilvy & Mather!
Was Powerade’s “Workout Billboards” Campaign Effective?
The interactive billboards weren’t only functional but they were also a design hit, attracting passersby’s interest and involvement.
Through the unique and creative concept of the campaign, Powerade was able to engage with over 54,000 consumers in 3 weeks, which meant the brand also gave away more than 54,000 bottles of its sports drink for FREE.
Not just that!
The YouTube video released by Powerade for the “Workout Billboards” campaign recorded more than 65,000 views one week after it was posted online.
… and as of July 2021, the YouTube video has over 105,000 views.
Additionally, the campaign won a Silver Award at the 2016 Clio Sports Awards under the Out of Home Advertisement category and a Merit Award at The One Show Awards in 2016 under the Outdoor Installations and Ambient Media category.
A round of applause for Powerade’s engaging and creative guerrilla marketing campaign!
The promotional tactic worked because the brand’s interactive billboards effectively grabbed the attention of passersby and compelled them to try the mini workout machines.
The brand activation also created a sense of camaraderie amongst strangers as they cheered on and congratulated their Powerade peers.
Besides, the spectacle of watching someone climbing a wall, punching a billboard on the street, or pulling down a customized lat machine was bound to draw attention and spark a conversation, both online and offline.
Get inspired with Powerade’s creative and engaging campaign!
That doesn’t mean you necessarily have to use interactive billboards to promote your brand too, though.
Just think of fun ways to encourage physical interaction with your target market. Then, plan how you can connect that strategy to your core business.
This will help you align your brand’s identity with a tangible and relevant experience that is memorable for all parties involved.
Your mind has more power than you think!
So… start thinking about the most suitable guerrilla marketing for your business and get consumers talking about your brand!
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 can be 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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