The other day, passing through the mall I noticed a product promotion being prepared. They took over most of the center of the mall, covering it with carpet and peppered it with a handful of glass shelves. The razor being promoted belonged to one of the major brands and the model under promotion was inspired by Formula 1, including the bright colors and graphics, just missing the roar. 
Observing the goings-on of the preparation realizing the resources of the manufacturer and the potential of the product, I expected a roar.
Creative promotions or business cause discomfort amongst all parties. The more creative the strategy the more unease is caused. It is exactly this unease and the courage to go through with the strategy by all parties involved which can cause the company to stand out and reap the success of its efforts.
Getting back to the mall, I could not believe the final shape of the promotion. No roar, no bang, no lights not even a sizzle. With this image in mind, I could not help but dream up a show for the razor. In contrast to the half dozen dressed up youngsters I saw, I imagined something more shocking and memorable, not something for the preppy crowd who mostly would be in the possession of a Philishave anyway, not feeling the need for a multi-blade hand razor with the closest, smoothest shave ever. Imagine youngsters, sporting a crew cut, the Bruce Willis look, lining up to have graffiti art shaven on their heads. Imagine....?
Creative experiential ideas invoke a certain amount of fear. If this feeling causes a sense of connection with the target audience it may result in the virus-like spread of the offering. From the other side, prior to acceptance it may cause a significant amount of resistance from the project head, afraid of the risk of failure. Although failure as such is not necessarily a bad thing. It gives us an indication of direction. Based on the observation of minor failure big successes can be shaped.
"Behind a perfect performance is a thousand mistakes", Adidas
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