After an eventful year, Mission have decided to reflect on 2012 and the campaigns that have shaped our brand perceptions.
In chronological order, the following 12 stunts/campaigns have been thoroughly enjoyed by the Mission team.
1. The Good Times: Newspaper
When: January 2012
What: On what was considered the most depressing day of the year in 2012, The Church of London decided to try and put a smile on the faces of commuters by creating a ‘Good Times” publication. Filled solely with good news, endorphin releasing photos (puppies) and key messages, the publication was gold in the hands of commuters on ‘Blue Monday’.
Why: The campaign targeted the mass market. In handing out the papers to commuters who didn’t have much to do on their journeys apart from read free material they received on route, not only did the publication have a guaranteed read, but it was greatly appreciated by those in need of an uplift in the morning.
2.Three Little Pigs: The Guardian
When: February 2012
What: Advertising agency BBH created a charming yet gruesome twist on the tale of the Three Little Pigs and with it created a modern news angle. The ad puts The Guardian at the centre of the story as it plays out in a dark yet familiar fairytale narrative. The intention of the video is to sub textually illustrate how open journalism is, utilising a collaborative approach formed with their readers.
Why: The story of The Three Little Pigs is a recognisable and therefore attractive narrative to follow. With The Guardian positioning the tale as a news story, the advert told viewers that the paper would always provide the full story, and collaborate with other media outlets to work on multiple levels.
3. TNT: Push here to add Drama
When: April 2012
What: To launch TV channel TNT in Belgium, members of the public were invited to press a button, without knowing what it was for. A chaotic and entertaining chain reaction was set in motion that held the viewer in suspense until the final reveal.
Why: Not only did the stunt shock but it is also delivered. An interactive campaign is always a success when an emotion is evoked. It creates a memorable connection to the brand or in this case, channel.
4. Nandos Insurance blackmail
When: April 2012
What: After South African Insurance Firm, Santam aired their new television ad, Nandos saw an opportunity to mock the ad whilst highlighting their wide range of food options. To retaliate, Santam gave Nandos an ultimatum and requested they deliver food to a children’s home. Nandos did so, and released another video stating they were going to deliver food to the home every last Friday of the month for the rest of the year.
Why: Everyone enjoys a bit of brand rivalry, especially ones with a happy ending, especially when it benefits the less fortunate.
5. Mercedes presents the Invisible Car
When: March 2012
What: Using LEDs on one side of a car and a camera on the other transmitting the image to the LEDs, Mercedes created the world’s first ‘invisible’ car. The stunt which toured around Germany for a week promoted the new fuel cell vehicle technology, which the manufacturer claimed was ‘invisible to the environment’, with 0.0 emissions.
Why: Mercedes have made the unbelievable believable and have proved that not only is Mercedes technologically advanced, but is also able to show it in a way that can be appreciated and impressive is to everyone.
6. Lynx Apologises to Harry
When: August 2012
What: Lynx ran a one-off tactical press ad in the Sun on Sunday that apologised to Prince Harry for the Las Vegas debacle, which the brand joked may have been caused by the “Lynx Effect’”.
Why: Although it is a simple ad, Lynx must be congratulated for being extremely quick and very funny. Lynx were able to jump on the publicity surrounding Prince Harry in Vegas while maintaining the brand messaging.
7.Oddbins celebrates the Olympics legally
When: July 2012
What: Under Olympic branding regulations, companies that have not paid to be official sponsors were not permitted to use certain combinations of terms that may be seen as associating their brands with the event. Oddbins’ new marketing push mocked this situation, poking fun at the inability to directly reference the Olympics by clearly alluding to it without technically breaching the regulations.
Why: Similar to Lynx, Oddbins (a client of Mission’s) were very quick to react to topical issues. Consumers loved the tongue in cheek campaign and Oddbins saw their customer count increase massively.
8. Meat Market: Resident Evil
When: September 2012
What: After being sent fake human body parts made up of quality meats, journalists and members of the public were invited down to Smithfield to purchase a wide range of body parts at the gory meat market to promote Resident Evil 6.
Why: Not only were Resident Evil fans targeted but also anyone who hates to love gruesome yet innovative stunts. The campaign was well thought out, it created a story beginning with a variety of staged murder scenes and continued to integrate anyone that cared until the release of the game, and even afterward. Consumers who were brave enough to buy the artistic meat continued to create awareness when they cooked their meat and shared it with others.
9. Terry Crew’s Playable Old Spice
When: August 2012
What: Comedy actor Terry Crew starred in an entertaining television ad to promote the men’s deodorant collection, Old Spice. Crew was hooked up to a drum kit and instrument assortment via his muscles and was able to play a melody by flexing his muscles.
Why: It’s light hearted, and promotes the brand messaging that Old Spice is for real men, in a simple and comedic way.
10. Stratos: Red Bull
When: October 2012
What: Red Bull sponsored Felix Baumgartner as he jumped 128,100 ft from a stratospheric balloon back to Earth.
Why: Red Bull has created a specific identity so much so that if they had no involvement with Stratos, it would seem unnatural. No one can rival Red Bull when it comes to extreme sports, so it is just the most suitable match for RB to sponsor the most limit-pushing mission in history.
11. Coca- Cola: CCTV cameras
When: June 2012
What: In it latest campaign, Coca-Cola encouraged us to look at things differently. Instead of being presented with CCTV footage documenting crime, viewers were shown acts of friendship, generosity and happiness captured on cameras.
Why: Coca- Cola did a very good job at managing our expectations by cleverly inverting what we anticipate to see from footage captured on a security camera. Although an advert, Coca- Cola showed that the world is not just filled with crime, but happy moments perfectly complimented with a bottle of Coca-Cola (as we see in the final frame, of course).
(4) 