Starbucks and Confrontational Marketing

This really and truly is brilliant.

Viral marketing rocks.

In 6 months you're gonna see that guy driving around with all kinds of @!$%# glued to his roof as other companies borrow the idea.

Sir, I believe you left your Xbox 360 and 40" Plasma showing Halo 3 clips on top of your car .

Saw one of these in Pioneer Square, Seattle last week. Guessing that gluing a baby seat to my roof would not be welcomed with open arms.

You've witnessed the corporate branding of your life in real-time. The intention of this type of marketing campaign goes somethign like this...

1) While walking down the street you, the average consumer, notice a coffee cup on the top of a moving car.

2) As a courteous person you attempt to notify the driver.

3) Driver replies with "Yes I know! Happy holidays from Starbucks!".

4) Continue walking down the street. Arrive at your destination... home, office, bar, etc..

5) As a conversation piece you bring up the incident to a friend, co-worker, loved one, etc... They eat it up.

6) Now the story of your encounter begins to spead like wild fire.

So at this point the story leaves each listener (consumer) with 2 things implanted in their subconscious. "Coffee" and "Starbucks". Now that you are programmed. Starbucks is hoping the story continues for each consumer like this...

7) Later that same day, week, month you decide you want a hot cup of coffee.

8) Immediately, your mind matches the word coffee with the word "Starbucks". Next thing you know you are standing in one of the billions of Starbucks convenient locations drinking your hot coffee.

End of story.

Yeah, this is a rough outline of how the best corporate marketing orgs design this type of real world campaign. But I think you get the idea.