1 The words and expressions below appear in the text in Exercise 2. Find the words and guess their meanings. Use a dictionary to check your guesses. 1.aim ……………………
4. public ……………………
2.predictable ……………………
5. push the limits ……………………
3.spread rumours ……………………
6. jail ……………………
2 Read the text and answer the questions. A Different Kind of Advertising The first forms of advertising began in Egypt in 4000 BC. The Ancient Egyptians used to write
“advertisements” on pieces of papyrus. However, advertising only really began to take off at the
beginning of the 20th century. The main aim of advertising at that time was to educate consumers
about different products.
As advertising became more sophisticated, advertising agencies were opened. These agencies
helped manufacturers find creative ways to sell their products. Different forms of the media were
used to advertise, but advertisements became standard and quite predictable. In the 1980s, a new
form of marketing appeared – guerrilla marketing. It was unconventional, creative, memorable …
and cheap. Instead of investing money, businesses invested time, energy and imagination. It was
popular among small businesses, but when large companies understood its potential, they began to
use it, too.
One example of successful guerrilla marketing was the film
The Blair Witch Project . It was a
low-budget, almost amateur film. After the film-makers had finished filming, they started an In-
ternet campaign to spread rumours about “the Blair Witch” legend. Soon, everyone wanted to see
the film. Thanks to guerrilla marketing, a film with a budget of $50,000 eventually earned almost
$250 million.
Charities have also begun to use guerrilla marketing. When the French charity Médecins du Monde
wanted to increase the public’s awareness of the problem of homeless people in Paris, they found an
effective way of attracting people’s attention: they gave homeless people tents. As the number of
tents in the city got bigger, people soon understood the size of the problem and the government
began to take action.
While guerrilla marketing is a very successful form of marketing, companies should be careful
when they use it. First of all, messages that are too sophisticated could be difficult for people to
understand. Secondly, advertisers must not make their campaigns so shocking that they might
offend people. Finally, while creativity is absolutely necessary, you should not push the limits
too far. As one leading marketer said, “It is generally not a good idea to do something that will
cause someone on the team to go to jail.”
1.
What was the goal of advertisers at the beginning of the 20th century?
. . ...................................................................................................................................
2.
Why did large companies begin to use guerrilla marketing, too?
. . ...................................................................................................................................
3.
Why is it surprising that
The Blair Witch Project was so successful?
. . ...................................................................................................................................
4.
Why might some forms of guerrilla marketing offend people?
. . ...................................................................................................................................