CREATIVE COMPANY MARKETING CAMPAIGNS

YOU GET A CAR! YOU GET A CAR!

Oprah Winfrey’s free car giveaway on her talk-show has become a

legendary example of marketing – for carmaker General Motors

but especially for Oprah. Oprah’s rating surged due to the publicity

but General Motors’ tanked after the winners in her studio audience

heard they would have to pay $7,000 tax on each of the Pontiacs

they won. After a slurry of negative publicity, Pontiac reversed

course and covered the state sales tax.

FREE BEER!

Enticing would-be customers with beer has long been a tactic for

companies to boost business. The Cleveland Indians baseball team

gave it a shot in 1974 with a 10-cent-beer-night. The promotion

tripled attendance but resulted in some less-than-desirable outcomes,

including a riot, attacks on players and fans, and destruction

to the stadium.

BURNING UP THE DISCO

Similarly, the Chicago White Sox ran a promotion in 1979 during a

double-header entitled “Disco Demolition Night”. The team

encouraged fans to bring in vinyl records they were willing to

part with – to be blown up. Fifteen times more fans showed up

(partly lured by the 98-cent entrance fee with their record),

even scrambling over the walls to get in. The records were

detonated after the first game and pandemonium ensued – fans rioted,

the batting cages and bases were torn asunder, and riot police

had to break up the deranged masses.

THE VIRGIN MARY IN A GRILLED CHEESE

As online casinos are legally prevented from advertising in traditional

media sources, GoldenPalace.com got crafty with its marketing

strategy. In 2004, the online casino bought the famous part-eaten

grilled cheese sandwich which seemed to feature an image of the

Virgin Mary. The price for a part-eaten grilled cheese? $28,000.

BREAKING THE SOUND BARRIER

Now infamous, Red Bull sponsored parachutist Felix Baumgartner

on a free fall. Red Bull is known for sponsoring extreme sports and

this one was made more extreme as Baumgartner jumped out of

a plane at 23 miles (37 km) up – in the Earth’s stratosphere. This jump

clinched Baumgartner the record for being the first person to

break the sound barrier (without using a machine).

AN UNEXPECTED GUINNESS SUCCESS

Now ranking as the third most widely read book in the world, the

Guinness Book of World Records was never intended to become

a global phenomenon. Managing Director Hugh Beaver printed the book

to settle senseless pub debates and distributed it throughout the

United Kingdom and Ireland. The book quickly became a bestseller,

so much so that Guinness eventually spun off the publishing unit

which continues making annual versions of the popular book.

TINDER RUFF

Mobile dating app Tinder is no stranger to trying some non-traditional

advertising techniques. In 2014, Tinder – partnering with BBH creative

agency and animal rescue group Social Tees – made profiles for a host

of dogs up for adoption. During swiping, a user might come across

one of the pups, seeing their description and pictures (which are

probably better than those of most actual people on Tinder). The

campaign was a success and a good few dogs were adopted.

STEAL ME IF YOU CAN

LifeLock CEO Todd Davis infamously advertised his security company

by giving away his social security number in print and television,

daring thieves to try stealing his identity. The marketing stunt was

brilliant – earning LifeLock loads of publicity. However, a class action

suit was brought against LifeLock claiming the ad was misleading as

Davis’s identity had been stolen by about 20 different thieves.

LifeLock claims only one was able to successfully steal its CEO’s

identity and only got $500 out of it.

THE AQUA TEEN HUNGER FORCE BOMB

Cartoon Network was trying to promote its Adult Swim show Aqua

Teen Hunger Force in January 2007. To do this, it commissioned

a company to create items that looked like backpacks with wires and

lights coming out the back and a screen on front. These bags were

then covertly dropped in train stations, hospitals, and on bridges

throughout Boston. After the Boston Bomb Squad fully mobilized and

boat traffic through the Boston Harbour was shut down,

Cartoon Network called off the publicity attempt and told police

where the devices were. Lesson learned: if you’re a company trying

to get people to buy your stuff, don’t make people think

you’re dropping off bombs.