Category: Best use or integration of experiential events
Advertiser: FOX INTERNATIONAL CHANNELS - CHILE
Product/Service: THE WALKING DEAD - TV SERIES
Agency: ARENA CHILE
Agency: CAFILA ZOMBIRICA
Agency: DOBLEGE - THE COW COMPANY
General Manager: Francisco Hojas (Arena Media Chile)
Account Manager: Marcelo Rivera (Arena Media Chile)
Account Supervisor: Catalina Araya (Arena Media Chile)
Director - Activation General Producer: Jorge 'Dr Zombie' David (Cáfila Zombirica)
General Manager: Fernando Gualda (Fox Latinamerican Channels)
Marketing Manager: Carolina Tellez (Fox Latinamerican Channels)
Brand Manager: Jose Pedro Hargous (Fox Latinamerican Channels)
Director Of Marketing/Communications: Sebastian Haritcalde (Havas Media Chile)
Chief Executive Officer: Esteban Calvo (Havas Media Chile)
Creative Agency/Argentina: Doblege (Doblege)
Producer Company/Chile: The Cow Company (The Cow Company)
Media placement: Outdoor Activation - Street Activation - October 15, 2011
Campaign Description
Something was happening, a social phenomenon, people wanted to express themselves at every moment. 2011 was the year when protesters took the streets of Chile and all around the world. Chile offered a perfect environment to organise all kinds of cultural and social manifestations.
Our society is facing dramatic changes. We are seeing an increasing level of social effervescence arising throughout the world. People want to have a say and express themselves massively at the streets. They want to express and shout out their joys, emotions, sadness and problems. That is exactly what they have done almost in every corner of the world.
Chile has not been the exception. Chileans are not only emotional but also infuriated! Besides that, they are interconnected and there is a strong feeling of empowerment to all major media, especially social medias. It is not surprising then that people today are highly organised. Every time there is something they like or dislike they express themselves immediately and each act of expression becomes instantly public and increasingly massive.
It is a fact! People had the power, especially in social media.
Effectiveness
FOX, a TV Paid channel, faced the task to launch the second season of ‘The Walking Dead’, the first zombie genre TV series in Chile. The goal was to make the series well known, get massive expectation and increase the audience in 15 %.
It was necessary to announce the new season in an innovative and striking way, in order to attract as many audiences as possible. Our challenge was to create an original activation; something that could fit that special atmosphere. We also had the additional difficulty of creating something innovative and low cost.
Did you think you had seen everything in street protest? This atmosphere inspired us to develop a unique idea: a zombie walk!
From the glooms, we decided to join a zombie fraternity and become part of their walk, a pioneer demonstration never seeing before in Chile! We saw an opportunity to reach all the fanatics at once and use the walk as a platform to communicate the beginning of the season.
We wanted be part of something innovative that generates real impact on the street and in press.
We provided a unique experience to citizens to participate in an innovative activity. Moreover, our idea was something that shared the spirit of the social phenomenon that was happening in Chile.
Implementation
We colonised Santiago calling on the people to adhere to this rebellion through the social networks (Facebook). They participated very motivated, dressing up with creative costumes, full of colours and make up.
An integrated campaign supported this activation with campaigns on:
Paid TV: Spots on FOX Channel.
Internet: Banners on the official website of the channel.
Social media: we create a Facebook group to inform about all the activities.
Outdoor: during the zombie walk we gave the people some protest tools announcing the launch of the series.
Radio: we produce some radial advertising to promote the new season.
Outcome
- +6.000 people participate, exceeding by 50% the objective.
- Fans spread the manifestation through social media, +9.000 friends
- Other countries replicated the manifestation.
- We got media coverage free for an estimated 9x the total activation budget.
- Other collateral demonstrations: Thriller dances at the front of the presidential palace, family’s home videos, and zombie dances on weddings.
FOX achieved an high audience for the season. A total leading position among 18-49 years old (series target) during the series schedule. Walking Dead is today 1 of the top 3 most watched series on pay TV in the market. Rating increase 25% consolidating a leading position. The launch was one of the most successful in the history of FOX Channel in the market, over passing the first one.
To overcome at least by 50% the average rating of the prime time block (22:00 to 23:00 hours) during the premiere, in comparison with the last month data. Achieved!
We reached an average rating for the whole season that equals the 2 most successful TV shows for the target: Glee and The Simpsons. Walking Dead is today 1 of the top 3 most watched series on pay TV in Chile.