Bank Promises $3 Million To Whoever Can Break Glass, Marine Accepts Their Challenge

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The Importance Of Marketing

When starting a brand new company, one of the most important things to focus on before opening your doors is good marketing.

Every single company around the world has its own list of marketing techniques. Before getting a head start, you should always make a point of informing yourself of what techniques exist.

Underestimating

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No one should underestimate the importance of marketing. The truth is that it could make or break a company. If you do too little, your name won’t spread, and people won’t even know that you exist.

But what should you do to reach your goal? Is there anything you can do to ensure you’ll stand out from the crowd?

Go Big Or Go Home

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Oftentimes, people will tell you to go big or go home. Others will swear by word of mouth. But usually, many people are forced to do what they can with the budget they have set aside for marketing.

It’s important to note that what works for one company won’t necessarily work for yours. This Canadian bank had to learn this lesson the hard way.

Standing Out

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But why should you not go with the tried and tested methods? Well, it’s simple. If everyone’s doing the same thing, how are you going to stand out in the crowd?

There are millions of companies all over the world; therefore, new companies often get lost in the crowd. But there are a few ways to stand out. The 3M company proved this.

Something Different

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It has been a few years since this confident company put it all to the test. Their decision left the rest of the world talking about it for over a decade!

They were determined to do something that no other company had ever done before. Thanks to this decision, they’ve garnered quite a reputation. But sometimes, not all that ends well is actually well, especially in a bank.

Making A Point

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3M is a massive company that makes unbreakable glass for places such as banks. One day, they decided to make a point by showing the world just how strong their product really was.

One bank decided to copy their methods, and if they had followed through on everything M3 had done on that day, they’d be in a different position.

Amazing Advertising

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3M is so big that it has a range of different products for different professions and companies. One product that they designed and released in the early 2000s took the world by storm.

This product was advised in the most amazing way, which is why the bank decided to copy the technique that would cost them a lot of money.

Scotchshield

3M

The marketing was for a product called Scotchshield. In the advertisement for the product, 3M stated that it made glass unbreakable. It does, to an extent.

But what is Scotchshield? It is a super strong layer of plastic that prevents glass from shattering when broken. In this sense, it makes it unbreakable. But it definitely is not bulletproof.

Reward

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For marketing, 3M rented a poster box at a Vancouver bus station. They covered the box in Scotchshield and invited people to try their best to break it.

They said that they would give a $3 million reward to whoever managed to break the box. News spread, and before they knew it, queues of people lined up at the bus stop.

No One Managed

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Everyone was keen to try their luck at winning $3 million. Who would’ve thought that breaking a piece of glass could make you a millionaire?

People were determined to break the sheet of glass, but no one managed to do it. But this was all thanks to a clever trick that 3M played on the public.

It Was A Well-Planned Deception

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In a way, the marketing strategy was a work of deception because nobody could actually break the glass, and it wasn’t for lack of trying. It was thanks to the security measures that were put in place.

Years after the stunt, it was revealed that people could only use their hands and feet and that there were security guards posted at the site. There also wasn’t $3 million in the case.

Testing The Theory

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So when the marketing team of this bank was looking for a new approach, they thought the 3M method would be a great way to spread their name. It did make a $1 million revenue for 3M, after all.

They decided to do something similar. However, they didn’t put as much effort into their plan as 3M did, and that ended up ruining their entire plan.

A Similar Challenge

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The bank decided to create a challenge of its own. They would invite people to try to break their newly installed bulletproof windows and offered a $3 million prize for the person who succeeded.

They were certain no one would be able to break the glass, so they decided to allow people to use whatever they wanted in their attempts. That was their biggest mistake.

Bulletproof Windows

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When the company ordered the windows, they were told that the glass was unbreakable, and they tested that theory before they released the challenge.

Security guards emptied magazines on the windows, and there wasn’t a scratch. One of the employees even used a sledgehammer, and it just bounced back. Because of that, they were certain their plan would work.

$3 Million Prize

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The day of the big event was approaching, and the bank was all set up. The $3 million prize was locked in a bulletproof container and displayed at the entrance.

Now they just had to watch people try their best to get past the window so they could get it. They had no idea someone would pull the rug out from under their feet.

Many Volunteers

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On the day of the challenge, people were lined up outside the bank. Many of them brought tools and contraptions to help them achieve their goal. But the bank manager was certain none of them would succeed.

He started the challenge and stood outside to watch everything the people had come up with. That was when something caught his eye.

One Man Kept Watching

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The bank manager saw a man standing across the road. At first, he thought nothing of it, but the man was standing there for hours on end.

He wasn’t doing anything suspicious, but the bank manager thought it was strange that he was just watching, so he approached him and asked if he wanted to give it a shot.

He Seemed Intrigued

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The man was completely ignoring the bank manager. His full attention was on the window and the stack of cash behind it.

The bank manager wasn’t usually so suspicious of people watching the bank, but this man made him feel incredibly uncomfortable, and he was starting to wonder if he was looking to cause trouble.

The Bank Manager Got Concerned

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The bank manager left the man where he was and took his place outside the bank once more. But he wasn’t just going to drop the situation.

He kept a close eye on the man, and the longer he stood there, the more concerned the bank manager got. What if it was a trick to keep him distracted while someone else robbed the bank?

Extra Security

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The thought didn’t sit too well with the bank manager, and he decided to call in some extra security, just in case.

Since they weren’t dressed in their uniforms, it wouldn’t raise any suspicions, and it was better to be safe than sorry. But the bank manager had no idea who he was dealing with.

Calling It A Day

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Hundreds of people had tried and failed to break the glass, and the crowd slowly started thinning out. It was also getting late, so the bank manager decided to call it a day.

He made a final announcement, thanking everyone for coming out, and prepared to head inside to close up. But a deep voice stopped him in his tracks.

The Man Stepped Up

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The man who had been watching the entire day stepped forward and said he wanted to try to break the glass. The bank manager was shocked.

He started explaining the rules to the man in case he missed them. But in honest truth, he was just trying to keep the strange man away from the bank.

Concerned

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The bank manager didn’t know what trick the guy was playing, and he didn’t want to take any risks when it came to his bank.

But he had promised to give everyone a fair chance, and the reporters were still there. If he stopped the man now, his entire campaign would go up in flames.

Taking The Risk

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The bank manager was stuck between a rock and a hard place, but he knew letting the guy through was the best thing he could do if he wanted the advertisement to be a success.

So he signaled for the security teams to move closer and stepped aside so the man could have his chance. It would turn out to be the best and worst decision he had ever made.

Checking Things Out

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The man looked up at the windows lining the gigantic building as he stepped closer. When he got to the glass, he kneeled down and ran his fingers across the area that had been taking damage the entire day.

The bank manager found his behavior odd, but he was also intrigued by what he was seeing.

Reaching For Something

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The man’s lips tensed as he nodded slightly, and then he reached into his pocket. The bank manager and all of the security guards stiffened.

They had no idea what he was reaching for, and they could only hope that it wasn’t a gun. They couldn’t afford to have a mass shooting during their advertisement.

What Just Happened?

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The man quickly pulled his hand out of his pocket and slammed his fist into the center of the glass. At first, there was a small crack, but it quickly grew until the entire glass was covered, and then it came crashing to the ground.

The man slipped whatever he used back into his pocket and got up. He approached the bank manager with a sly smile.

Who Was He?

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“How?” the bank manager asked, stumbling over his own words. “I suggest we talk in your office,” the man said, motioning to the door.

When they got to the bank manager’s office, the man introduced himself as Sergeant Macerloy. He was a marine who found the bank’s attempt at an advertisement rather amusing. He sat down and told the bank manager exactly what he wanted to hear.

How Did He Break It?

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Sergeant Macerloy and his team were often tasked with rescue missions, and since military vehicles had bulletproof glass, they needed something that would break through it in the case of an emergency.

So the military had invented a small handheld tool that would shatter bulletproof glass when slammed into it. But was that really fighting fair in this case?

Did He Win?

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The bank manager never stated that the use of such tools was prohibited, and once he found out what really happened, he was relieved to know that not everyone could break his expensive windows.

So he happily agreed to let Sergeant Macerloy have the $3 million, and he made sure the public knew the prize was handed over. Thanks to his wit, Sergeant Macerloy was $3 million richer, and the bank had customers pouring in.

In order to protect the privacy of those depicted, some names, locations, and identifying characteristics have been changed and are products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblances to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, are entirely coincidental.