Guerrilla Thinking

Guerrilla thinking is centered around persuasive ideas that use non-traditional, and/or public spaces in a conceptual manner to communicate. Thoughtful placement paired with clever contextual messaging creates experiences that are surprising, memorable and wide ranging in terms of impact.

One example of this kind of thinking is when a community theatre publicizing their performance of “Dracula” had the cast members tie messages onto garlic in local grocery stores. (Garlic repels vampires). This real-world example actually solicited so much attention that the theatre received a live segment on their local news station about the play. The intention behind this kind of approach is to create something so clever that it “goes viral”—getting shared across social media platforms or even picked up and mentioned in traditional news media.

I’ve taught the ‘guerrilla mindset” for over ten years. My upcoming book, Guerrila Thinking for Designers is under contract with Bloomsbury Visual Arts with an anticipated publication date of 2026. Guerrilla design solutions are a great fit for small-businesses; non-profit organizations; and social practice. I also led a graduate-level course on Using Guerrilla Tactics to Disseminate Research as part of my Fulbright Fellowship in Cork, Ireland in 2020. I’ve included some samples of brilliant undergraduate student projects here.

Assignment: Social Cause Team Project
Brief: Build a grass-roots movement for the public radio station, NPR (National Public Radio) using the non-traditional advertising techniques studied in class

Sam Lustig and Jackie Demers partnered together and wrote the tagline “honest air” to represent what NPR brings to the radio waves. This project was done in 2014, but seems even more relevant today in the wake of slippery justifications of “alternative facts” and accusations of “fake news”. The students prototyped their idea using a transparent vinyl sticker material where the phrase “on air” was kept clear, but “honest air” was still legible. These stickers would be placed over the brake lights in a car’s rear window. When the driver steps on the brake, the sticker lights up to read “on air”, referencing recording studio signage and making for a very memorable, interactive sticker. The local stations could put in their own FM address and use these for fundraising efforts.

This project won a Gold Montana ADDY, a Silver Northwest ADDY and a silver National ADDY.

Assignment: Social Cause team project
Brief: Come up with a provocative way to show how climate change is affecting fish populations in Yellowstone National Park.

Carling Peck and Chaz Cooper developed a line of GYC Tea (Greater Yellowstone Coalition was the client) which would be served in the park, as well as at local fishing lodges. Tea drinkers would discover fish-shaped tea bags that are labeled “Keep our fish out of hot water”, and learn compelling details about how even a 1 degree change in temperature is impacting rivers and the fish that live in them. Putting this message in front of park attendees and fishing enthusiasts is a smart way to target the right audience at a time where the emotional connection can inspire them to take action.

This project won a Silver Montana ADDY and the Best-in-Show at the Northwest ADDYs.

Assignment: Social Cause Team Project
Brief: Raise awareness about forest fire prevention

Kimmie Geer, Cyrus Walker and Cole Story purchased trail maps, burned them and then returned them to racks at REI, and at Tourist Information Centers in and around Yellowstone National Park. Each burned map had a flippable sticker which connected the cause of forest fires with human negligence. Tips for how to put out campfires were printed on the back. The burned maps received a lot of attention from customers and both REI and the visitors centers agreed to these placements because they want to contribute to not only the health of our forests but also the safety of their customers/citizens.

Assignment: Small Business Owner Project
Brief: Collaboratively partner with other local, small business to cross-promote services/products.

Jon Vincent approached Sweet Peaks ice cream with the idea of using shovel-shaped spoons and branded cup interiors to support the TopTier Snow Removal business. In return, the snow removal employees would share Sweet Peak coupons with their invoices to their customers. Vincent used 3-d printing to prototype the shovel/spoons and screenprinting for the cups. Customers enjoy the revealed message (which is also a coupon) when they finish their ice cream.

This project won a Best-in-Show at the Northwest ADDYs.

Assignment: Social Cause Team Project
Brief: Help the ASPCA get people to adopt the right pet for their lifestyle

Kyle Swoyer and Nevin Bryers coordinated with Lowe’s painting area to host “pet swatches” in their paint swatch area. This could be co-branded with a paint company as well. The idea being that most people who are thinking about painting have either just purchased or just moved into a new home or apartment—and are more likely to be ready to adopt a pet. The “pet swatches” are color coded by lifestyle (active/sedentary/etc). For me, one of the most clever things about this guerrilla idea is the bone shaped stir sticks. That ties in with the pet swatches and it is an additional way to get attention for the campaign.

This project won a Best-in-Show Montana ADDY.

Assignment: Social Cause Team Project
Brief: Recruit young, athletic men (18-30) to participate as “Big Brothers” (mentors) for the Big Brothers/Big Sisters organization.

Tamara Knappenberger and Rich Lane were both non-traditional, older students with children and were very passionate about this organization. They cast some of their own children and children’s friends to participate in a live stunt held in front of REI in Bozeman. Kids held up cardboard signs (utilizing a commonly known metaphor for need) asking for mentorship in several forms. Passersby were shocked out of their reverie and stopped to talk with the kids about what they were doing. Tamara and Rich were nearby to answer questions and hand out information about the organization. REI was chosen as the ideal location, because the team was actively looking for more men, aged 18-30 who were outdoor enthusiasts, to volunteer for the organization.

This project won a Gold Montana ADDY, a Gold Northwest ADDY and a silver National ADDY.