• by Aaron Baar , May 21, 2011

The onset of allergy season can bring with it sore and scratchy throats. To remind people that its lozenges can provide relief during times of itching, scratching and sneezing, Halls staged a guerilla marketing event in Boston that was broadcast over the Internet.

The brand, owned by Kraft Foods, staged The Operahhh of Irritations, an interactive opera through which people were asked to submit the content -- in the form of things that irritate them. The irritations were then performed by a team of professional, costumed opera singers in Harvard Square in Cambridge, Mass. The performances were also streamed through the brand's Facebook page.

People were encouraged to submit their irritations, ranging from increasing gas prices to inattentive spouses through the Halls' Facebook page and through Twitter. The event was intended to support the brand's spring allergy relief campaign, which included an outdoor digital element on gas station pumps that used pollen counts from AccuWeather.com, and suggested Halls as relief for high-pollen days.

"[We are] committed to soothing irritations -- including coughs and sore throats associated with spring allergies." said Lori Mazuro, senior associate brand manager for Halls, in a statement. "But if there's one group who knows a thing or two about keeping throats in top condition, it's professional opera singers. So we're putting their tremendous throat power to work, helping soothe all kinds of irritations."

Company executives were not available for comment.