An AD with wheels? Check out this campaign that turned workers into media owners in Peru!

Today, let me share with you a guerrilla marketing campaign that is not only fun but also helpful.

Keep reading below to know more.

In bustling urban centers around the world, there’s a rhythm you only notice when it stops—the constant hum of everyday labor fueling the beating heart of commerce. 

Whether it’s the barista crafting your morning espresso, the street vendor arranging colorful displays, or the workers moving crates through narrow market alleys, these unseen efforts keep whole economies in motion. 

Yet, for all their critical contributions, too often these figures remain faceless and undervalued—signals in the background rather than protagonists in the story of progress.

… but what happens when an idea flips the script? 

What if those once-invisible hands don’t just carry goods, but also carry the power of visibility, opportunity, and change?

That’s where  “EstibADores,”  an inventive guerrilla marketing campaign from Peru, made its mark.

From Workaday Tools to Media Engines: The Origin of EstibADores

In Peru’s vibrant markets,  estibadores —porters who transport goods on handcarts across crowded commercial hubs—are indispensable to daily trade. 

Yet, despite their central role in the circulation of merchandise, they have historically been excluded from the formal financial system and broader economic visibility. 

… and when a new municipal law limiting cart weight threatened to reduce their income, it challenged both their livelihood and the stability of the markets they serve.

Enter  Mibanco, Peru’s leading microfinance institution, and  Circus Grey, a creative agency willing to rethink the very nature of media and inclusion. 

Instead of launching a traditional ad campaign, they asked: 

“What if the very tools of these workers could be transformed into platforms of economic opportunity?”

The answer to that was  EstibADores, the guerrilla marketing initiative that turned estibadores’ handcarts into mobile advertising spaces.

Each cart—ubiquitous across Peru’s busiest markets—became a moving billboard. Brands could rent ad space on carts as they push through the streets, creating high-visibility, culturally relevant media. 

Suddenly, what was once a simple work tool became a three-way win: 

• Income generation for the workers
• A new media channel for brands
• A meaningful route to financial inclusion

This wasn’t guerrilla marketing in the sense of flash mobs or stunts. It was guerrilla in its clever use of the urban environment, the people within it, and the economics of visibility. 

Rather than treating  estibadores  as passive participants, the campaign elevated them to media owners—with REAL earnings, a voice in their economic narrative, and direct participation in branding activities that historically ignored them.

Beyond simply plastering ads, EstibADores was built in collaboration with local worker associations, blending respect for regulation with creative empowerment. 

The initiative didn’t just deliver impressions; it also challenged assumptions about the relationship between labor, media, and economic systems.

The Results that Resonated Socially and Commercially

The campaign’s impact rippled far beyond novelty:

• It garnered over 6.5 million weekly impacts, extending brand messages through high-traffic urban routes.
• The branded carts were found to be 62% more cost-efficient than traditional static outdoor advertising, offering advertisers REAL value.
• The campaign saw over 30% profit increase for participating  estibadores , compared to their income before the law limiting the load they can carry.

What else?

Participants received their earnings directly into formal bank accounts, opening the door to savings, credit possibilities, and structured financial education—all of which are a cornerstone of Mibanco’s mission.

… and that’s not all! 

• EstibADores was shortlisted at the  Festival of Media Latin America Awards 2025.
• The campaign also bagged the Grand Prix “Campaign of the Year” and gold in multiple categories at the  Festival of Media Latam 2025.
• EstibADores received  Cannes Lions  honors, including Silver medals in Creative B2B and Outdoor categories—a rare achievement for a socially rooted Peruvian campaign on the global creativity stage.

Kudos, Mibanco and Circus Grey! 

Clearly, by shifting perceptions, EstibADores didn’t just generate advertising impressions; it also sparked conversations about the essential roles workers play in the economy and how marketing can be a force for inclusion, NOT exclusion. 

This repositioning of  estibadores  from unseen laborers to empowered participants redefined a media channel that had always been there but never fully recognized.

*Applause*

— 

At its core, EstibADores demonstrates that guerrilla marketing is not just about surprising placements or unexpected formats; it’s also about  reimagining value —for people, for brands, and for systems that too often overlook the very drivers of economic motion.

By transforming everyday labor tools into engines of visibility and opportunity, the campaign doesn’t just speak to creativity with impact but also  embodies  it.

Besides, in a world where marketing too often competes for attention, EstibADores shows us how guerrilla marketing actually works: 

That creativity can create inclusion, open doors, and move societies forward… one handcart at a time.

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 beermaker turned rewards points into retirement savings for its customers?

See it in next week’s article!