How do you generate interest in a new product and your brand without spending a lot of money? That time-honored tradition, the publicity stunt. Some are memorable while others are just well, infamous. A few years ago in what they no doubt thought was a brilliant guerrilla marketing campaign, Turner Broadcasting System placed backpack-sized devices (with wires on the back and lights on the front) in nine major cities. They were capable of showing moving picture images and were devised to promote the Cartoon Network. Devised is the operative word as some people in a few cities called police to report these strange devices that they thought were bombs. TBS had to notify the remaining police departments of their involvement. They pulled the plug on the promotion and the GM of Cartoon Network resigned.
Less incendiary is the current campaign from Purity.Organic. With limited funds to advertise their organic fruit juices, they came up with an inexpensive and eye-catching way to convey the superiority of their product. Working with ad agency McCann Erickson, they placed giant straws in garbage pails in strategic spots around New York City with the slogan, “What are you really drinking?” The implication of course is that anything other than juice from Purity is suspect. New Yorkers barely blink at such stunts but this one resonates for several reasons not least of which is that you can grasp its meaning in a New York minute. Many people took photos of themselves with the giant straws, circulating the pics online. Others actually stole some straws, becoming as McCann’s creative director put it, “running billboards”. The entire campaign budget was around $10,000 with the cost of 200 straws at just $20 each. They plan to plant more straws and are developing a radio ad.
In Peter Shankman’s book, “Can We Do That?! Outrageous PR Stunts That Work–And Why Your Company Needs Them”, there are tales of thievery, skullduggery, and chutzpah perpetrated in the name of marketing, some of which were elaborate schemes. In its simplicity, the mere placement of the giant straws for the Purity.Organic campaign is sheer poetry to me. The choice of city for campaign kick-off is also genius. My fellow New Yorkers and I may be a jaded bunch but we expect nothing but the best in our politicians, our city, and now, our juice. By intimating that some other so-called organic juices aren’t what they oughta be, we’re sold.
