Walter & Edwin Schloss Associates
| From the desk of Miles Everson: Happy Thursday! Welcome to today’s edition of “Gorillas of Guerrilla Marketing!” For those of you who are not familiar with this, guerrilla marketing is an unconventional strategy that is simple to appreciate and easy to execute. Such tactics remind us that marketing our brand or offerings doesn’t always have to be too formal, professional, or “boxed.” In this article, allow me to share with you a gritty example of this campaign. Read on to know how this supermarket company in New Zealand put a new twist to an old challenge. |
SHELF-care in the wild? Check out this supermarket brand's fresh take on shopping DIFFERENTLY! Picture this: You’re 51 kilometers deep into an ultramarathon through the misty, muscle-melting wilderness of New Zealand’s Kepler Track. You’ve been running for hours. Your water’s low. Your socks are soaked. You’re starting to question every life decision that led to this moment. Suddenly, like a shimmering oasis in a sea of dirt and doubt, you see it: A full-blown supermarket aisle, standing there like it’s always belonged in the middle of nowhere! Wait a minute. You wonder… Is it exhaustion? Are you hallucinating? Maybe the mountain air has gotten to you? You blink. Nope, the supermarket aisle is still there. Then it clicked: It was marketing. Really, really good marketing. An Old Trail with a New Grocery Twist What do you get when you mix one of the world’s toughest trail races with a neighborhood supermarket chain looking to do something different ? You get the “Aid Aisle” —a guerrilla marketing masterstroke by supermarket company FreshChoice and creative marketing agency Dentsu Aotearoa!
For eight years, FreshChoice had supported the Kepler Challenge, the premier mountain running event in New Zealand, but in typical sponsor fashion—logos, banners, maybe some branded water bottles. However, in 2023, the company flipped the script to bring its new platform, “That’s Shopping Different,” to life. How did the company do it? Instead of slapping FreshChoice’s name on a banner, the campaign team created something that actually helped people. At the 50-kilometer mark of the trail—right when runners’ spirits hit rock bottom—the campaign team set up an actual supermarket aisle, stocked to the brim with all the stuff a weary runner might dream of:
Woah, how awesome was that? Clearly, this wasn’t just a pit stop; it was also a lifeline! What’s more? This wasn’t just a one-day pop-up made with a few cardboard signs. The supermarket aisle took effort. Everything had to be carried in— on foot . That’s nearly three kilometers of hauling metal shelves, signage, and products into rugged terrain! … and let’s be clear: This wasn’t a paved sidewalk stroll. It was bushy, it was dirty, and it was steep. Just imagine how tough that was for the campaign team too! It was almost as if they were participating in the Kepler Challenge as well. Additionally, to preserve the environment, nothing touched the ground directly. Shelves were elevated. Signs were recyclable. Everything was designed to disappear without a trace once the race was done. Sure, some might have thought it was a logistical nightmare… but more than that, it was also a creative dream. The Emotional Hook The spectacle was cool but it wasn’t just about flashy stunts; it was about humanity. At its core, the campaign leaned into empathy. It understood pain points LITERALLY. Moreover, it delivered something no logo-covered t-shirt ever could: Relief . One runner summed it up best: “I thought I was hallucinating.” Another called it “an actual godsend.” Isn’t that what the best marketing does—show up right when you need it, without even asking ? … and because of that:
Oh, and the brand love? Off. The. Charts. FreshChoice wasn’t just a supermarket anymore; it also became a brand that “really gets it.” The one that shows up. The one that goes the extra three kilometers on foot to help runners through the hardest part of their journey (literally and metaphorically). The campaign even sparked conversations in the advertising world about redefining what sponsorship should look like—less about eyeballs, more about impact. Clearly, this campaign didn’t feel like marketing. Instead, it felt like someone saw the runners struggling and said, “Here. We brought snacks.” It blurred the line between sponsorship and support, turning what’s often passive brand exposure into an active, deeply appreciated experience… and in doing so, the Aid Aisle raised the bar for everyone else. — FreshChoice’s campaign reminds us that great marketing doesn’t need to be loud, flashy, or invasive. It just needs to be thoughtful. When brands stop asking, “How do we get seen?” and start asking, “How can we serve?” magic happens. The campaign team didn’t just “think outside the box.” They carried that box up a mountain, turned it into an aisle, and filled it with kindness And for the brand and its target market, that’s what “shopping different” really looks like. Are you ready to also do something different for your brand’s marketing? Hope you’ve found this week’s guerrilla marketing insight interesting and helpful. Stay tuned for next Thursday’s Gorillas of Guerrilla Marketing! Do you want to know how this well-known condiments brand generated buzz for itself through the use of a sandwich bag and a music track? See it in next week’s article! |
Miles Everson
CEO of MBO Partners and former Global Advisory and Consulting CEO at PwC, Everson has worked with many of the world's largest and most prominent organizations, specializing in executive management. He helps companies balance growth, reduce risk, maximize return, and excel in strategic business priorities.
He is a sought-after public speaker and contributor and has been a case study for success from Harvard Business School.
Everson is a Certified Public Accountant, a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and Minnesota Society of Certified Public Accountants. He graduated from St. Cloud State University with a B.S. in Accounting.
