Jwt: CAUGHT IN CANNES

Credits & Description:

Category: Corporate Communication

Advertiser: JWT GROUP GERMANY

Product/Service: JWT GROUP GERMANY

Agency: JWT GROUP GERMANY

Agency: DOT.COMMUNICATIONS

Chief Creative Officer: Till Hohmann (JWT Group Germany)

Art Director: Regina Groffy (JWT Germany / Hamburg)

Copywriter: Till Hohmann (JWT Group Germany)

Designer: Ainara Del Valle Perez-Solero (JWT Germany / Hamburg)

Executive Producer: Georg Hofer Von Lobenstein (Transmission Advertising Service Germany)

Director: Till Hohmann (JWT Group Germany)

Print Producer: Fabian Schrader (Transmission Advertising Service Germany)

Public-Relations Consultant: Sonja Feldmeier (Dot.communications)

Public-Relations Consultant: Philip Löbbecke (Dot.communications)

Editorial Journalist: Frauke Schobelt (Verlag Werben / Verkaufen)

Camera: Christian Auerswald (Seed Digital Vision)

Camera: Lennart Seeburg

Production Manager: Thorben Zoeger (Soup Film Berlin)

Editor: Sebastian Odenthal

Production Manager: Christiane Schwabe (VCC Berlin)

Production Manager: Nina Steinbrück (Studio Funk Hamburg)

Music: Brian Yessian (Yessian)

Media placement: Press Articles Prior To Cannes - Press - May 2011

Media placement: Daily Videoepisodes Running On W&V Online Portal - W&V Magazin Web-Portal - 20th June 2011

Media placement: Webisodes - JWT YouTube Channel; Social Media Channels - 20th June 2011

Media placement: 1 VIP Mailing With DVD; 80-Minute Documentary Film - Targeted Direct Mail - 1 September 2011



Summary of the Campaign

After a decline in size and relevance, JWT Germany in 2009 started a serious change process. For 2 years structures were realigned, new skills and staff added. In 2011 a new JWT Germany was in place.



Yet, the market, press and potential clients did not know. Germany being a market dominated by national independent agencies, JWT Germany was off the radar. A boost was needed.



It came with the format, 'Caught in Cannes by JWT Germany'. With this interview format JWT Germany delivered (and subsequently owned) the global discussion about the future of marketing and the industry.



The format closed a gap left in national reporting. Most marketing verticals only reported about the German winners and did not have money for audio-visual content. At the same time most German clients are reliant on the global markets. So the most important German ad magazine W&V happily agreed to air the JWT format about the global perspective on their portal each day, reaching a total of 33,000,000.



The content was deliberate: prior to Cannes, clients were asked about their 'hot topics'. These were then debated with industry icons in Cannes. After Cannes the material was rearranged by topics and moderation added; an 80-minute documentary film was made, and sent to 500 opinion leaders.



The campaign succeeded in boosting JWT Germany’s reputation as a relevant player for internationally-minded German clients. By distributing the content via media-partnership, social media, documentary films and direct mail, JWT Germany also underlined its abilities beyond traditional advertising.



The Situation

After a 2 year phase of 'doing the homework' and restructuring (new offices, new staff, new skills, new structures), in 2011 a 'new' JWT Germany was in place.



But: most changes had taken place without press, industry or potential clients taking note. With Germany being a market dominated by national independent agencies, JWT Germany had gone off the radar. This needed to change.



The Goal

Business Objective:

Putting flesh on the 'new' JWT Germany: including the 'fresh' CEO, Martin Wider, and CCO, Till Hohmann. Changing JWT Germany’s perception to a modern, fresh, nimble but powerful brand-building agency, ultimately to prospect new business and employees.



Communication Objective:

Owning the discussion taking place in Cannes, the discussion about the future of marketing and the industry. Delivering this global perspective and linking it to JWT Germany, demonstrating competence and international understanding.



Media Objective:

Creating powerful, relevant content that would be picked up by press, spread by the relevant audience and could also be put to secondary use.



The Strategy

To sharpen JWT Germany’s public image and refocus on modern and creative aspects, we first outlined our new positioning, structure and ambitions in interviews with German industry magazines.



In parallel we interviewed more than 50 clients to find out about their questions and concerns for the future of the industry. We partnered with Germany’s biggest Ad Magazine, W&V, and produced daily video features from Cannes that could be watched online by everyone unable to attend the festival. To have the best access to the most influential global opinion leaders in the industry, our reporter enrolled in Cannes’ creative leaders programme and gathered answers to the questions we had collected. This content also ran on the agency channels, spread online and was used for VIP-Mailings, re-edited as an 80-minute documentary film.



Execution

Every day, a 20-minute+ episode went online via the W&V portal and the JWT social media channels. The topics ranged from the death of marketing, to the impact of Social Media and the implications of the Arab Spring for brands. With guests like Keith Reinhard, Bob Garfield, Simon Silvester, and many more.



After the festival, we produced an original 80-minutes documentary film with all interviews and even more background information – re-arranged by topics and with a thoughful commentary. This was sent out as a VIP mailing to 500 opinion leaders and clients.



Documented Results

The campaign pushed the agency’s awareness significantly and helped shift the perception of the brand (+54% pitch request post campaign), aggregated new business (+13%) as well as new staff (+35% applications), all proving: substance is key.



The daily videos generated continuous PR flow. Content and interview partners helped to achieve extraordinary levels of awareness. Various editorial articles had a multiplier effect for the campaign. JWT Germany succeeded in owning large parts of the national discussion about Cannes. This approach also proved: JWT Germany can do more than ads. It is an expert of global creativity , as well as strategic and conceptional thinking.



The content spread. The campaign reached an accumulated audience of 33m viewers and got thousands of reposts and comments. Over 2,000 new active visitors of the agency channels, over 50 industry press articles and more than 12,000 Google links and mentions are a testament to this.