What is guerrilla advertising? Guerrilla advertising is a form of advertising that is often deployed in unruly locations, such as street corners, train stations, airport terminals, and so forth. The term, which was coined in the 1950s by American advertising pioneer George Lois, originates from the Latin term “guerrilla,” which means “agitator” or “leader” in reference to the actions of rebels or revolutionaries. In effect, this form of advertising is meant to provoke a reaction from passersby – usually in the form of questioning or even disdain. Guerilla advertising has been used extensively by many of the world’s biggest companies, including Nike, Virgin Atlantic, and Ford. While most forms of advertising do nothing more than make us aware of the products or services that companies are trying to sell, guerrilla advertising is different. Guerilla advertising uses unconventional methods of attracting the attention of passersby, which often include the creation of large and potentially disruptive advertisements in public spaces. It’s more of a performance art than anything else, and is meant to be funny, provocative, and attention-grabbing, rather than something that is simply part of a larger marketing campaign. Guerilla advertising is a form of street art or graffiti – something that is designed to make the viewer laugh, or at least think, about a particular subject. There are many reasons why this form of advertising is so effective. Primarily, it’s a lot of fun to see a sign or advertisement that does absolutely nothing but stick in your mind for several days. After all, when it comes to guerrilla advertising, the goal isn’t to sell your products or services, it’s to grab the attention of passersby, make them think about a subject in a unique way, and to get them to stop and pay attention. There are also two main reasons why guerrilla advertising works so well. The first, of course, is because it’s incredibly cheap. Instead of hiring a billboard for a week, or paying a huge marketing agency to promote your products in a television ad, it’s much cheaper to create a guerrilla advertisement yourself. The second reason why guerrilla advertising works so well is that it’s highly effective. If you’re going to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on a billboard ad or a television ad, you’d better be sure that you’re reaching the people you’re trying to reach, otherwise you’re just throwing your money away. Guerilla advertising works by making the viewer notice your message, and think about it on their own – but they won’t really remember it unless they see the same thing several times. That’s where “guerrilla marketing” comes in. Instead of using traditional advertising methods, such as print ads, television commercials, and billboards, guerrilla marketers use unconventional methods to draw attention. In some cases, that might include a large chalkboard in a public space that encourages passersby to make their own signs, or even hand written notes on a sandwich board. Guerrilla advertising can take many different forms, and it might make the person who is carrying the signs in the first place think that he or she might be doing the advertising – but the actual advertisements come from the people who pass by the guerrilla marketing areas. Some of the most popular forms of guerrilla marketing include: · Graffiti · Street art · Writing in public · Free advertising signs · Window tchalking · Window decals · Street lettering Some of these forms are more legitimate than others. Graffiti is illegal, and even if you’re writing your message in a public space, it can be argued that you have no legal standing over the message – and that you are not actively trying to persuade people to view or buy your products. On the other hand, street art is often quite beautiful, and you’re probably not in a position to control what it looks like, unless you are also sponsoring it. Many people think that writing or chalking slogans on sidewalks or walls is a form of advertising, but it’s actually against the law. That being said, there are some clever and creative ways to promote your business without risking this kind of legal trouble – and it’s all a matter of what you’re willing to do. For example, you can put a temporary chalkboard in your own store window for free, and advertise your business in a way that is easy to get into. A chalkboard in a storefront window. Photo by Joe LoPresti, Flickr CC. In this example, you might be able to get in a free message for your business that could change every week. The trick is to put it somewhere that’s not obviously visible to the public, so people can’t steal it or vandalize it. The chalkboard could also help people remember your business name, and get your message across in an interesting way. You might be able to get similar free publicity at other times of the year, or to your benefit. A chalkboard or permanent sign in a window could also be a great way to announce a coming event, or to attract people to a storefront that might otherwise be empty. You can also purchase a chalkboard to paint in your own personal space. These would be best for a smaller area, and could be used to promote an upcoming sale or an event. Chalkboard paint is easy to get at many retail stores, and there are even some websites that will ship you a ready-to-use chalkboard. Chalkboards are also commonly used in restaurants for special occasions. It�s easy to set up, and even with today’s paper-thin laminate it still has that old-fashioned charm that makes it so popular. A chalkboard in a restaurant window is usually a fun way to attract customers. Photo by thelittlestockboy, Flickr CC. These can be painted in the kitchen, and can be used to display menus and other messages, along with your specials for the week. The kitchen might be too busy for a chalkboard, so you might want to use this in the dining room instead. Make sure you get one that is at least 18 inches wide, and you can usually find them for anywhere from $20-50. Chalkboard Paint There are many products out there that you can buy and use to create a chalkboard that is durable and easy to clean.
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