# Renegade Condo Billboards 'The Cigar Factory' Brands Itself as a Revolutionary Place to Live By Mary Van Puymbroeck | Published 2017-08-02 | Marketing Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/revolutionary-condo-marketing References: [adweek](http://www.adweek.com/creativity/che-guevara-is-being-used-to-sell-revolutionary-office-space-and-lofts-in-the-u-k/) & [thecigarfactorybs3](http://thecigarfactorybs3.co.uk/) These [revolutionary condo billboards](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/burger-billboards) use an iconic image of Cuban revolutionary Che Guevara. 'The Cigar Factory' in Bristol is a mixed-use development that calls itself "a revolutionary place to live and work." An image of Guevara is posted on a billboard outside of the building that features the political figure with a cigar in his mouth to represent The Cigar Factory. [Controversial marketing techniques](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/censored-truth) are often great ways to generate buzz and interest around a product. This revolutionary condo marketing scheme has created a stir on social media. Some believe it is disrespectful to use the image of the Marxist activist for a condo advertisement and others are simply offended by the image of Guevara. Either way, the [billboard has garnered](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/decaf-billboard) quite a bit of attention for the condo/office space development that will likely contribute to condo sales. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 0.4/10 - Popularity: 4% | Activity: 1% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: Europe ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Marketing](https://www.trendhunter.com/marketing) > [Billboards](https://www.trendhunter.com/billboards) ## Key Themes ### Why This Trend Is Growing - **Controversial Marketing Techniques:** This trend presents an opportunity for businesses to stand out and generate buzz by using provocative advertising methods. - **Mixed-use Developments:** The rise of mixed-use developments like 'The Cigar Factory' offers opportunities to create unique living and working spaces that cater to modern lifestyles. - **Social Media Attention:** The viral nature of this condo billboard controversy demonstrates the power of social media as a platform to gain widespread attention and create brand awareness. ### Industries Being Reshaped - **Real Estate Development:** The innovative marketing strategy employed by 'The Cigar Factory' presents an opportunity for real estate developers to rethink traditional advertising methods and create unique branding. - **Advertising & Marketing:** The controversy surrounding this condo billboard highlights the need for marketers to think outside the box and consider unconventional approaches to capture consumers' attention. - **Social Media Platform:** This viral social media reaction exposes the potential of social media platforms to amplify brand messaging and generate organic engagement for businesses. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Provocative Guerrilla Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/mwcurated.md) - [Art-Promoting Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/beige-billboards.md) - [High-Concept Brand Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/legitimate-you.md) - [Otherworldly Fashion Brand Billboards](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/vollebak-mars-billboard.md) - [Lazy Cereal Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/surreal-cereal.md) - [Deserted Island Billboards](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/silk-spice1.md) - [Cheesestring Trading Ads](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/cheesestring-trading-ad.md) - [Peeling Cheese Packaging Billboards](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/babybel-billboard.md) - [Humorous Tequila Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/dont-be-a-gringo.md)