What does SXSW, one of the world's coolest conventions, and a retail sale at the ASB Showgrounds in Auckland have in common? One is all about music, tech, innovation and celebrity - the other is about retail sales. Hardly your typical bedfellows when it comes to lining up the cool-factor when it comes to marketing, right? But, earlier this week, one thing brought two very different events into the same category: clever disruption when it comes to marketing.
This year, Hulu disrupted South by Southwest in Austin, TX with a highly impactful launch for their upcoming series 'Handmaid's Tale.' How'd they do this? They enlisted an entire army of handmaids to walk the streets of the South by Southwest in complete silence. Complete. Silence. It was creepy. It was impactful. And, it went to show that timely, targeted campaigns can cause a big stir on a little budget.
Fast forward six months to Auckland, New Zealand - and to a retailer store with a marketing department focussed on fun & good-natured disruption. During the annual Massive Sell Out sale at the ASB Showgrounds; Appliance Shed enlisted a group of people to undertake an event similar to that of Hulu and their army of Handmaids.
Going a bit old school, the team employed a flash-mob approach to stand out from the crowd, literally. Dropping their coats and donning bright yellow T-shirts, the mob danced and, at the very least, were noticed.
After the performance, the flash-mob put on their jackets and dispersed into the crowd. Putting the fun in 'functional' when it comes to experiential marketing. And, making a bit of a noise.
Watch the video for the full experience.