Sunday, June 15, 2008

Making the Mundane Experiential

This video has nothing to do with marketing and everything to do with marketing. The event, planned by GuerilLA, is not branded and does not promote a product. It was created to bring some spontaneous fun to Santa Monica.

So, what is this odd video doing on an experiential marketing blog? It reminds us that that anything can be made experiential with the right amount of creativity and enthusiasm. Rather than waiting until New Year's eve to celebrate a countdown, this group gathered at a street corner, waited for the crosswalk light to count down to zero, and partied like it's 1999.

Note the enjoyment (and occasional puzzlement) of the passersby. This event created memories for participants and others caught in the vicinity by being completely unexpected, fun, inclusive, and unexpected. Yes, I said unexpected twice; among the things that are so often lost in much of marketing today are elements like mystery and surprise. People ignore the expected, but they can't help but notice the unexpected.

Sponsoring this impromptu party cost next to nothing, but it sure looks like fun. And memorable. What can we marketers learn from this?

(BTW, the couple at the end got engaged during this event. They'll forever remember their crosswalk countdown.)


Crosswalk Countdown - GuerilLA from Kelly Herrington on Vimeo.

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