BUZZ NEWS

Ambush Marketing: The Dim Dim Girls Make a Show (France)

Posted on October 9, 2007
David Billion

During the last matches of the French rugby team, TF1’s cameras regularly focused on the ranks of the Stade de France where cheerleaders dressed in expensive underwear were cheering for the players on the pitch. These images were taken up and broadcast by other media as well. The buzz spread at an immense pace and the revelation also followed soon: the action was an ambush marketing action for Dim, an underwear brand. The technique did not please the International Rugby Board officials who had announced beforehand that they would severely punish brands who would use that kind of marketing.

The Dim Dim Girls had promised that they would be back, and they kept their word. But instead of taking to the ranks and provoking the IRB’s anger again they chose to perform on the busiest places in Paris (the Champs Elysées, the Champs de Mars and the square in front of the city hall during the match France versus New Zealand.) All the videos are available thanks to Nicolakev, a Dailymotion user who follows the Dim Dim Girls everywhere.

Les DimDim Girls à l’Hotel de ville
Uploaded by nicolakev

This guerilla marketing action marks the end of an operation consisting of a seeding campaign with bloggers (see article on BuzzParadise) and a campaign in Second Life. The unconventional practice of ambush marketing remains a doubtful marketing measure, but it needs to be said that the buzz was highly successful, online as well as offline (14 million viewers during the match France versus Ireland) and that is has probably reached the whole of France.

According to Influencia the campaign will continue in Paris in October in form of Decaux billboards. By the way, congratulations to the French team for the historic victory against the All-Blacks. More to follow...