Flash Mob >> Cool Ideas for Marketing Campaigns in 2011 | Digital Dudette

#2 Flash Mob

What is Flash Mob?

If you haven’t heard of flash mob, seriously where the hell have you been all these while? Flash Mob involves a group of people who performs randomly in a public area. Mostly done to create curiosity and in hopes to go viral, very few brands have been near success tackling flash mob.

Flash Mobs in KL, Malaysia:

1. Glee

Read about it in Rage.com

2. Beliebers – Justin Bieber Inspired Flash Mob in Pavilion.

3. Violence Against Women: Read about it in the The Star.

4. Malaysia Kini - Protest against government’s control over media.

5. Unicef’s Hide & Seek Flash Mob to raise awareness about Child Abuse.

6. Freeze Tiger Trade Flashmob hit KL streets.

7. Maxis iPhone 3GS Flashmob in KLCC (68,978 views)

8. Digi Flash Mob (12,900 views)

9. UPDATE: Breast Feeding Flash Mob in KLCC (7th Aug 2011) - A rather interesting flash mob that might stir some people to get uncomfortable. You can read Zura's experience here that instigated the mothers to start this flash mob.

Picture extracted from The Star Online

But one that I personally like (though it may not be considered as a flash mob) is the large human smiley that was executed during F&N’s Fun Fest in Bukit Bintang, with 1,000 people forming the smiley. Read more here in The Star article.

My Point of View:

Music definitely inspires and helps those flash mob videos go viral, but not many brands have successfully tackled flash mob to-date. Maxis’s attempt for engagement worked well for iPhone 3GS in KLCC but not so well for DiGi (in terms of Youtube views). If you noticed the list of 8 flash mobs above, you will see that PSA campaigns work better for flash mob as they can tell a story.

However, an article I must highlight from Marina Mahathir. She wrote on how flash mob is one of the many evidences young Malaysians have stepped up above the stereotype that their elders put on them. Here’s a summary of lessons to learn from flash mob events.

1. To appeal to young people you need to tap into whatever is current and trendy, and not try and invent something new.

2. Young people can come up with better ideas than most adults, and know exactly how to organise it themselves.

3. Young people are quite capable of enormous discipline and effort if they like, and want to do, something.

4. There is absolutely no need for any VIPs to officiate at these events. In fact, the absence of any ups the cool quotient of the event.

5. When young people get together like this, they do not automatically destroy. Rather they build friendships, community and peace, regardless of race, religion or creed.