Flash Mobs: Relevant or Retired?

Flash Mobs: A Live TV Commercial

After talking with fellow blogger, Ashley Werthmann on my last post about Sharpie guerrilla marketing, she mentioned the great idea to discuss Flash Mobs as a past guerrilla marketing opportunity.  They have been successfully in the past for some brands I will discuss below.  

What is a Flash Mob?

Flash Mobs are a public stunt used for marketing or personal reasons (usually marriage proposals) that begin with one person dancing.  Slowly, more dancers emerge from the crowd and join in on the synchronized dance routine for 2-5 minutes.  They can be set to any song and usually are riffs off of viral sensations.  Some pop culture examples are Flash Mobs to: Gangnam Style and "Marry You" by Bruno Mars.

Although the first flash mob took place in 2003, it truly gained traction and reached its peak in 2009-2010 (Raney, n.d.).  As a guerrilla marketing opportunity, I believe they are outdated to currently use in its traditional form.  However, some brands have successfully used them in the past.  They have been used for specific organizations or personal stories rather than a specific product. However, guerrilla marketers could reinvent this fad to resemble a "live" TV commercials which I discuss below.

Brands that have used Flash Mobs

• Liverpool T-Mobile Dance:  T-Mobile implemented a series of 3 flash mobs for it's "Life for Sharing" campaign.

• Gisele Bundchen SKY HDTV "Live Commercial" Flash Mob: This is also a costly, but highly effective example with estimated costs of $4 million dollars, not counting in Bundchen's fees (ViralBlog, n.d.).  Guerrilla marketing is meant to be a low-cost marketing alternative, so Flash Mobs do not exactly fit that criteria. However, this is a great example of making Flash Mobs more interactive for the audience--this engages them in a "live commercial."

• Samsung Galaxy s4 Flash Mob in 2013:  This Flash Mob shows how brands are using it as a "Live" TV Commercial.  Samsung also accomplished this by including a big pop-up prop during the dance as well.  Although Flash Mobs were a sensation years ago, this proves if they are reinvented as a "Live Commercial" people are still enticed to watch.

Goals of Flash Mobs for Brands:

• Draw attention to the brand to increase brand visibility and recognition
• Engage the consumers by making the Flash Mob a "live" TV commercial
• Try to make the YouTube clip of the Flash Mob "go viral"

My Suggestions/Takeaways

• "Live TV Commercial" Opportunity: Flash Mobs were a creative way for brands to engage consumers with the fad in 2009-2010.  The fad is now retired, but they can be relevant by reinventing them as a  way to engage with consumers as a "live TV commercial."  The concept will be similar to the original Flash Mob idea.  The "Live TV Commercial" will be effective because it will draw customer's attention and they will be so intrigued that traditional commercial avoidance will not play as much of a factor.  A potential drawback is the cost of the implementing the stunt, which is why heavy planning is required to capitalize on the "Live Commercial".  Marketers of the specific brand will need to:
• Find a popular public location
• Quickly load in any props (Ex: Loading in the couch in Gisele's Flash Mob above).
• The spokesperson will next enter the public place and being the "commercial.
• Other characters will enter the scene and the commercial will play out.
• Engaging Consumers on YouTube: When uploading the YouTube clip, make sure to include information about the brand/organization at the beginning and end of the video.  Another option is to include fun facts about the brand scrolling during the middle of the video to keep consumers' engagement while re-watching the Flash Mob.  Brands need to give consumers a reason to keep watching since there are many Flash Mobs on the internet with the same songs.

Remember: Say "I do" to engaging the audience with guerrilla marketing--Kayleigh Green

Comment Below: Are Flash Mobs Relevant or Retired?

Sources

• Edwards, Jim.  2013.  Samsung's Advertising for The Galaxy S4 Has Been Weirdly--Deliberately?--Cheesy.  Retrieved from http://www.businessinsider.com/samsungs-advertising-for-the-galaxy-s4-has-been-weirdly-deliberately-awful-2013-3
• Elliott, Amy Mae.  2010.  15 Fab Flash Mob Videos on YouTube.  Mashable.  Retrieved from http://mashable.com/2010/06/20/flash-mob-videos/
• Hoyal, Emily.  2011.  Flash mobs: a gimmick or serious marketing strategy?  Retrieved from http://blog.viadeo.com/en/2011/09/13/flash-mobs-a-gimmick-or-a-serious-marketing-strategy/#respond
• Raney, Rebecca Fairley.  n.d.  5 Mind-blowing Flash Mobs.  Retrieved from http://people.howstuffworks.com/5-mind-blowing-flash-mobs.htm#page=0
• ViralBlog.  n.d.  Gisele Bundchen SKY HD Flash Mob.  Retrieved from http://www.viralblog.com/viral-social-videos/gisele-bundchen-sky-hd-flashmob/
• TheFinancialBrand.com.  Wells Fargo 'Flash Mob' Yields 1 Million YouTube Views.  2011.  Retrieved from http://thefinancialbrand.com/18345/wells-fargo-times-square-flash-mob-video/