Putting Your Brand Directly in the Hands of Consumers

Who doesn’t love a great guerrilla campaign? Finding new locations for advertisements that no one would expect: A coffee cup Manhole Cover, a brighter and whiter crosswalk strip, $100,000 in a glass case, and many more like these have drawn attention to brands in cities across the world. However, these are one time, one place ads. What if advertisers could reach consumers where they would least expect?

After a recent order from a local Chinese Restaurant, I received a convenient wet wipe. But this wasn’t just any wet wipe, it was an ad for a local limousine service.

Marketers are always looking for new places to reach their consumers, and ideas like this provide advertisers the opportunity to utilize a previously untouched place. IDeas BIG would like to share with you a few of the most interesting places marketers have placed ads, and why it could revolutionize direct marketing.

Wet Wipe Ads

Imagine it, you visit your local bar or choose to have your favorite food delivered. At the end of the meal, you’re going to want something to clean your hands after enjoying your wings. You reach for a wipe at your table, and look, it’s an advertisement for a cab company.

The major company that came to mind, Wet Wipe Ads, has a distribution channel that is growing each day, and guarantees a 90% impression rate for advertisers. The video below shows an overview of the service to advertisers.

This idea is great, with one minor concern. What if I want to target specific personas, for instance, only businesses in an area?

Cash Jackets

Want to reach an audience with cash to spend? Why not place your ad directly on the envelopes in which they receive money? When someone cashes a check, they receive an envelope containing their cash; on which you can easily place your ad. Advertickets, owned by the same company as BriteVision offers this opportunity.

Coffee Sleeve Ads

Coffee Sleeve advertising transforms a daily American Habit into an unprecedented advertising platform for building a one-to-one connection with the most qualified consumers as they travel, work, and play. These walking “mini billboards” are transported throughout the consumer’s routine; they are seen on the street, in the subway, at the office, in a meeting, and typically will end their journey right next to a computer.

Coffee Sleeve Ad Company Brite Vision has even more creative additions including attached samples, scratch-off, and even the ability to plant seeds by burying the coffee sleeve.

Key Card Ads

via Matrix Media

Why not promote your brand directly to hotel consumers? You have a captive audience, they’re bound to look at the ad (have you ever actually gotten a hotel key in the door correctly on the first try?), and you can easily localize your ad. Think of your ad placed in the hands of trade show visitors. What’s the first thing someone does before going to a conference or trade show? Why not provide directions to your booth?

Transit Handles

via Bored Panda

Want customers to grab a ponytail, see what they look like with a luxury watch or even picture a beer in their hand? Many companies have used handles in buses and subways to place products. Why not? This provides ample opportunity to wind up directly in the hands of buyers and picture the need for the product. View more creative examples at Bored Panda.

Other Creative Placements

Maybe not something you’d actively pursue, but some of the most interesting ad locations are the ones you’d expect even less than the previous ones.

• Bendy Straws: This Yoga studio made great use of the accordion hinge of a straw.
• Ketchup Packets: This horrifying yet brilliant use of ketchup packets won at Cannes for the awareness raised for Campaigns against Landmines and Publicis Mojo.
• Bottle Koozies against Drunk Driving: Behance Contributor JoAnn Arello used a bottle Koozie to simulate a body bag for Mothers against Drunk Driving.
• Monster Tour Water: Performers at summer tours like Vans Warped Tour or Zumiez Couch Tour need to drink a lot of water. Monster Energy Drink took this to mind when creating Monster Tour Water, water in Monster cans.
• Various Options on Food and Drink: Branders offers promotional products for many different occasions.

So there you have it. Interesting yet unthought-of ad placement that puts your product or service directly into the hands of consumers. Have any to add? Share them with us in the comments!