Category: Best use or integration of experiential events
Advertiser: PERNOD RICARD
Product/Service: ABSOLUT VODKA
Agency: IRIS WORLDWIDE
Creative Director: Saam Farahmand (N/A)
Marketing Director: Vlastimil Spelda (Pernod Ricard)
Sponsorship: Daphnee Horr (Pernod Ricard)
Marketing Manager: Adam Boita (Pernod Ricard)
Head Of Experiential: Kenny Hyslop (Pernod Ricard)
Experiential Producer: Phil Carter (Iris Worldwide)
Vfx Producers: The Mill (The Mill)
Media placement: Experiential Event - Hoxton Sq & Truman Brewery - April 28th 2011
Campaign Description
Branded entertainment in the UK continues to become more prevalent among advertisers, mimicking the exponential growth it has seen in other parts of the world over the past decade. This strategy has proven to be a powerful tool that brands can use across all types of media. Marketers are finding that branded entertainment is a useful way to engage consumers on an interactive level. While it would seem that every major brand company would be taking full advantage of this strategy, the reality is that many are slow to take the leap onto the branded entertainment platform.
Many marketing and branding executives feel that branded entertainment is under-utilised due to companies being stuck in the past. There is still not nearly enough branded entertainment or product placement out there because of a dated media planning process. Some brands and marketing companies perceive the process more expensive than other strategies, and are having trouble investing the money due to the return-on-investment demands.
Some are working to make branded entertainment a more credible component of the marketing mix in England and around the globe, establishing a way to measure its effectiveness in a standardised way.
Effectiveness
Blank Live inspired consumers to express their creativity and create a unique piece of art that was truly their own. This experiential project created a blank space for London to create self-portraits and reveal itself through dance. It allowed consumers to create their own ABSOLUT Blank Video Art Portrait, share with friends and see it come to life in a live audio-visual DJ set finale event. Live is truly original, pushes the boundaries of consumer experience, and rewards them for their engagement in the project.
The challenge was to activate the ABSOLUT Blank campaign beyond the traditional, to more deeply engage the target market of key ‘Style & Status’ consumers and celebrate the unique & inspiring communities in London through creative collaboration.
The creative team collaborated with computer programmers to digitally trace the participants’ movements. Computer software then generated unique artistic flourishes in real time from the captured data.
The ABSOLUT Blank pod was simple and was placed in an open environment where people from a distance would see it and it would appear to be a 3D embodiment of a blank canvas. 2 pods were used in 2 different London locations over the course of 3 weeks. Consumers were asked to login, register and choose the music they wished to dance to. Then they stepped into the pod and danced as spectators on the outside watched on screens in real-time. This created their own unique ABSOLUT Blank.
The individual portraits were then woven into a tapestry of image and music. Digital amplification over social networks lead to the sold out ticketed events in which the video portraits were projected while DJ Jamie XX provided the music.
Implementation
The pod stood in an open space in 2 locations for 3 weeks. Consumers were able to choose their favourite song and had freedom to move around in the pod. Spectators also enjoyed watching outside of the pod. Participants stated that they felt like they were in a cocoon or bubble - a safe zone. It created a special vibe and put them in a good mood. Drink vouchers were distributed for the live event and the event was promoted through social media. People had extra incentive to come to the final event to see themselves projected on giant screens.
Outcome
Creating an experiential platform for the ABSOLUT Blank campaign beyond launch communications measures on:
•Creative brand 41%, Trendy & Fashionable 34%
•62% purchased in last month, 71% consider drinking, 69% likely to purchase
•84% something genuinely different to other promotions
•92% had fun at Blank Live, 66% told friends about the activity
•88% who recall Blank Campaign say it fits well with the ATL advertising
Engaging style and status consumers & rewarding them for their interaction and involvement:
•1,191 videos created at events
•720 total attendance to final events (sold out)
•700 drinks sold, 1455 drinks vouchers exchanged = 2155 ABSOLUT drinks
Ensuring that digital engagement is at the heart of amplification from both a consumer and PR perspective:
•Print 4 & Online 46 PR coverage hits at launch event
•Facebook fans increased by 2,000 from 12k to 14k
•948 videos uploaded & emails sent out
•Total Video Views 2,419 & Total video shares 910, Total video exposure to 34,580 friends
Driving footfall to on-trade accounts in areas of activation:
•Over 1,000 complimentary drinks vouchers given out
•70% redemption, 75% very happy with the voucher, venue well liked