Quick Read: Evoking imagination has always been a classic trick in the marketers’ book. Let’s see some recent examples where it’s been used to sell. And to unsell.
Man-eaters and the ritual of imagination
For four years, Dutch designer Daniel Disselkoen made the same journey on the same tram route to his art academy, and realised that he had stopped looking out of the window and being curious about what he might see. So he developed a simple little real-world hack called Man-eater.
Predicated around the idea that familiarity with a subject, our environment, surroundings or routine can limit discovery, Man-eater is a simple yet compelling call to action to invoke our imagination to make extra ordinary out of the ordinary.
Is at about seeing the world through a child’s eyes?
Museum of Childhood
Museum of Childhood (yes, there indeed is a museum by that name!) says exactly the same thing in its recent campaign – wherein with a bit of imagination, the medium and the context become the key parts of it’s message. 
(Check out the other executions at this blog post)
Banana Bunkers that look like…um.. bananas?
It appears that it doesn’t require a hell lot of imagination to see why this particular product of GroupOn turned to be its most popular post on Facebook ever! 
But GroupOn’s real imaginativeness came to the forefront in what happened after the post went live.
Knowing full well of what is to come, they decided to stay ahead of the hilarity and replied each and every one of the comments on their Facebook post. Check out this snapshot of the epic comments that followed!
Now that’s some great imaginativeness to combat (and perhaps even abet) imagination!
And meanwhile else where..
Can imagination be used to ‘unsell’?
‘The Gun Shop‘ had recently popped up on Manhattan with a store front that read “First Time Gun Owners” in big, bold letters. The catch? Each gun in the store had been tagged with its history: from shooting a mom in Walmart to the Sandy Hook massacres. The result: imagination that just ‘unsells’!
This video captures it well.
The Gun Shop has been a pop-up demonstration created by New Yorkers Against Gun Violence – a partner of States United Against Gun Violence that seeks to make families and communities safer.
Can you think of any other examples?
(Man-eater – H/T Neil Perkin | Museum of Childhood – H/T L.Bhat)
Featured Image: The Gun Shop store front on Manhattan, Source
Riffs on technology, marketing & culture 
So good! Actually I am working on a similarly veined campaign myself. I think the best marketing is that which grabs people BEHIND their minds, before they know they’re being grabbed.
Reblogged this on …just some random thoughts… and commented:
I just love anything that it is related to advertising, marketing or just creativity in any way. And the best part about it, is that it does not need to be said/ made or understood by some advertising or marketing guru – it that simple that everyone can figure it out and appreciate!!
Most of the marketers have a very specific job to do – sell (growth and productivity – money-wise). But I guess its just depends what you are trying to sell, isn’t it?
This video of the BTL campaign ( I guess I can call it that) its out of the extraordinary!! IT IS UNSELLING !! That is its main goal! Forget those 4 years of marketing that I’ve studied in university, forget those 4 years of advertising that I’ve worked in Ad Agencies and fancy european corporation – marketing its not about selling! Its about touching people, and making them realize the most common thing that they already know, without them actually realizing it.
I just couldn’t resist not to reblog this post! I applaud the other creative art, but the video its way over the top! That is what creativity and marketing all about!
Reblogged this on keenmarketing.
I’ve never seen innovation as cool as this!!! AMAZING!!!
Really, really nice text! Please more!
lol I thought the waterfountain picture was of a whale facing right with a fish tail on the end of his trunk! I don’t have any problem seeing the world like a child – with a mum as an artist and a dad who was a designer, I a very visual – I have problems exploiting the world like an adult!
Reblogged this on ibrahimakorede.