Lets face it, we are all afraid of the word “hack.” Whenever we mistype a password we freak out that someone might have broken into our inbox, social media page or bank account.
But hacking does not always have a negative connotation; at least that is what we learned during The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. It all started with Burger King’s viral campaign where the food chain offered clients free burgers to those who dress up as clowns (a clear dig at McDonald’s.)
Global Chief Marketing Officer of Burger King Fernando Machado and the creative directors from the agency David spoke more about the new trick.
Hackers tend to define their target, study it, find a way to break-in and then proceed with the “attack” (stealing information or messing with the whole system).
Yes there are some risks involved but that’s just part of the process, because hack-vertising is about being different.
Hackers are divided into 3 groups. The first are the white-hat hackers that use hacking for the better good. They work closely with their employers to check vulnerabilities in the system so they can then report what should be developed to improve security. The gray-hat hackers hack for the fun of it and are often lighthearted. The black-hat hackers use hacking for personal gains and do extreme actions. So here’s how you can become a hack-vertiser
Step 1: Define a system to hack
Also known as eavesdropping, monitoring systems to know how they work and to know how to react to it. Checking what are the trends and what is buzz-worthy today? Social media platforms are crucial in this process.
Step 2: Study it
Do the proper research. Because if you want to break the rules you need to know what they are all about before hand.
Step 3: Find a relevant way for the brand to break in
You need to have a clear point of view and a clear objective what you are trying to achieve with hack-vertising. Choose a way that is relevant to the brand personality and serves the conversation as well.
Step 4: Call your lawyers
Talk with them and know what your struggles are in advance to make sure you don’t go behind bars.
Step 5: Deploy the attack
You have to be quick and reactive, because when you are doing things that haven’t been done before anything can happen.
By Victor N.