Call it ambient idea, activation, PR or just plain stunt…one-off projects designed purely to go viral (at least that’s what I think) and win awards are here to stay. Usually, such stunts are conducted in one city, perhaps at a central mall and the activation idea has a link (sometimes tenuous) to the brand proposition. Virgin Atlantic, for example gave unsuspecting park-goers a taste of the Virgin Atlantic experience in New York. There are countless such examples from big & small brands alike, hoping to make it big in the viral charts. The latest addition to such stunts is Vitamilk, the Thai milk brand. The brand’s proposition, ‘The power to recharge’ was brought alive in this stunt: they collected thousands of discarded batteries and built a phone recharging station to use their residual energy, in a stunt designed to promote its “recharging” properties.
Agency: Proximity BBDO
As I said in an earlier post, success of such activations hinge largely on these factors: a simple idea, hardwired to the brand promise, relevance more than jaw-dropping idea, audacious twist, great execution and a killer case video. Does the Vitamilk stunt score on these factors? It surely scores high on relevance – offering an utility and a solution for a real problem. Does it have a link back to the brand? Some may call it tenuous, but yes – ‘recharge’ fits in with the brand & proposition. Is it likely to go madly viral? Unlikely. I think the trick in such stunts is that even if the on-ground stunt were seen only by a few thousands the video should have the scope to be seen by millions. What say?