Ghd: CINDERELLA

Credits & Description:

Category: Best Use of Branded Content

Advertiser: GHD

Product/Service: GHD MIDNIGHT COLLECTION

Agency: RAINEY KELLY CAMPBELL ROALFE/Y&R

Date of First Appearance: Nov 16 2010

Entrant Company: RAINEY KELLY CAMPBELL ROALFE/Y&R, London, UNITED KINGDOM

Entry URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZy861jRWJE&feature=related

Executive Creative Director: Damon Collins (RKCR/Y&R)

Art Director/Copy Writer: Steve Williams/Adrian Lim (RKCR/Y&R)

Agency Producer: Claudio Gorini (RKCR/Y&R)

Planning Director: Emily James (RKCR/Y&R)

Business Director: Vicky Jacobs (RKCR/Y&R)

Account Director: Katey Ellen-Price (RKCR/Y&R)

Production Company: Believe Media (Believe Media)

Producer: Simon Eakhurst (Producer)

Director: Floria Sigismondi (Director)

Cinematographer: Simon Chaudoir (Cinematographer)

Media placement: Online - Youtube.com Facebook.com Ghdhair.com - 16 November 2010



Insights, Strategy & the Idea

Against a backdrop of flagging sales, ghd, a manufacturer of premium hair straighteners, decided to launch the new Midnight gift collection in November 2010. The sales target was

370,000 units worldwide.

The limited budget required a solution that could augment the TV and print campaign, while generating as much publicity as possible, not only online but in newspapers and magazines.

The primary audience is professional hairstylists and young women in the 16-24 age group. 50% of all ghd stylers are sold through hair salons.



Creative Execution

We created a 2 minute 45 second pop promo for the track “Lucky You” by the US indie band, Le Rev, and featured the ghd gift collection in the promo as a piece of product placement. The promo ran on YouTube, ghdhair.com and ghd’s Facebook page and at the hairdressing trade show, Salon International.

We also set up a record label “Two Black Cats Records” to launch the band and promote the track, which was released as a single on iTunes.



Results and Effectiveness



The promo and single release generated millions of pounds of free publicity in trade and consumer press. It was also picked up by bloggers and radio stations, generating over 250, 000 hits online.

The gift collection completely sold out over the Christmas period, with ghd sales up 38% on last year.

According to ghd sales director Andy Campling, “The Midnight Campaign was the most successful campaign to date, not only in terms of sales figures but the true integration of the communications and advertising campaign. The strong campaign idea and execution had people walking into salons demanding the new Midnight Collection, meaning that salons re-ordered stock literally a couple of days after receiving their initial order.”