D&R: HAPPY HORROR DAYS

Credits & Description:

Category: Retail and E-commerce, including Restaurants

Advertiser: D&R

Product/Service: HORROR FESTIVAL

VP CREATIVE DIRECTOR: SAMI BASUT (PUBLICIS BOLD)

DIRECTOR: UFTADE KUTLUER (ARIZA)

PHOTOGRAPHER: BAHADIR TANRIOVER (ARIZA)

PRODUCER: GOKHAN ZINCIR (ARIZA)

ART DIRECTOR: FATIH GUL (PUBLICIS BOLD)

COPYWRITER: OZGUR CAYAN (PUBLICIS BOLD)

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE: OYA BERK (PUBLICIS BOLD)

ACCOUNT DIRECTOR: SEYDA TARABULUS (PUBLICIS BOLD)

PRODUCER: OZGUR UCKAN (ABT)

Media placement: Viral Film 3 Spots - Vimeo, facebook, youtube - 01.04.2011

Media placement: Press Releases - Marketing Turkiye, Mediacat, Radikal - 14.04.2011

Media placement: Twitter DMs to journalists and celebrities - Twitter - 01.04.2011

Media placement: Print ads - Radikal - 01.04.2011

Media placement: Store invitations to the Live Event - Marketing Turkiye - 24.04.2011

Media placement: Ad blogs - Bigu Migu, Elma Alt SHift - 06.04.2011

Media placement: Films 3 spots - Fashion TV - 11.04.2011

Media placement: Facebook - facebook.com/drdakihayalet - 01.04.2011

Media placement: Twitter - twitter.com/drdakihayalet - 01.04.2011



Summary of the Campaign

The challenge:

- To differentiate promotion offers and connect with younger audience



The objective:

- To inspire digital natives to come to D&R store to buy a horror movie rather than download through Internet



The Strategy:

- To create a social campaign around the D&R promotional offer and use social media to connect, persuade and invite digital natives into conversation



The outcome

-559% increase in sales (quantity)

-291% increase in revenue

-Phantom of D&R hype

-Inspired clients

-Unforgettable experience



The Situation

D&R was losing touch with the younger generation. The digital natives knew the store but did not prefer to shop in the store. This promotion campaign was a big opportunity to re ignite the spark between the brand and the consumer. We wanted to create a conversation and created an anti-hero. The Phantom of D&R. A ghost who makes you smile. Just like the offers of D&R at the Horror Days.



The Goal

Our objective was to create traffic back to the store. We lost our core audience in the virtual world. So we had to create buzz first in the digital world. We needed a figure who could inspire our target audience. Someone they can relate to. Someone they can open up to. We knew the Turkish youth feel closer to vulnerable characters - characters in need. So we created an anti hero to whom they can confess their fears. Anonymous confessions also was very popular among our target audience. The research also showed that they enjoyed laughing at the face of fear-especially the horror fans. And when all these insight got together the Phantom of D&R was born.



The Strategy

We created an anti-hero who couldn't scare anyone in the city. But he invited everyone to share their fears and became the spokesperson of the fearless. His comments and status updates made you smile and remind you of the joy of horror. He would say I'm off to cemetery to sleep or my cat turns into ghost struck when he sees me. He shared funny videos and talked about topical subjects and acted like a real person with a real character. When there was a political scandal he would make jokes about it and would make you smile. So he became more than a friendly ghost. He became the voice of the youth. We planned to create an icon who would speak out for the youth. And it worked. His sincere character created fans. Fans who would want to see him live. And they did.



Execution

It all began with a viral film. Another viral followed. And then print ads in youth magazines and sunday papers cinema reviews. The films became so popular the client decided to air them on TV. The mailings and newsletters talked about the ghost who was born in the 1800's. The hype built on the digital media. The facebook account and the twitter messages created the conversation. The conversation started to revolve around horror items sold in the store. People started to ask if a certain cult movie could be found in the store or would ask for advise to the Phantom of D&R. Some would send him love letters some would want to meet him in person. And so we created a live event which was not in the original plan. The campaign was planned to be on air for a month in order to create the live event we had to extend the campaign into 44 days.



Documented Results

The campaign resulted in commercial success as well as the buzz

and affinity it created among the younger audience.

-559% increase in sales (quantity)

-291% increase in revenue

-It also worked as an internal communication campaign.

-D&R employees named the Phantom of D&R as a colleague and was proud of his earned fame.

-The vendors also started to post their information on his wall.

-It has also been a new win win situation for D&R Category managers.