Huffington Post: Stop The Cycle

Credits & Description:

Title: Stop The Cycle
Agency: Vml
Brand: Huffington Post South Africa
Brand: HuffPost SA
Country: South Africa
Entrant Company: Vml, Johannesburg
Advertising Agency: Vml, Johannesburg
Media Agency: The Digital Media Consultancy, Durban
Ceo And Chief Creative Officer: Jason Xenopoulos (Vml)
Global Chief Creative Officer: Debbi Vandeven (Vml)
Executive Creative Director: Ryan Mcmanus (Vml)
Creative Director: Adam Whitehouse (Vml)
Head Of Vml Cape Town: Ben Wagner (Vml)
Editor: Duvan Durand (The Institute)
Motion Graphics: Gabriella Jardine (Vml)
Copywriter: Anna-Mart Fourie (Vml)
Art Director: Ana-Nicole Rocha (Vml)
Account Director: Tanya Horak (Vml)
Retoucher: Chris Slabber (Freelancer)
Sound Engineer: Rob Brinkworth (Resonate Audio)
Art Director Intern: Cecilia Jonsson (Vml)
Project Manager: Lara-Jean Matthews (Vml)
Data Analyst: Tiaan De Kock (Vml)
Synopsis:
Every day we’re bombarded with ads telling us to buy things that we don’t need. And we choose to turn a blind eye to the full picture behind consumerism. The truth is that while manufacturing costs are dropping; the human and environmental impact has increased considerably.
Campaign Description:
Using Facebook’s 360° technology, we showed the manufacturing cycle of a single consumer item. At first glance, the post appeared to be a glossy ad. Once users interacted with the 360° ad, it revealed the impact the industry has on human and environmental rights.
Outcome:
The 360° Reveal adverts effectively garnered awareness of the grim picture hidden behind consumerism.Within the initial campaign period, almost half a million South Africans discovered the horrific impact their purchases have on human and environmental rights.More specifically, the ads generated over 640 000 impressions. And a significant 64 percent of people who saw these ads engaged with it (physically scrolling through).When compared, the Engagement Rate on the 360° Reveal adverts was 36% higher than the average post on the Huffington Post page.The campaign was only recently launched, and as our ads are still live, these numbers continue to grow.
Execution:
Each 360° execution used over 50 stock library images in order to create a composite image of the 360° journey. With the use of a recurring colour theme, we guided the user’s eye through the story on mobile. The images were detailed enough to encourage closer inspection without losing impact on small screens. The storyline of the 360° visual needed to work regardless of whether the user tilted their phones right or left. If the user tilted left, they would view the manufacturing process in reverse – starting from the high-end store and ending on the first step in the process – the part where the most human rights violations take place. Tilt right and the user viewed the beginning of the manufacturing process in stark contrast to the glossy ad they had just seen.
Strategy:
Facebook has become the preferred news source to South Africans. But in order to stand out in this cluttered environment, a hard-hitting headline isn’t enough. The South African edition of The Huffington Post needed an engaging way to unpack a hard-hitting news story with a lot of meat to its bones. In order to achieve this, we took a simple approach. We tapped into what we know consumers do respond to on Facebook – pretty, glossy ads – and led them through the 360° journey of consumerism.