Function of Beauty: Guerrilla Art and Marketing

Apr 25, 2025

By: Catherine Xue

Location: Monopoly Graffiti Mural, 213 Bowery, New York

Image courtesy of my phone

Marketing is ever eye-catching in our digital world, with the rise of social media transforming social landscapes and further truncating communication channels. But what of physical marketing? Billboards, brick-and-mortar stores, and distributional materials like magazines. How has the role of these tangible components of marketing shifted with the influx of digital trends? 

The answer is quite simple: ever since digitalization increased the accessibility of online marketing tools, more and more firms are competing using similar digital strategies; this oversaturation of social media content, newsletter emails, and display ads has highlighted the equal importance of physical marketing strategies, especially for businesses and organizations with in-person locations. The intentionality of unoccupied and occupied space within stores, window displays, how a business is viewed by prospective consumers passing by are all components that give firms a competitive edge. 

But even then, some businesses may seek further differentiated marketing strategies in order to stand out. Guerrilla marketing—street art in particular—happens to be the very tool for gaining public attention. This low-cost, unorthodox approach, which usually invokes some element of surprise or curiosity, drives word of mouth and generates publicity for products, companies, and organizations alike. In the case of street art—graffiti, murals, installations, and others—it is usually through eye-catching design that businesses are able to reach their target market strolling on the streets. 

Beauty as Utility

Taking a walk through New York City, murals and other varieties of guerrilla art seem just as integral to city life as rats or yellow cabs. These shows of creativity are usually driven by purpose, ranging from self-expression to political activism to strategic marketing. But what exactly is the appeal of these unorthodox displays? What keeps people enamored, driving widespread attention? In most cases, if it’s not absurdity, then it’s aesthetic.

Street art leads directly into the discussion of beauty—how appealing visuals in digital and physical spheres generate attention. Breaking down the psychology of guerrilla art, the questions: does beauty have function? And how does beauty function in marketing? are raised. 

Roger Scruton, an English philosopher and writer focused on aesthetics, explains why beauty is important in his 2009 documentary “Why Beauty Matters.” He discusses beauty in the specific context of architecture—for example, the physical make-up of brick and mortar stores—and how aesthetics increase the utility of public spaces. In the hour-long video, Scruton specifically cites the English town Reading, where buildings and stations in the 1960s were erected solely with practicality in mind. According to him, it is this exact focus on pure function—a result of Louis Sullivan’s axiom “form follows function”—that led to the economic and physical decay of the area and its structures. In short, it was self-defeating ugliness that forced people to leave for more agreeable spaces. 

Scruton supports his claim by juxtaposing the “ugly” out-of-order stations and office blocks of Reading to a singular cafe in the area, which has maintained its appealing antique design and regularly invites customers (a favorable statistic Scruton attributes to the beauty of the building). The gap in outcomes between the “ugly” buildings and the “aesthetic” cafe seems to confirm beauty’s value in driving (consumer) engagement and overall upkeep of structures. It is beauty that keeps buildings in use and businesses relevant. 

This reality he proposes is completely fair: people simply prefer prettier spaces. This is why the visual presentation of stores and communal areas is important. 

Circling back to guerrilla art, Scruton’s concept of beauty increasing utility and driving engagement reveals how these colorful pieces can be used as successful marketing strategies. The beauty of these guerrilla artworks—whether specially commissioned on store exteriors or located within close proximity—is eye-catching and can capture the attention of passing consumers (which is important for capturing the subset of a business’ target market which may not be online). 

Location: Café Habana, 17 Prince St, New York

Image courtesy of my phone

When Physical Becomes Digital

In my personal experience, I find my attention lingering on walls and structures that would’ve otherwise been irrelevant had there not been interesting works of art on them. A friend recently also asked me to take photos of her in front of one of these graffitied walls. The wall, if left plain, would have been rather uninspiring and unlikely to prompt a photo shoot, but because of the guerrilla art pieces and the wall’s aesthetic value, it was deemed a “worthy” appearance on my friend’s social media account. While this may seem like a trivial example of how guerrilla art functions in society and as a marketing tactic, enlarging the scale at which such a phenomenon occurs reveals how every additional picture or share on social media inflates the value of the artwork and draws attention to the buildings and stores that they are located on. In this way, the effectiveness of guerrilla art as a physical, in-person strategy can also be brought online. 

Location: Pietro Nolita, 174 Elizabeth St, New York

Image courtesy of my phone

When people post images or videos of these guerrilla art pieces and store exteriors online, more attention is brought to these businesses, especially since recommendations on TikTok and other social media platforms are effective in increasing awareness. This transition from physical, in-person awareness to online exposure is also organic. Most of the time, the netizens uploading images and pushing ideal spots to visit are unsponsored; like discussed, people are instinctively drawn to aesthetic things and may feel compelled to share them. This is a prime example of word-of-mouth, one of the most ideal types of marketing due to its perceived authenticity. Recommendations from fellow consumers as opposed to ads directly from businesses appear more credible, which make them effective in motivating consumers to take action. And thanks to the engagement that guerrilla art brings to otherwise forgotten or unknown stores, a doorway to financial benefits is opened. 

Increased engagement and awareness of businesses as a result of artwork commissioned on store exteriors can benefit communities both financially and culturally. In a Forbes interview with Wendy Altschuler, Evan Meyer discussed his project, Beautify, which pairs local artists with the task of beautifying local spaces. Meyer revealed that the project, which involves the creation of murals, has made revenue increases of 5-10% for businesses in the Lincoln Boulevard area in Santa Monica. This relationship guerrilla art forges between curious viewers and businesses is mutually beneficial, as those who visit get to enjoy the beauty of the artwork, and the spaces in which artworks are displayed can benefit financially. 

Thus, guerrilla art is proven to be an effective marketing tactic. So for businesses that may be looking to raise awareness, try beautifying your walls. 

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Catherine Xue is a freshman studying marketing and creative writing. She is a cat lover sans cat and spends her free time missing home.