Last night, I took a short walk with my family before dinner. As we entered the park near our apartment, I was greeted by this sidewalk-chalk message from KC Kids, a local consignment shop for kids’ stuff. Sidewalk advertising ideas occasionally make their way into our brainstorms (yeah, we often step outside the traditional PR box), but we’ve never executed one. We’ve always decided to err on the side of caution, as the tactic is illegal — at least in New York, as Sony was recently reminded. However, some brands seem to get away with it: See last year’s campaign for Bravo by GoGORILLA Media.
In KC Kids’ case, I think it worked. The medium makes sense given the target audience. And the store is working to build a grassroots following in a small town. Unlike Sony’s situation (or the infamous Microsoft butterfly campaign that’s referenced in the article), there’s a slim chance anyone in Hoboken is going to come down on a small business for trying to create brand awareness this way. Besides, it’s raining as I type.
Next time, I hope they include a fun graphic element or clever copy. Adding a little entertainment value goes a long way in guerilla marketing.