Why is this work relevant for Media?

The internet is a data-driven targeting machine that knows everything about us. As such, we see digital ads that are ever-more targeted to us as we browse online. But this SNICKERS campaign grabbed attention by doing the exact opposite. It used live data to anti-target people with a suite of ads across a range of digital media that were so completely out of context to the consumer’s situation, interests, searches, and browsing history, they could not be ignored. The data was flipped, and we achieved personalisation by anti-targeting every consumer in a tailored, timely and personal way.

Background

SNICKERS were losing relevance in their key 18-34 year-old demographic. They needed a fresh, digitally-focussed idea to express their famous brand platform, “You're not you when you’re hungry” to this digital-native audience. The platform hadn’t been executed in Australia before, and we were asked to show up in our audiences’ lives in a culturally relevant way, in their literal everyday. The brief called for a broad-reach, multi-channel digital campaign to remind our target audience of the dangers of hunger, and the solution - SNICKERS. With only a small budget, we couldn't rely on celebrity power to grab attention as with previous SNICKERS campaigns. Instead we found a cultural entry point into the brief that was on the radar of all our tech-savvy audience - the end of third party cookies on the internet - and used data-driven insights to deliver our message to consumers in a playful and personal manner.

Describe the creative idea / insights (30% of vote)

In 2021, third party cookies started disappearing from all major online platforms, starving the internet of data used for advertising targeting. The internet was getting ‘hungry’. This gave us our idea, “The internet is not the internet when it’s hungry”. We demonstrated the effects of hunger on the internet itself. In the same way hunger causes people to be confused and inaccurate, the hungry internet was not itself. It fed users ads that grabbed attention by being the opposite of what they would normally see. To do this we took a series of live data points and flipped the targeting data associated with them. For example, if the data told us it was currently hot and sunny in a specific location, consumers would get messages suggesting rain jackets and umbrellas. These ‘Hungry Ads’ were interrupted by a message about the dangers of hunger, and the solution to it - SNICKERS.

Describe the strategy (20% of vote)

Our strategy was to use data to anti-target people with the exact opposite of what they would normally see online - in a timely, tailored and specific manner. To achieve this, we first gathered audience data, dialling in on a segment who were big consumers of TVOD, social media and gaming. We then dived deeper and further segmented into seven distinct sub audiences based on specific interests. We looked at where they live online, and exactly what kind of ads they usually see in those spaces. We then flipped this data to discover what things sit exactly opposite our audience's tastes and interests - and created ads for these. Finally, we isolated 4 streams of live data (search input, location, time, and weather) across key strategic media partnerships to use as triggers to serve these anti-targeted, un-contextual ads in real time, everywhere our audience was online.

Describe the execution (20% of vote)

The campaign took place over an 8-week period in two phases, incorporating multiple channels within the campaign architecture. We launched with content partnerships, HPTO, Native and Page Skins for mass awareness. The second phase took a more individual than mass approach. We saw an upweight in video on YouTube, Twitch and social channels, as the data told us this was what our audience liked to consume, and these were the channels that were cutting through. Careful selection of relevant media partnerships allowed for cross targeting across platforms, generating nearly 40 million impressions, creating the illusion of a ‘Hungry Internet’ everywhere the audience went online. Without a large budget to spend, we strategically planned our media placements for a highly engaged audience that appeared all over the internet - wherever they were. Programmatic ensured our anti-targeted content hit the right audience, generating incremental reach in phase two of the campaign.

List the results (30% of vote)

By using data to target consumers with exactly the wrong message at the right time, this campaign generated some satisfying results. On video formats, the anti-targeting cut through keeping the attention of viewers with a video completion rate of 84%, well above the industry average. Our high impact digital display units across premium placements like news.com generated 40% more reach than the initial spend put behind them, showing that the Hungry Ads stood out by not fitting in. Campaign creative also generated a 20% view through rate on our Twitter, well above the industry standard, and exceeded overall media performance with 39.67 million total impressions.

Describe the use of data, or how the data enhanced the campaign output

Online advertising normally uses data to feed consumers ads that are personalised to their tastes and situation. Our idea flipped this on its head - we used the data to feed people ads that were the exact opposite of what they would expect to see at any point in time. We gathered data to discover what our audience liked, then created ads for the opposite. For example, if a sports lover searched for a sports video, they might be served a Hungry Ad for Collectable Royal Teaspoons. We also used live data triggers (location/time/weather) to programmatically anti-target our audience based on their current situation. If the data told us they were in Melbourne, they might get a banner suggesting a nearby activity in Moscow. We then used data to define a series of key media partnerships to serve this wrong content at exactly the right place and time.