Talk about guerrilla marketing. A tuneful guitarist named Joe was strumming songs for the Times Square throngs on 42nd Street in New York earlier this week, his case open for donations.

Rather than the usual sign inviting people to leave money if they like what they hear, Joe’s case had a bright white sign in the shape of a guitar suggesting people spend their change on breakfast at Dunkin’ Donuts instead.

“Sure you want to throw that change in here? 99 (cents) could get you breakfast at Dunkin’ Donuts,” the caption read. “Breakfast NOT Brokefast,” it continued.

Fear not for our starving musician, advertising for a coffee chain competing for his busking dollars. Joe told Reuters that Dunkin’ Donuts had paid him a modest fee to place the ad and recruited him through Craigslist.

A Dunkin’ Donuts spokesman told Reuters the company had hired a total of 12 musicians in New York City for the campaign, but declined to say how much Joe and the other tunesmiths were paid.

Joe disappeared before we could snap a photo of him, but let’s hope he made enough money for his own breakfast that morning.

(Reuters photo)
(Updates with information form Dunkin’ Donuts)