Reading fellow classmates, Adrian Wong’s blog, about Carlsberg and their ‘Guerilla Marketing’ ad campaign put a smile on my face.  The ad simply struck a chord with me.   Adrian’s analysis of the effectiveness of the commercial is that, “Laughter compels consumers to review the ad several times and/or spread it to his/her friends and family members.”  My immediate reaction while viewing this clip was to repeat and view again.

Now, as Adrian predicted, I have shared the link with the rest of the world.  This commercial works.  How?  Why?  The answers to those questions are rooted in the fundamentals of marketing; I will break-down my case to show the effectiveness of the commercial.

Personally, I do not drink alcohol; therefore, Carlsberg is attempting to sell a product to a consumer without any intention of purchasing their product.  This would seem like an automatic failure on their part, but even though I do not drink I do believe that funny commercials should be viewed and appreciated.  Where does that leave Carlsberg in all of this?  Although they have not gained me as a consumer, I have forwarded their commercial to people in my social networking circle, free of charge, increasing their potential for new customers.  Not lost in all of this, is that Adrian was the one who showed me this clip.

This type of Pass-It-On marketing is becoming huge with YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and other social networking types increase in popularity.  When social media is used effectively, low-budget, spontaneous, and crazy ad campaigns like this become possible.  It makes the product more relevant, and up to date with a rapidly changing world, at a relatively cheap price.  As summed up by Adrian, “A relatively inexpensive production cost is the beauty of guerilla marketing.”