The Brief

Our campaign was designed to increase awareness for the virtues of Viagra by building interest in Pfizer's “Ideal Sex Survey”, which revealed that women get more sexual satisfaction from a hard erection than any other factor.

Describe how the promotion developed from concept to implementation

We “leaked” a series of photos and videos onto the Internet of an ugly guy dating a hot girl, triggering a firestorm of discussion on Hong Kong's forums and social networks. Everyone wanted to know how such an ugly guy could get such a great-looking girlfriend. Users searched for the provocative photos, joined heated discussion threads, and even created their own spoof photos. After we created a Facebook fanpage inviting the ugly guy to reveal his secret, the truth was revealed via three YouTube videos that explained his “success” was due to hard erections from taking Viagra.

Describe the success of the promotion with both client and consumer including some quantifiable results

Within a week, the “Hard Guy” became the hottest search on Yahoo! and Google. It successfully boosted the launch of Viagra's Ideal Sex Survey, dominating the front-page headlines of one main newspaper and appearing prominently in 12 others. We generated over USD500,000 worth of media value from a production cost of just USD7,500.

Explain why the method of promotion was most relevant to the product or service

Hong Kong men with erection problems are typically too conservative to ask doctors or even friends for help. They prefer to search for information online. Moreover, the subject of “how to get a great-looking girlfriend” is close to their hearts. So, photos and videos of an ugly guy winning a hot girlfriend triggered a huge amount of discussion – not to mention anger, jealousy, and hard feelings – which spawned user-generated involvement that grew and grew. The three viral videos provoked even more noise and interest that spilled over into the massive social networks of Mainland China.