As Millennial marketers struggle to create social media campaigns for Millennials, it is worth taking a moment to look at Millennial designed efforts.
Jen Corbett is studying creative advertising at the axis adschool, part of Media Design School in Auckland NZ. I was intrigued by her blog post today which features a team-created campaign responding to a brief to "enhance brand recognition by promoting the unique aspects of Google's “i’m feeling lucky” button. Here's Jen's description of the assignment and the team did to bring it to life:
"The brief required us to develop a film, attach a product and then amplify using strategies to invite involvement. This entire project evolved from a “secret word” brief we were given on Monday afternoon of Day 1. We were asked to develop an idea, storyboard, film, edit and present it that Friday. The emotional theme needed to be concise and effective to deliver the “word” to the viewer within the commercial time limit of 30 seconds. This had to be done without written communication of the word. We then needed to attach a product or service to it and come up with ways to generate interest in the video through amplification. We came up with “I’m Feeling lucky” and created otherbutton.com. The final edit of the video can be viewed below. At 3 weeks since conception, we’re about to wrap up the first segment of this project; but I expect we’ll be called on to evolved and adapt it throughout the year."What I love about this campaign is how it leverages social media to get the message out. I visited each of these sites and the whole effort is striking in several ways:As part of this we created:
a youtube account with a channel for related videosa blog where we posted various images and stories
a live auction on NZ auction site trademe
a strategy to place “I’m feeling Lucky” stickers placed near buttons (lift, pedestrian, atm etc) in the CBD
a facebook group set up to attract followers to website / video
a profile on twitter set up to attract followers to website / video
a concept for flyers “not this button” / “this button”
1. Highly Integrated and Cross referenced: The Twitter feed appears on the blog, the Facebook group invites you to join the twitter feed. Twitter posts feature YouTube videos.
2. Invitational: The blog and facebook group invite you to submit stories of getting lucky, research on luck, adventures inspired by the campaign. I love this story:
"Dear team, after 12 long years, I have been reunited with my first love via the "I'm feeling lucky" button. If it were not for trying my luck with this other button, I would not have found him so easily. He moved all the way to Germany, and I was googling his name about a month ago. He's got a website, and it took me directly to him. If it was not for the button, we would have never reconnected - Rebecca Hobson"
3. Non-commercial: Other than a few pitches to buy "I Feel Lucky merchandise" or stickers, there is no overt sales pitch other than to use the I feel lucky button.
4. Video: Video is integral to the campaign.
5. Upbeat and Fun: The idea is happy and so is the campaign.
Posts
It's a good post Carol. I think the real benefit of getting millenials involved in campaigns at any level whether as interns, consumers or employees is that they have less apprehension about tearing up the rulebook.
ReplyDeleteThe biggest problem facing agencies today is that planners and buyers are too scared to try something different. Large agencies despite being supposedly "creative" do not foster environments conducive to change.
As they say, if the only tool in your toolbox is a hammer - everything begins to look like a nail. Some of the suggestions here demonstrate Millenials have their own tools.
Carol, a brilliant post that sums it up. It is fantastic to have such recognition of what began as a small, experimental student project.
ReplyDeleteI'm excited about being part of this and I hope I can share more of it with you as the year continues.
We are being taught to exceed, bend break and subvert expectations - new times demand novel measures.
When you come from another angle - like we are - you have the liberty to throw away the text books and create your own rules.
My generation - a recession generation if ever there was one - is well positioned to try pushing these other buttons - and not neccesarily the shiny ones. Excuse the pun.