Our Work

A REFRESHING DETOUR

Hendrick’s imaginative brand world is one of its most distinctive features that sets it apart in an incredibly competitive category. We transported Londoners to this exciting world during the dullest time of the day: their commute. Our Portal to the Peculiar site stimulated conversation and sharing with an additional 2.2 million people seeing our campaign on social channels. We set out to transform Londoners’ daily slog through the corridors of one of the capital’s busiest stations: King’s Cross. We reimagined this traditional media site as a “Portal to the Peculiar” using a 1,000 square-metre vinyl wrap. We covered the floors and walls of the 74 meter-long tunnel with illustrations of floating beluga whales, hot air balloons and dapper gentlemen atop unicycles, all high above the clouds. Visitors were invited to “Escape the Conventional and Embrace the Delectable.” Our installation also highlighted Hendrick’s rose and cucumber infusion - a key point of difference from other gins. Not only did the wrap feature wisps of floating rose petals on the walls and cucumber slice stepping stones on the ground, but we incorporated 20 scented posters, so commuters would pick up wafts of cucumber and rose as their eyes took in the delightful visuals. It takes about 75 seconds for the average person to walk from one side of the tunnel to the other, a significant amount of time to become immersed in Hendrick’s peculiar world. Londoners found their commute delightfully disrupted, with hundreds stopping to snap photos and share images of the peculiar world on social media. Instead of trudging along with heads down, staring at their phones, commuters looked up and took notice. The portal became a destination and was covered in the press. Travel guides such as Lonely Planet featured it as a must-visit in the city. We even heard reports of some commuters changing their regular routes to step inside our refreshing world.

MOTIVATING MUSIC

Michelob Ultra is all about empowering consumers to have it all – living an active lifestyle without sacrificing fun. We identified our audience’s two greatest passions - running and music - and discovered 70% of the world’s 1 billion runners stream music. Our Spotify partnership connected the Michelob Ultra brand with both running and music via 150,000 custom playlists while also increasing brand awareness by 7%. We targeted 10 million runners on Spotify in our two markets with tailored messages to motivate them for a run and a personalised playlist according to our understanding of their running music preferences. To make the connection as relevant as possible, we created more than 40,000 different personalised messages using dynamic elements about their location, weather, time of day and if runners were pre, during or post their runs. Those who uploaded screenshots of their run could earn rewards such as free beers and a place in one of our sponsored races. We then retargeted runners later in the evening during drinking and social occasions, urging them to “have it all” by celebrating with a Michelob Ultra. The effort paid off as we reached 71% of runners on Spotify and delivered 9 million impressions. Runners created an average of 1,800 new playlists each day over the three-month campaign. Beyond these immediate results, we gained valuable data and insight into this running community, allowing Michelob Ultra to build a proprietary sound DNA of millions of runners that will help strengthen the brand message in the long run.

SETTING OUT THE WELCOME MAT

IKEA Thailand wanted to increase awareness of its new e-commerce platform, but with just two stores in Bangkok, IKEA had limited brand recognition. We created a home improvement show that spoke to four key market segments and drove a 42% increase in website traffic. We knew quick video spots or static print ads would not fully showcase how IKEA’s solutions could improve the homes and lives of our varied and diverse audiences. So, instead of a traditional ad campaign, we created an entire TV show. In the Thai media company Workpoint, we created a home improvement program, consisting of ten 30-minute episodes. Called Knock the Door, the show featured different Thai celebrities and influencers as they set about renovating their homes, with the redecorations centered on IKEA’s offerings and the theme to “Make Home Count.” The episodes not only underlined the brand message and products, but homed in on four specific audience segments targeted as each group was represented in the show. In addition to broadcasting on Workpoint, content from the show was amplified through online channels, including Facebook Live streaming, Workpoint’s own Facebook channel, YouTube, LINE TV, and Instagram. We ensured IKEA maintained ownership of the content so that episodes could be aired in the company’s stores. Getting this targeted message out through high visibility channels while tapping into the irresistible home improvement format proved a potent combination. Knock the Door generated a high level of viewership and a burst of interest in IKEA’s revamped website.

A DISPLAY OF GRATITUDE

MINI Australia wanted to highlight its 60th anniversary while recognising its customers. Owning a MINI is not just a matter of what car you drive; it’s an expression of who you are. A full 75% of MINI owners personalise their vehicle in some way; many go further and give their car a name. We made personalisation central to this campaign by using an advertising channel that’s not usually associated with personalised messaging - OOH. We helped devise a creative out-of-home campaign aimed at delivering personalised “thank you” messages to members of the MINI community. Working with Posterscope and QMS, we developed a number-plate-recognition technology that, when installed on a billboard, could recognise a MINI vehicle as it passed by—not just identifying that it was a MINI, but by the specific vehicle and owner. This dynamic digital billboard was installed on the Kingsway Viaduct in the city of Melbourne where it tracked vehicles as they passed by. The plate-recognition technology would within milliseconds detect a MINI and identify the first name of the owner associated with that particular car. As they approached the King Street Bridge where the billboard was installed, the static image of a MINI and the tagline “Thank you for joining the ride” would be replaced by a personalised message celebrating that specific owner (e.g. “Looking Good Basil, Thank you”). Over the six days the billboard was up, 55 individual vehicles were identified and messaged (96 messages were sent in total, including duplication). And, thanks to our innovative creative solution, our campaign reached a much larger audience through coverage in industry and consumer publications and on social media. It proved a memorable and fitting way for this distinctive brand to celebrate its longevity—and the customers who helped make it happen.

GAME CHANGER

Pegasus Airlines had transformed its website and mobile app into user-friendly, innovative platforms, but needed to alert travellers to its position as “The Leading Digital Airline of Turkey.” Simply telling consumers this through traditional messaging would only go so far. Instead, we drove app downloads and changed brand perception by turning their marketing assets into a game. Research showed that our target audience’s favourite activity was playing mobile app games, so we sought a way to “gamify” our campaign, both to engage travellers, and get them to associate the Pegasus brand with digital and mobile excellence. To accomplish this, we had to do something that had never been done before: develop an interactive one-day sponsorship of the live quiz app Hadi (a local take on the better known app-based game HQ). Push notifications went out to more than 14 million users, enticing them to watch an online video that showed off Pegasus’ revamped digital channels. As well as showcasing Pegasus’ new easy-to-use app and booking platform, the video also contained 15 clues. So, after viewing the video, users tried their hand at the Pegasus branded game. If they picked up on enough clues, contestants could answer questions and win a chance to be one of 50 winners of a free flight. Users who hit a snag could earn extra lives by downloading the Pegasus mobile app. This was the first time the Hadi game was leveraged in this way, and other advertisers soon followed this innovative approach. As they say, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.∂

ENCOURAGING KINDNESS

Vipps, a Norway-based payment solution, sought to drive and highlight its ease of everyday use in an emotive way. We brought to life Vipps’ brand message of “We are loved for everyday miracles” by demonstrating how a simple donation can help those facing a difficult time. With the Petter Uteligger Foundation, we showed 2 million Norwegians how Vipps made it easy to bring “bright spots” to the lives of those suffering from addiction. Like Vipps, the Petter Uteligger Foundation was an established, but still small brand that would significantly benefit from donations. The foundation was founded by Petter Nyquist, the subject of popular Norwegian TV series Petter the Homeless, in which he spends weeks on the streets, living like a homeless person and documenting their struggles. The foundation’s message of “Donate a bright spot” made it an ideal fit for the Vipps campaign, keeping the focus on individual people and how donations can improve their lives in small but tangible ways. We aimed to associate Vipps with such a noble effort and demonstrate how Vipps allowed for simple and safe transactions. The campaign launched in the cities of Oslo, Bergen and Trondheim, urging people via social media to send donations for tangible measures, such as paying for a person’s haircut or buying a movie ticket. The effort also got Petter Nyquist himself to interview individuals about the challenges they’d faced, as well as their hopes and dreams. Each of the ten shorts we created included an introduction of the subject, an appeal to donate and the giving of a “bright spot” in action. The message connected in a major way. More than 200 versions of our shorts were posted by the campaign’s end, doubling our donation goal and generating 60,000 reactions on social media. Through the numerous small but significant “bright spots,” the campaign grew Vipps in the eyes of Norwegians while creating a demonstrable impact on individuals in need.

CELEBRATING SUNSETS

The Corona brand has long been associated with sunsets. Since most people take sunsets for granted, our objective was to remind Canadian beer drinkers to stop and enjoy one with a Corona in hand. We created a marathon event that was livestreamed to thousands of individuals spread across the vast country. Our connected sunset festivals boosted Corona to become the most loved beer brand in Canada. Knowing that Corona’s audience were socially active music fans that engaged in online conversations, we set out to amplify the Corona Sunsets Festival, usually held in a single major city, into a set of five connected festivals. On the same summer day, each live music event took place as the sun went down from East to West, beginning in Halifax, through Quebec City, Toronto, Winnipeg, and finishing in Whistler. Together, the festivals attracted almost 3,000 attendees. The key was to connect these gatherings so attendees in each city felt like they were part of a truly national event. Corona’s global brand ambassador Kidnap Kid hosted the festival livestream, inviting those attending one festival (or those who couldn’t attend any in person) to experience all of them. The livestream ran for eight hours, generating more than 1.2 million unique livestream views. The campaign did not stop after the sky went dark in Whistler. We tapped several respected Canadian directors to produce a “Connected Sunsets” playlist of music videos with three tracks from each headliner, which generated 2.3 million views and an aggregate completion rate of 47 percent. We also partnered with a pair of influencers who followed the sun across Canada, documenting their journey in entertaining vlogs posted to their own channels and whitelisted on ours, organically weaving in the brand throughout. The event was such a success that we did it all over again the following winter, launching the Winter Sunsets tour, which also generated powerful results, even for a brand more often associated with summer.

HIDING CHRISTMAS IN PLAIN SIGHT

We discovered that Christmas shopping begins far earlier than many advertisers realise although shoppers don’t like to admit this and complain about how early promotions start. How could Very tap into this hidden demand for Christmas without turning off shoppers? Our solution: ‘Christmas in disguise’ which resulted in a 14% growth in sales. We launched Very’s Christmas campaign in September when the cost of media was lower and the advertising landscape was less crowded. To do this, we focused on toys for kids—an area where shoppers start their planning early, search for deals and think about how to get the top toys before they sell out. The September campaign invested in media where kids were the primary audience, but parents were likely to pick up on the messaging as well. We sponsored the pre-school kid’s channel Milkshake!, which had the best indexing for shared viewing with adults, and Very was able to gain a significant share of voice. The September campaign invested in media where kids were the primary audience, but parents were also likely to pick up on the messaging. We sponsored the pre-school kid’s channel Milkshake! which had the best indexing for shared viewing with adults, and Very was able to gain a significant share of voice. This was followed up by out-of-home promotions aimed at families on their work commutes and a partnership with the Mayor of London’s Equal Play initiative, ensuring Very’s toy offerings were on the radar of parents as they began planning to buy presents. Next we partnered with the Mayor of London's Equal Play initiative to produce out-of-home promotions aimed at families on their work commutes to ensure Very's toy offerings were on the radars of parents as they began planning to buy presents.

Free To Be A King

When it comes to issues relating to individuality and sexuality, Nigerian society can be intolerant. Budweiser created a platform that offered support for the country’s marginalised youth. We helped the King of Beers show Nigerians that embracing who they are is what really makes someone a king. Budweiser set out to encourage Nigerians to show off their personalities in a society determined to restrict such expression. The campaign kicked off with a video of young Nigerian artists and personalities dressed in pieces from The King’s Stitch Collection, a wardrobe designed by two groundbreaking Nigerian designers. They’d been commissioned by Budweiser to make a fashion statement of confidence and freedom, which was reinforced by taglines in the video such as “Unfollow the norm” and “Why fit in when I can standout.” The video sparked significant interest online and on social media, helping fuel a conversation that many would have otherwise avoided. Budweiser’s social messaging, including hashtags #ChooseYourLabel and #BeAKing, inspired Nigerians to express their independence on social platforms while engaging with the Budweiser brand. The campaign was amplified with radio mentions, cinema placements, TV partnerships, and digital out-of-home promotions that helped spread the King’s Stitch message. These placements featured the personalities featured in the ad, with taglines such as “Our dreams are valid” and “No clichés allowed.”

From Now To Next

IKEA wanted to go deeper in its understanding of customer’s shopping behaviour. Rather than targeting people based on where they had been, they wanted to predict what they might want to buy next. Our solution created a 25% rise in revenue for the bedroom department. We worked with IKEA’s Bedroom department to home in on one step in the customer journey: the next category in which they were most likely to buy. Deploying an algorithm based on machine learning, we were able to calculate purchase intent based on online and offline behavioural data. This calculation provided us with the customer’s probability to purchase in any given category for a 30-day period. After visiting a specific category, we were not only able to learn that people who bought an item in the Decoration and Living Room departments were more likely to buy in the Bedroom department but could drill down to the probability that they would purchase Bedroom furniture after visiting the Decoration category.

Can You Hear Me?

In the highly competitive travel industry and with a very limited budget, we created a moment of fascination in New York City for a destination that embodies the exact opposite. We helped The Austrian Tourist Board create an extraordinary augmented reality audio experience based on people’s interests and Manhattan locations. Our impactful approach created five times more impressions through owned and earned media than our paid media budget. We let people experience New York City in a whole new way by creating an audio experience embedded in Manhattan’s history. Using sound helped us stand out and create immersive experiences focusing on Vienna’s most famous son, Beethoven, as he guided visitors through specific Manhattan locations that are related to Austria. This was brought to life using immersive 3D sound effects and Bose audio glasses linked to geolocation information. In each location, people received an augmented reality (AR) audio experience perfectly tailored to that location. Each experience was brought to life by Beethoven’s voice and special AR audio effects that enhanced the experience in intensity and quality. Our sound destinations included the famous Aldo Sohm Wine Bar, run by an Austrian and one of the top sommeliers in the United States, Cafe Sabarsky, which draws its inspiration from the great Viennese cafés that were important centres of intellectual and artistic life at the turn of the century, and Carnegie Hall where people can celebrate Beethoven's 250th birthday and admire the largest exhibitions of the music composed by the great master of our time.

More Than Skin Deep

Interest in men’s skincare has been growing in Japan, but it still remains something of a novel concept. Skincare company Shiseido sought to raise awareness of the value of skincare for men and its Uno brand. We knew it would take more than talk about healthy skin to capture their attention. By creating a partnership that went beyond media, we were able to start a conversation about something men care about – their appetites – and then talk about their skin. Historically, Uno had primarily advertised on television and digital. To expand its brand awareness, we sought a way to connect with our target audience in an unexpected way that would get people talking. Research has found that food, and in particular ramen, is very popular with our audience with more than 65% of Japanese men saying they eat ramen at least once a week. Ramen is very popular on menus in Japan, and also a very popular subject on social media with its fans posting and sharing images of it. How could we link ramen and skincare? We connected our message about oily skin with something that comes with every bowl of ramen – a strip of seaweed. We printed ten different “Skin Care Principles for Men” messages on patches of seaweed garnishing bowls of ramen. Each piece of advice about proper skincare added an unexpected element to the already Instagrammable dish. To amplify our message, Uno partnered with the Ippudo Ramen restaurant chain as it was especially popular with young men in Japan and Ippudo’s stylish and simple décor complemented Uno’s brand image. Combining self-help messaging with foodie photos proved a potent match for social media, with a reach of up to 450,000 on Twitter and a successful social networking service impact—a tough-to-reach segment via mass advertising that responded particularly well to this campaign.

A REFRESHING DETOUR

MOTIVATING MUSIC

SETTING OUT THE WELCOME MAT

A DISPLAY OF GRATITUDE

GAME CHANGER

ENCOURAGING KINDNESS

CELEBRATING SUNSETS

HIDING CHRISTMAS IN PLAIN SIGHT

Free To Be A King

From Now To Next

Can You Hear Me?

More Than Skin Deep

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