SURPRISE! (IT’S AN AD!) – TrendCentral Highlights Improv Everywhere’s “Grocery Store Musical”
Posted by Jacob Rothschild on November 9th 2009 in Generate Blog|
SURPRISE! (IT’S AN AD!)
The latest trend in marketing is truly astounding consumers
Click here for the original article.
|
| The rising importance of social media has been drilled into our brains ad nauseam. There’s no denying it, but let’s not forget that there’s more to connecting with consumers than updating one’s status on Facebook. With this in mind, we’ve been noticing more savvy marketers creating “disruption” to seize mindshare among consumers whose senses have become dulled by a world littered with billboards, pop-ups and banner ads. Check out three who’ve managed to surprise unsuspecting consumers with some seriously astonishing next-level performance ads: |
 Trident’s “ Grocery Store Musical “: Merry prankster collective Improv Everywhere has been staging “impromptu” spectacles in public spaces since 2001. Looking to leverage the quirk factor inherent in IE’s unconventional performances, Trident recently sponsored one of these gonzo shows. The gum brand gave Improv Everywhere complete creative control over both the concept and the location. Perhaps recognizing that the Muzak interpretations of The Doors and The Beatles typically piped into the supermarket aisles are, in a way, blasphemous, Improv Everywhere decided to stage comedic musicals in the produce section of a Queens grocery store. Incognito shoppers suddenly burst into song, amazing the real cart-pushers amidst the boxes of tomatoes. A hidden camera video of it all was published online where Trident’s sponsorship of the show received a shout out after the finale – with links to its Facebook and Twitter pages, natch. |
 Daffy’s “Fitting Dance” : Movie theatres, what with their captive audiences and all, can be an advertiser’s dream. (Have you ever tried squeezing your way out of a center seat during a pre-feature trailer? Forget about it.) While commercials shown before the 20 minutes of Coming Attractions are now the norm, most cinema patrons tend to use those last moments to finish their conversation about how insane it is that a box of Junior Mints costs $6 at the concession stand. Wise to fading attention spans, discount fashion retailer Daffy’s recently startled audiences at NYC’s Ziegfeld Theatre with a three-and-a-half minute live dance performance, in which ten dancers “go a little crazy” trying on their clothes. Not until the end when they were gifted with 20%-off Daffy’s coupons did consumers realize that it was an ad. |
 Michael & Michael Have Issues ‘ Live Commercials: Seemingly, Comedy Central has recognized that their demo is not too likely to stick around through a commercial break, opting to fast forward through the ads or take a Twitter break instead. In fact, many young viewers only watch television commercials when someone sends them a YouTube link to one. Turning the traditional 30-second spot on its head, the titular Michaels (comedians Michael Ian Black and Michael Showalter) of Michael & Michael Have Issues perform sketch ads for brands such as Palm, Dunkin Donuts, and Klondike during what would normally be commercial breaks. Mad Men team, are you listening? We’ll probably buy anything Don Draper tries to sell us. |
|
|
