LGBT rights has recently become one of the most-discussed contemporary issues of 2012.

For just over two centuries various communities have been working both together and independently to achieve the ultimate goal of creating social acceptance of sexual and gender minorities. I think it can be safely said that marriage was a far-fetched dream for gay rights activists back in the 19th and 20th centuries, but we are now on the brink of a political revelation, especially since the new-found support from the US President, Barack Obama.

It’s the prime time for individuals and businesses to do their part by showing support; which is exactly what an unexpected amount have done – you can’t miss the current campaigns stealing the eyes of the media.

Not for animal lovers! The following marketing idea is not for the faint hearted. These days, with people having no time and always being in a hurry, it is necessary to be as creative as possible when aiming to stand out from other advertising campaigns, to grab the eye of the public. Which is exactly what Solingen have done. A giant razor-shaped billboard with sliced-in-half pigeons scattered underneath is used to promote the sharpness of the Solingen razor blade.

It’s always a good idea to promote fish restaurants on the beach. All over the world flyers are distributed to attract the eye of wealthy customers roaming on the sand. Due to the large number of businesses using the same idea, it is easy to sink to the bottom of the marketing fish pool. For that reason it comes in handy to be creative with marketing ideas…which is where the “Guerilla” comes in.

So I found out what the “Super Bowl” is this year. Saying that to an English person would provoke the question “what is it?”, which for an American is a weird prospect, seeing that this nationally infamous game held once a year on “Super Bowl Sunday” is “up there” with celebrations like Christmas, Thanksgiving and Easter.

The Super Bowl is one of the most watched sporting events worldwide with an average annual viewing count of 100,000,000 people each year.

So coming to the point, one can imagine the advertising opportunities during this event, which can typically cost millions of dollars – and that just for a minute window.

In an effortless and cost-free marketing attempt, it seems Apple’s iPhone acheived the most exposure. Take a look at the following video showing the delivery of the Vince Lombardi Trophy.

I came across this blog recently on German photographer, Phil Porter’s website. After having “Englafied” it…I hope you enjoy this marketing technique as much as I did.
This creative Guerilla marketing campaign uses a German speeding ticket replica to grab the public’s attention. This effort and cost efficient idea gained a high success rate for this upcoming business in Bremen.

Being a british national, having seen the development of anti-smoking campaigns in the UK  from 2004-present I am aware of the effect this has had on our smoking nation. What with the changing of laws, NHS media and dramatic price increases I can safely say, had I not have moved to Germany a few years back, I would no longer be a smoker.

As a smoker from a less tobacco-tolerant part of the world, walking down a street in Germany you are far more aware of the huge differences; like the smoking in bars and restaurants not being yet completely banned, the prices still lying under £5 and the most shocking are the ongoing pro-smoking advertisements.

The danger of a break-in is underestimated. This is the reason why no action is usually taken until such an event has taken place. BGS, a security techinque seller used a unique marketing campaign to remind people that anyone can be a victim of a robbery. The use of a special sticker achieved the attention and reflectiveness toward this suppressed topic.

A hard-hitting eye-opening campaign thought up by UNICEF to increase awareness of ongoing poor water conditions in the third world.
The “Tap Project”, involving placing a dirty water vending machine in the middle of New York selling 8 “flavours” of disease for donations, shows Guerilla marketing at its best.

In Germany fastening one’s car seatbelt has been compulsory for a long time. Nevertheless, there are still people who forget their seatbelts for no comprehensible reason. In other countries there is no compulsory seatbelt rule at all. I have found two videos which expose this topic. In the first clip, a small family is shown. The father pretends that he is driving a car, to the amusement of his daughter and his wife. As an accident is depicted, the ladies rush to his aid and epitomise a seatbelt, in that they hold the father and husband close. The video shows impressively that forgetting to fasten one’s seatbelt can affect a whole family.

After Prince William finally married his Kate and the media gradually calmed down again, it’s time highlight the cheerful aspects of this extraordinary event. Before the wedding, T-mobile spared neither costs nor effort, in order to gather the best doppelgangers of the Windsors at a more preferable wedding rehearsal. However, this wedding is very different than the one which was to be seen on TV.