Cultural warrior

Guerrilla warfare. From what I remember from those history classes I took years ago, there are people hiding in the woods, probably civilians, but organized enough that they were very effective in ambushing their enemies. It was a strategy that made a mark on any war in which the tactic made an appearance.

Business loves making reference to war in their strategies, and the advertising and marketing industry decided the sneak attack sounded promising. From this idea, guerrilla marketing was born: sneak up on your audience, get them when they are least suspecting and engage them in a way that is nearly impossible for them to forget the brand.

For the most part this is just fun and creative. It gets people's attentions and starts a conversation. A steaming man hole as a pot of coffee; a huge bottle of white out that apparently painted the lines for the crosswalk; the Red Bull Mini passing out cans of energy. But I think there is a power in this tactic that can really start a movement.

Enter The Girl Store by StrawberryFrog.

I noticed this campaign from the controversy it stirred up. Is it too provocative? I think not. I think it's exactly right. It gets you angry. You should be angry. This is something that we shouldn't just look away from; it's something we can't look away from once those beautiful brown eyes are staring you in the face.

The Girl Store from StrawberryFrog on Vimeo.

This isn't fun. It's real life, and it's presented in a way that the lucky people in America can understand (online shopping).

Sure, catching people off guard is a tactic that any advertiser can use. It's good for a laugh or a wow and gets some recognition. But I like this as an example, because it shows that advertising isn't always trying to win its own battle. Advertising can help fight for the people.