If you can't beat it, RENT it! Check out this brand's picture-perfect play for a golden hour campaign!
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| For this article, I’m excited to share with you another clever guerrilla marketing tactic. Continue reading below to know more about it! If you can't beat it, RENT it! Check out this brand's picture-perfect play for a golden hour campaign! There are moments in life that feel straight out of a movie—like when the sky turns peachy-pink, the city slows down for a breath, and you’re holding a cold drink in your hand, just vibing. No chaos. No deadlines. Just the moment. Now, imagine that moment comes with a side of clever marketing. No, we don’t mean a flashing ad or a loud slogan. Just a window, a sunset, and a subtle hint. This golden glow? It pairs best with a Corona! Welcome to the genius of “Rent Your Sunset” —a guerrilla marketing move so smooth, you barely even notice it’s working.
Renting Sunsets and Sipping Success Picture this: You’re chilling at your favorite rooftop bar. The sky is doing that thing where it looks like it was painted by a chill version of Picasso. You turn to snap a photo—and boom! The sunset is framed perfectly in the window with a transparent Corona logo and a little lime wedge. It’s not screaming for your attention. It’s not even asking. It’s just there, blending into your real-life Instagram story. Effortless. Cool. Strangely comforting. That’s the whole vibe of Corona’s “Rent Your Sunset” campaign, created by the sharp minds at DDB Peru. Instead of paying for billboards or fighting for space on your feed, Corona decided to borrow the most beautiful billboard on Earth—the sky—and casually brand it! What’s even better? The brand didn’t need to buy the sunset. It just needed the right window. So, how did the campaign team do that? Corona teamed up with select bars, cafés, restaurants, and hangout spots that have one thing in common: Epic sunset views . Then, the campaign team placed semi-transparent decals—nothing fancy, just a logo and a lime—on west-facing windows. These decals subtly framed the sunset, turning everyday businesses into unofficial Corona ad spaces during golden hour.
The result? A low-cost, high-impact way to associate Corona with that daily magic moment many people look forward to (and love to post)!
No influencers. No noise. Just nature, vibes, and really smart branding! The campaign was born from a universally understood truth: Many people love sunsets. It’s calming, cinematic, nostalgic, and shared across social media daily. However, instead of fighting for attention during that magical moment, Corona chose to become a part of it. This idea aligns with the brand’s global identity: Corona is already associated with relaxation, nature, and good times. So, why not become the unofficial beer of the golden hour? By encouraging people to pair their sunset viewing with a cold Corona, the campaign repositions the product not just as a drink but also as a daily ritual. The brilliance of this campaign lies in its simplicity: Turning the everyday act of watching the sunset into a branded experience, without ever interrupting the view. What’s more? Corona’s campaign teaches us that:
Results That’ll Make You Raise Your Glass Let’s toast to some seriously shiny numbers, shall we? Here’s “Rent Your Sunset” by the Stats:
Clearly, that’s not bad for a bunch of branded windows and a bit of sunshine! What’s even better? All those sunset selfies, date nights, and chill hangouts turned into free promo. People were literally sharing Corona-branded moments without even realizing they were part of a campaign. Talk about marketing gold, bottled and served with a lime! The Final Sip At the end of the day—literally and figuratively— “Rent Your Sunset” is a masterpiece! It doesn’t demand attention but instead, earns it. By taking something free, beautiful, and universally adored, and wrapping it gently in the Corona brand, the campaign turned windows into storyboards and sunsets into signature moments. So, next time you’re watching the sky melt into a masterpiece, don’t be surprised if your hand just happens to reach for a cold Corona. It’s not magic; it’s marketing— really good 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 one organization created an AI-powered app to detect diabetes? 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.
