To gain their full support, we needed the giveaway to be exclusive so that they would throw themselves behind it, with:
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In paper pointers
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Radio campaign
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Point of sale posters
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Integrated content and PR activity leveraging popularity and newsworthiness of Ricky
As a true partnership, we requested that our role in the overall campaign was integral, with the Rexona brand TVC to be adapted by state to drive consumers to the relevant newspaper for their free ball.
EXECUTION
The promotion was tailored in each state by identifying the sports balls most appealing and relevant to that market. For example, a high quantity of AFL balls to be distributed with The Herald Sun, but a higher quantity of rugby and soccer balls with The Daily Telegraph.
News Limited worked with the creative agency so that the creative executions reflected this and were tailored accordingly, managing the expectations of the readers.
The timing of the giveaway was localized by market to ensure maximum impact. In Melbourne we advised against running the giveaway the weekend after the Grand Prix, instead isolating a day that Rexona could dominate and gain the greatest cut through.
We built anticipation and awareness of the mission not only through newspapers, but also through:
- Sporting titles such as Alpha
- Sports channels on news.com.au and foxsports.com.au
These channels were used for branding and to deliver longevity to the campaign beyond the ball giveaway. Our online activity delivered outstanding results with a CTR of 0.39%.
Our newsagent channel effectively activated the ball giveaway to over 800,000 people in NSW, VIC, QLD and SA.
News Limited managed much of the logistical detail such as the housing, re-packing and distribution of the balls to newsagents nationally.
We developed individual radio ads and POS materials for each state and provided incentives for newsagents to enhance their point of sale displays.
The newspaper editors and marketing teams contributed heavily to the campaign, throwing the weight of their support behind Ricky’s mission.
RESULTS
Unilever and Universal McCann POV: This campaign has been hugely successful for Rexona and the business:
- driving 12.3% growth across the entire Rexona Brand Portfolio YTD nationally (no other brand activity across this campaign period),
Unilever through their press campaign alone reached over 75% of their target audience (2,064,000). News Limited had met the challenge of delivering Rexona’s sports balls to the Australian public.