The Campaign

Japanese consumers are used to being bombarded by a wide variety of branded media and entertainment, especially as they have long been digitally connected through mobile phones. The result is that they are no longer satisfied with gimmicks like quizzes that claim to give accurate product recommendations after answering only a few multiple choice questions, or where there is no real material benefit. Japanese consumers have already had their share of casual time wasters and now need to be convinced that the benefit will both be worthwhile and instant before committing to engaging with any kind of brand content.

Results

Microsoft Office is ubiquitous in Japan but known only as work software used on the job. This existing mindset needed to be turned on its head quickly, letting people see that Office could be fun as a way to indicate it can be used outside of non-work settings. Instead of a campaign reinforcing Office’s productivity, a different approach was taken to steer the conversation away towards “fun”. To do this LIVE BALL was created. This was a special smart ball machine, a Japanese variation on pinball, that was custom built and made to be controlled remotely with cameras covering all the action from different angles. Not only did this allow the game to be played anywhere through a PC or mobile device like a smartphone, but it also allowed for dynamic changes in POV and AR effects, adding new dimensions to the traditional pinball experience. For playing the game players were given the chance to win one of 50 premium prizes selected from the top of everyone’s wish lists.

Teasers were posted to the official Facebook account to drive buzz and interest before the launch, with periodic posts during the campaign period to further drive participation. During the campaign period itself, online media outlets picked up on the campaign, further broadening the reach of LIVE BALL to new audiences. Pamphlets with redeemable codes were also made available at huge retailers all over Japan to further drive consumers to the campaign site to participate.

The campaign was a hit with consumers, with the official Office Facebook account gaining 6,000 new Likes in the 2 months that the campaign ran.