Vodafone: BLESSED BAD GUYS

Credits & Description:

Category: Best Use of Print

Advertiser: VODAFONE

Product/Service: FORMULA 1 SPONSORSHIP

Date of First Appearance: May 9 2010

Entrant Company: OMD SPAIN, Madrid, SPAIN

Entry URL: http://www.benditosmalvados.com

Producer: Susana Barona (OMD)

Project Director: Fátima Valverde (OMD)

Producer: Vanesa González (OMD)

Account Director: Noelia Fernández (OMD)

Account Supervisor: Alberto Rayado (OMD)

Media placement: Print - As - 9 May 2010

Media placement: Print - Mundo Deportivo - 9 May 2010

Media placement: Print - Sport - 9 May 2010

Media placement: Print - Marca - 16 May 2010

Media placement: Print - Estadio Deportivo - 9 May 2010

Media placement: Print - Super Deporte - 9 May 2010



Insights, Strategy & the Idea

The rivalry between Spanish idol Alonso (Ferrari) and Hamilton (McLaren) means for many Spaniards VODAFONE was now “Our Worst Enemy”. This is the reason why of www.benditosmalvados.com, a community in which Formula 1 fans could find and communicate with other fans in a context of pure fun and entertainment (engagement territory). After all, what would ‘Star Wars’ be without Darth Vader or ‘Peter Pan’ without Captain Hook? Consciously or not, we always want the bad guy to be REALLY bad because that makes the good guy REALLY good, which is where all the fun is.

It was our big chance: to invite our target to meet the bad guys on www.benditosmalvados.com .The largely male target audience (72%), whose love of this sport fuelled a truly exhaustive information binge on each race, had embraced the sports- press and turned it into the perfect vehicle for channelling our content proposal.



Creative Execution

During the Spain’s Gran Prix weekend, we announced VODAFONE’s new Website in a “real news item” with headlines on all the national sports papers.

Every single sports newspaper hit the street with an article whose headline included the name of our new Website: BENDITOS MALVADOS (BLESSED BAD GUYS). That article had been negotiated with all the different editorial teams and the article analyzed Team McLaren within the strictures of our strategic focus. Thanks to McLaren, the competition with Alonso was that much more fun!

All the writers had received exhaustive information on the project with a view to creating content that would be an authentic “wink and a nod” of complicity with the great rival. Also, there was a very special added detail: after each mention of the drivers or the different racing teams, the Website address would appear: www.benditosmalvados.com.



Results and Effectiveness

VODAFONE managed to regain its sponsorship’s footing. The popularity figures reflected a 9% increase, raising the brand to second place in the overall ranking, trailing only one of the sponsors of Alonso’s team. The press launch figures outperformed all those from other sector campaigns throughout 2010: 71% of all recall mentions had originated from Benditos Malvados in the press. Brand preference grew by 6% within the target audience of those reporting they were familiar with the sponsorship and, finally, before the conclusion of the racing season, the web traffic at www.benditosmalvados.com reached its goal of 250 thousand unique hits.