Vodafone: FACEBOOK VS HAMILTON

Credits & Description:

Category: Best Use of Special Events and Stunt/Live Advertising

Advertiser: VODAFONE

Product/Service: MOBILE BROADBAND

Agency: ACHTUNG!

Date of First Appearance: Aug 1 2010

Entrant Company: ACHTUNG!, Amsterdam, THE NETHERLANDS

Entry URL: http://www.achtung.nl/awards/2010/facebookversushamilton/

: (ACHTUNG!)

Media placement: FaceBook Page - FaceBook - 1 August 2010

Media placement: Trailer - Facebook, Youtube - 13 August 2010

Media placement: Live Stream - FaceBook - 13 September 2010

Media placement: TV Report - RTL - 13 September 2010

Media placement: Making Off - Youtube - 18 September 2010

Media placement: Articles - Weblogs, Newspapers - 13 September 2010



Insights, Strategy & the Idea

Strengthen the position of Vodafone as THE provider for fast mobile Internet. Introduce the renewed mobile data network of Vodafone in the Netherlands. Reach high tech online influentials (social networkers/ downloaders).



MB's per second are rather abstract ways to describe the network speed and do not draw any attention. We needed an idea that helps consumers to visualize the speed of data in an appealing way, and in way that draws the attention.



Creative Execution

In a race car we found a visual metaphor for speed. We invited Lewis Hamliton (the youngest formula 1 champion) to race on Schiphol airport against a virtual racecar, that was built up out of 28800 Facebook profile pictures. The pictures were gathered weeks before the actual race. On 13 September, the car had to race a track of 4,7 km faster than the Vodafone network could download the virtual race car of 288 MB. We invited press and broadcast the race between the real car and the virtual car (which was superimposed in real time) live on the internet.



Results and Effectiveness

Facebook vs Hamilton has generated both national and international a lot of attention. More than 28.800 Facebook members uploaded their profile pictures within 2 weeks and the idea generated 11.000 likes on Vodafone Facebook.

The live streams was watched by 100.000 people live. The trailer and making of generated more than 190.000 views. Together with attention in traditional media (like TV, newspapers, magazines and blogs), Facebook vs Hamilton generated a PR value of €2.8 million.

More than 100 blogs wrote about the event and mentioned Vodafone’s fast mobile data network.