Pldt: ANNA BANANA

Credits & Description:

Category: Best Integrated Campaign Led by PR

Advertiser: PLDT

Product/Service: MYDSL INTERNET

Agency: ACE SAATCHI & SAATCHI

Executive Creative Director: Andrew Petch (Ace Saatchi & Saatchi)

Creative Director: Greg Martin (Ace Saatchi & Saatchi)

Creative Director: Trixie Diyco (Ace Saatchi & Saatchi)

Copywriter: Jordan Santos (Ace Saatchi & Saatchi)

Art Director: Hans Malang (Ace Saatchi & Saatchi)

Account Supervisor: Gigi Garcia (Ace Saatchi & Saatchi)

Account Manager: April Landicho (Ace Saatchi & Saatchi)

Account Manager: Claire Cruz (Ace Saatchi & Saatchi)

Planner: Carmen Antunez (Ace Saatchi & Saatchi)

Planner: Natalie Ang (Ace Saatchi & Saatchi)

Producer: Jun Gara (Ace Saatchi & Saatchi)

Producer: Steve Vesagas (Ace Saatchi & Saatchi)

Producer: Lei Hosseinzadeh (Ace Saatchi & Saatchi)

Director: Henry Frejas (Ace Saatchi & Saatchi)

Director of Photography: Dindo Martinez (Ace Saatchi & Saatchi)

Editor: Wacky Tirona (Ace Saatchi & Saatchi)

Sound Design: Allan Feliciano (Ace Saatchi & Saatchi)

Sound Design: LJ Garcia (Ace Saatchi & Saatchi)

Art Director: Windel Aboy (Ace Saatchi & Saatchi)

Art Director: Glenn Lalogan (Ace Saatchi & Saatchi)

Copywriter: Petra Mango (Ace Saatchi & Saatchi)

Final Artist: Robert Achas (Ace Saatchi & Saatchi)

Print Producer: Dennis Obien (Ace Saatchi & Saatchi)

Media placement: DIGITAL PR - TV, ONLINE, BROADSHEETS - FEBRUARY 11, 2012



Summary of the Campaign



PLDT myDSL, the country's biggest residential internet service has been restricted from advertising in the country's 2 biggest television channels for the past 2 years while the competition aggressively advertises.



So, when PLDT myDSL wanted to convey that their strong internet connection can create strong emotional connections at home for their new campaign, we needed to supplement our inadequate TV presence through PR.



To bring to life the idea of 'the strongest connections are at home', we created a fictitious boy, who we named Derek S. Lorenzo and created his fictitious ultra-supportive mom, 'Mama Berns'.



We started by uploading a YouTube video of 'Derek S. Lorenzo' singing an original song so terribly, it was, literally, a video only a mother can love.

His fictitious mom drummed up support for the video through her blog, Twitter feeds, Facebook and comments on forums and cold calls on radio talk shows asking everyone to check out her fictitious son’s video.



We then did a reveal with a 60-second TV spot, supported by print, PR articles, radio DJ spiels, out-of-home, celebrity tweets - all drove viewers to Derek's YouTube channel, now re-skinned to become a branded PLDT myDSL channel.



The results speak for themselves:

- 1.8m hits on YouTube in less than 5 weeks.

- P2.1m in free media during the campaign period.

- The branded content online and on air resulted in 62% awareness, the highest for any PLDT retail brand in recent history.



The Situation

PLDT myDSL, is the country's top residential internet service provider. However, for the last 2 years, its alliance with TV5 television network, its sister company, has restricted it from airing in GMA7 and ABS-CBN (Channel2), which were the 2 leading television networks in the country. This caused its awareness rating to drop to 20%. We needed to supplement our inadequate on-air presence through other mediums and means. Since we couldn't possibly win the battle through traditional means, we created a PR campaign around a fictitious untalented singing boy and his fictitious ultra-supportive mom.



The Goal



We needed to tell the gatekeepers of the home - moms - that PLDT myDSL's strong internet connections can lead to strong emotional connections at home. And we had to tell it in a way that would appear cool to their teenage kids. We had to convey the brand message of 'the strongest connections are at home'. And we had to do it without the benefit of the massive viewership of the country's 2 leading television channels. So we researched on the internet habits of Filipino moms and teens. That's when a video only a mother can love was born.



The Strategy



PLDT myDSL, the country’s biggest residential internet service, wanted to convey that their strong internet connection can create strong emotional connections at home. Thus, the strongest connections are at home.



We brought this connection to life by creating a fictitious boy, named Derek S. Lorenzo and created his fictitious ultra-supportive mom.



We launched by uploading an unbranded YouTube video of 'Derek S. Lorenzo' singing an original song entitled Anna Banana for his crush. He performed it terribly making it, literally, a video only a mother can love.



His fictitious mom drummed up support for the video through her blog, Twitter feeds, comments on forums and cold calls on radio talk shows asking everyone to check out her fictitious son’s video.



Throughout the online launch and traditional media reveal, we used PR to drive the market to Derek's YouTube channel which was later re-skinned to become a PLDT myDSL channel.



Execution



We brought to life the idea, 'the strongest connections are at home', by creating a fictitious boy, who we named Derek S. Lorenzo and created his fictitious ultra-supportive mom, 'Mama Berns'.



We started by uploading an unbranded YouTube video of 'Derek S. Lorenzo' singing an original song, entitled 'Anna Banana'. It was terrible, making it, literally, a video only a mother can love.

His fictitious mom drummed up support for the video through her blog, Twitter feeds, comments on forums and cold calls on radio talk shows.



A couple of weeks later, we did a reveal with TV, print, radio, digital. All materials drove viewers to the YouTube channel, now re-skinned to become a branded PLDT myDSL channel. This revealed that Derek S. Lorenzo (DSL) was actually myDSL.



Over the course of several weeks, we created 'user-generated' videos, or rather, 'us-generated' videos sustaining interest in the campaign.



Documented Results

Anna Banana is probably the most viewed branded video in the Philippines. It trended in Twitter in mid-February.



It has over 30 copycat videos with almost 2m combined views.



It has been reposted by other YouTube users, shared in blogs, Facebook, and mentioned in user and celebrity tweets catching 667,990 eyeballs.



It was covered by radio shows, TV news, broadsheets and magazines getting an estimated P2.1m in free media.



During the campaign, the PLDT myDSL website got a 30% increase in total visits. 200% increase in applications.



30% revenue increase for PLDT myDSL.



Post-launch tests showed that 93% of respondents now find the brand more appealing and 83% prefer it to other internet services.



The campaign gave us 62% awareness after 4 weeks - the highest rate for any PLDT retail brand since 2010.