Commercial Uses
Advertisers and event promoters occasionally use flash mobs or elements of flash mobs for their purposes. While this seems to go against the true ideas of flash mobbing, the results can be interesting and entertaining.
Recently, T-Mobile used flash mobs in their commercials for their Sidekick ID cell phone. In the ads, multiple young people receive text messages with a time and a location. Upon arrival, they wait patiently until the mob begins. In one, a silly-string fight ensues on a pair of escalators while in the other, the mobbers race shopping carts through a grocery store. These ads show how technology helps flash mobs and even show how a good mob can take place.
Musicians and bands occasionally use the idea of a flash mob to stage impromptu concerts. In 2004, singer Avril Lavigne staged a series of shopping mall concerts with only a 48-hour notice. These events were promoted on local radio stations. While this event is not truly a flash mob, the idea of a sudden performance is in line with the idea. However, a unique aspect of flash mobs is that the participants are the entertainment, a concept the flash mob concerts miss.