Case Studies

Scalable Solutions

Charmin | “The Pre-Commercial”

Cannes Bronze Media Lion Winner

The Spark
I hate to say it, but how many of us really stop and watch the commercials during a TV break? I mean, as a marketer I hope that everyone is, but the reality is that most do not. For that matter, even fewer people are stopping to watch commercials about bathroom tissue. Most people are on autopilot when they are in the grocery store and have to grab some from the shelf, let alone when a commercial about it comes on the screen. The problem for Charmin was that TV was a critical awareness-driving tactic. Our core audience, like many, loved watching TV to be entertained and informed but they waited until the commercial break to go do other things. On top of that, we were launching only the second global campaign in the history of brand – which was all about removing the taboos of and celebrating the bathroom experience. But if nobody was watching then how would we capture attention and drive the business?

The Idea
So, we came up with the idea for a new form of TV advertising – ‘the pre-commercial – leveraging the iconic Charmin Bears and using the 10 seconds leading into the commercial break to give viewers a friendly heads-up that it was a good time to go to the bathroom with Charmin. By using the bears, we were able to be direct in talking about using the bathroom in a charming and inoffensive way. It merged content with context and helped consumers feel a sense of understanding that Charmin makes going to the bathroom more enjoyable by giving them the gift of a break.

You Want Results?
Creatively disruptive. Media efficient. Brand growth. Scalability.

For starters, we created a whole new media format and deployed it across multiple P&G brands at a fraction of the cost and much more effective than a traditional TV ad.  In-market, the :10 scored Brand Linkage at 74% of a :30, and purchase intent shift scored at 82% of a :30. Brand Opinion shifted above norm with P&G Sponsorship (12%), Nielsen Bath Tissue Branded Entertainment (57%) and Household Product Norms (64%). 

The lesson learned, creativity is an idea that engages people, but an ad has the additional responsibility of associating the brand at the peak emotional moment. Until creative is able to do that, it is not an ad, it is just entertainment.

Use Craft to Drive Immediate Growth

Verizon | “Thanksgiving Throwback”

Webby Award Winner

The Spark

In America, nothing symbolizes the start of the holiday season more than turkey, football, and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. It’s as Americana as apple pie and…well, Thanksgiving.  It’s also the time of year when people are shopping in masses for holiday gifts and trying to find the best deals on the season’s hottest must-haves. So, it should come as no surprise that every major brand is in a battle royale for their customers time, attention, and hard-earned money. It becomes nearly impossible to dominate the media clutter, consumers’ share of mind, and have a significant impact on sales all while being exceptionally efficient – even for a category titan and brand icon like Verizon. That was until now…

The Idea

In partnership with NBCUniversal and YouTube, we created the Verizon 360 Live Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade – blending the future with a time-honored tradition through 360º viewing functionality and throwback augmented reality floats. Immersive 360º functionality gave viewers exclusive angles and complete control of their view. Augmented-reality floats and billboards gave people early access to special deals, giving Verizon full ownership of a new take on an American tradition. Throughout the show, we integrated promos that were tied into the program, traditional advertising, and above all else – used it as a platform to showcase Verizon 5G technology in a way that was viewer relevant and reinforced Verizon’s network superiority and position as a category and innovation leader.

You Want Results?

Commercially innovative. Immediate business impact. Brand growth. Creatively breakthrough.

Advertising that entertains in a fun way is a first step towards raising awareness and driving change. We identified a way to interact with people that fit seamlessly into their family holiday traditions, without interfering, and double downed on it.

The program received +10.5MM viewers on YouTube; Positive brand sentiment grew to 62% - critical to business success during the holiday retail season. We dominated media with a 92% SOV through Thanksgiving Weekend. Over 3.9K mentions on social media. Digital shopper traffic to Verizon.com grew by +37%. And above all else, we created over 25MM re-targeting cookies allowing us to serve up relevant advertising and promotions to consumers that we knew would be engaged in tech shopping over the coming weeks. Resulting in the most successful holiday retail period for Verizon in over a decade and skyrocketing consumer business revenue growth for the year.

The lesson learned, creativity can solve even the most mundane challenges and turn it into something bigger beyond the expected.

Utilizing Tech to Transform Customer Loyalty

Verizon | Up

Program Launch

The Spark

Customer loyalty programs are a dime a dozen - especially in consumer telco. Often times these programs are cumbersome for the customer, create minimal engagement, are easily forgotten, and provide little long-term value. People don’t want to spend time tracking or accumulating thousands of points in exchange for a trinket or some other trivial item. They want a rewards program that’s simple, personalized, and give them rewards that have real value and are rooted in experiences.

The Idea

Verizon Up. A new take on customer loyalty programs that broke the mold with once-in-a-lifetime experiences, VIP tickets to events and everyday rewards. This was our way of saying thank you to our customers. Digital only, simple to use, rewards that are constant and relevant, and it connects you with brands and access to experiences you know and love. Verizon Up created greater brand utility through personalization - leveraging AI to offer customized rewards, promotions, and once-in-a-lifetime offers based on our customers shopping behavior, data plans, and usage. A win-win for the brand and our customers.

You Want Results?

Technologically innovative. Commercially breakthrough. Experience transforming.

Using tech that differentiates, engages, and drives deep-seated loyalty perpetuates longer-term revenue growth and create harmony within and outside your brand.

Rethink the Product Demo

Verizon | “Minecraft”

Cannes Silver Cyber Lion Winner

The Spark

Before there was ChatGPT, or TikTok, or even Fortnite, there was Minecraft. Now I’m definitely not a gamer (although I have been known to dominate a friendly in FIFA or in Madden every now and then), but I do know that when a game offers its players a great deal of freedom to build, explore, and show off their creativity by designing new worlds – it’s going to be a cultural icon. I also know that even if people aren’t gamers, they get excited when different technologies are married to create really exciting experiences.

At the peak of the Minecraft craze, Verizon was facing a growing challenge. The category was flooded with messaging about product superiority and challenger brands, making “me too” claims about which provider was the best. On top of that, there was a bigger issue with overcoming consumer perceptions of Verizon being an outdated and out-of-touch brand despite a whole new relaunch of the brand. We had to show consumers that this wasn’t their grandparents’ Verizon and that we were still America’s #1 network for reliability, speed, coverage, and overall performance.

The Idea

We set out to demonstrate the spirit of our network and our campaign, ‘Better Matters’, in a fun, human way, by tapping into the gaming world craze of Minecraft. So, we created the first mobile network in Minecraft by making a phone that connects to the real world without leaving the game. Thanks to Verizon, Minecraft players were able to use video game cell phones to connect with the real world. Players could video chat with real friends, send selfies, browse the web, and even order pizza without leaving the game. This micro-campaign created differentiation for Verizon, outside of paid advertising, created interest, drove engagement, and intensified positive brand sentiment and energy around the brand with a key millennial audience.

You Want Results?

Media effectiveness. Positive brand sentiment growth.  Creatively innovative. Category disruptive.

We kept it simple and lo-fi. We combined different cutting-edge technologies for an unmissable experience that earned free media for the brand and turned Verizon’s network into the channel for a fun experience targeting an elusive audience.  

Over 6MM views on YouTube and 36MM social impressions without a single dime of paid media support. Press coverage from some of the biggest publishers in technology and gaming including Mashable, Kotaku, IGN, Forbes.com, and more. Verizon even made it to the front page of Reddit! The open-source project powering the whole thing gathered attention from developers, making it to the front page of Hacker News and garnering the affinity of not only millennials but an entirely new audience, gamers, who would eventually become a very important sub-segment to growing Verizon’s base.

Working With Audience Data

Duncan Hines | “Frosting Creations”

Edison Award Winner

The Spark

When I was a kid and my grandmother would bake for me, she sometimes used Duncan Hines. Now, I’m not knocking my Nana’s baking skills, but when she was short on time there was nothing wrong with relying on a half-century old pantry stable to make your grandkids happy. But after more than 50 years, the Duncan Hines brand was practically dead and buried – taken out by younger, cheaper, and more innovative brands flooding the market.

Duncan Hines needed new life breathed into them through product innovation and how it marketed itself. Innovate or rot away (figuratively speaking, of course). The audience had evolved. Unlike Nana, they were younger and cooler. These baking enthusiasts were passionate about their craft. They were more than hobbyists. They saw themselves as the Banksys and Basquiats of at-home baking – culinary artists who sought inspiration everywhere they turned, especially from their peers. From magazines to online communities to social media, and even the store shelf the passionate bakers devoured ideas to create even bigger and more delectable creations.

The Idea

It was going to be a massive battle back to the top. We had to be fearless, think unorthodox, and move aggressively if the brand was to grow. So, we turned to our customers and got into the granular data they shared with us to help them get more from our brand. We uncovered truths that would fuel product innovation and lead to the launch of Frosting Creations – a unique line of colorful frosting flavors that really fed the desires of this new audience. It was innovative to the category, and can be priced higher, yet was easy enough for any baker to use and worth the price. We then knew that we had a product that would drive our new audience to the shelf and keep coming back for more.

But we had to reconsider the way that we connected with them and we couldn’t be loose with our marketing investment. These bakers were hardcore. They sought ideas and advice from online communities, social media, baking influencers, and even specific TV programs. So, we took the owned and earned channel route completely revamping the Duncan Hines experience on social media and on .com, getting Frosting Creations in the hands of the right influencers and programs, and turning our baking audience into a community driven by ideation and creation. Throughout every channel, we integrated new videos and written content that helped drive the message of Frosting Creations and that Duncan Hines was back.

You Want Results?

Commercially innovative. Business driving.  Creatively breakthrough. Audience-transforming.

+60MM earned media impressions.  Social media traffic by +300% growth year over year. And with every media dollar  directly to our .com experience we saw site traffic grow by 150% and an immediate impact on direct sales. The campaign drove+4.6% growth in segment share. But above all else, Duncan Hines once again became a destination brand for all kinds of bakers and climbed from category afterthought to category disruptor – growing from #3 to #2 share of the market within 6 months of launch.

The lesson learned, businesses that are reluctant to step on toes, move aggressively against the competition, and take reasonable risks are more likely to lose out due to their inhibitions than from their inability to evolve. In order for business to grow, you have to help your brand find something to hold on to that is more important than fear. The caterpillar is safe in the cocoon, but it's the butterfly that is beautiful.

Using Emotion to Create Connection

Verizon | “Call Mom”

Mother’s Day Campaign

The Spark

Whether it's your mom, grandma, a favorite aunt, teacher, or friend, the women in our lives shape and define us in ways both large and small. Our ability to connect with the world around us begins with our connection to mom. Mother's Day is a time to reflect on who we want to be as a family and how we're all connected to one another - a gift mom is sure to appreciate no matter how it's packaged. The sole reason why Verizon exists is to help people stay connected with each other.S o we wanted to leverage the moment to celebrate moms, create a connection with our audience and remind them why we exist.

The Idea

Some ideas require no explanation. Every knows how important mom is - don’t forget to call her.

You Want Results?

Creatively breakthrough. Affinity building. Emotionally connective.

Sometimes calling mom is more important that any business results.

Tech In Service To The Idea

Charmin | “SitOrSquat”

Wall Street Journal Branded App of the Year

The Spark

Poop jokes and cartoon bears. That’s what most people think of when they think of Charmin. It also happens to be one of Procter & Gamble's biggest and most profitable brands with sales of over $3 Billion. But it’s hard to get people excited and talking about your brand – especially when it’s a topic they keep rather private. So, we had to open the door and reveal the human truth that going to the bathroom is really an enjoyable thing that should be celebrated openly. Our first step was to re-launch the brand under the idea of “Charmin makes going to the bathroom more enjoyable.”  But we still had to prove that Charmin just doesn’t help at home, but also when people are out and about and need it most.

The Idea

We created the “SitorSquat” mobile app, giving people the ability to search for and rate public restrooms throughout the country – utilizing GPS tracking helped take the guesswork out of finding a clean bathroom. Users could add a new location and then rate their experience by designating that restroom as a “Sit” (for an enjoyable bathroom) or a “Squat” (for a restroom that could be better) location, based on the cleanliness and overall experience, and they could also leave comments and add photos of their own. We showed that Charmin really does help people “enjoy the go” wherever they go. Why should anyone have to settle for anything less?”

You Want Results?

Brand, brand, brand! Growth in affinity, engagement, awareness, and NPS.

+200MM media impressions in the first 6 weeks of launch; +2MM downloads and +150,000 user-generated reviews since launch; and brand affinity grew by +15% year over year. It was a neat solution that satisfied a need and spontaneous curiosity was an inherently commercial solution as it generated significantly higher conversion among switchers and loyalists. And we proved that tech can take on a strong supporting role for creative concepts, helping to drive commercial goals in the process – even in the bathroom tissue category.