Title | PHUBBING |
Brand | MACQUARIE DICTIONARY |
Product / Service | DICTIONARY |
Category | A09. Use of Social in a Promotional Campaign |
Entrant | McCANN MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA |
Entrant Company | McCANN MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA |
Advertising Agency | McCANN MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA |
Production Company | AIRBAG PRODUCTIONS Melbourne, AUSTRALIA |
Name | Company | Position |
---|---|---|
John Mescall | McCann Melbourne | Executive Creative Director |
Pat Baron | McCann Melbourne | Creative Director |
John Mescall | McCann Melbourne | Copywriter |
Natasha Wood | McCann Melbourne | Copywriter |
Pat Baron | McCann Melbourne | Art Director |
Matthew Stoddart | McCann Melbourne | Art Director |
Dave Budd | McCann Melbourne | Designer |
Nath Mallon | McCann Melbourne | Senior Editor |
Adrian Mills | McCann Melbourne | Group Account Director |
Alec Hussain | McCann Melbourne | Account Director |
Alex Haigh | McCann Melbourne | Account Executive |
John Mescall | McCann Melbourne | Strategy |
Adrian Mills | McCann Melbourne | Strategy |
Pauline Mcmillan | McCann Melbourne | Digital Producer |
Chelsea Nieper | McCann Melbourne | Agency Producer |
Jake McLennan | Other Contributors | |
Danielle Milazzo | Other Contributors |
We were asked by Australia’s national dictionary, The Macquarie, to remind people of the relevancy of the dictionary in an age when such things are getting left behind. Specifically, they wanted social media engagement in the lead-up to the launch of their upcoming new edition.
Find a global problem so recent, it didn’t have a word for it yet. Then invent that word, and show that a single word has the power to change everything. The problem was poor smartphone manners. The word we created was ‘Phubbing: ignoring the person in front of you in favour of your smartphone.’ We launched the word, and then used it to spark a social movement. And then with media and public discussion of Phubbing at its peak, we released a branded short film about the origin of the word, to launch the 6th edition of the Macquarie Dictionary.
The campaign received global coverage and critically, 3.6 million Australians could link the word to its definition. In some instances, 10-minute films were made. Someone even wrote a book about Phubbing and other new words. Additionally, the campaign: • Was discussed in 180 countries via social media and covered by 750+ news outlets in 50 countries • Earned 435 million PR impressions • Attracted over 27,000 Facebook fans • Was covered by news outlets such as the USA’s ABC network, Time magazine, the BBC, China Daily, Grazia, and every major Australian outlet. The editor of the dictionary even spent 10 minutes on breakfast television.
The entire campaign was a microcosm of the way language is created, spread and ultimately chronicled. Phubbing became, not a fake ‘forced’ marketing word, but a genuine part of modern language. And as such, ‘Phubbing: A Word is Born’ was a living, breathing demonstration of the power, beauty and importance of words. Dictionaries appeal to people who love language, and this campaign was tailor-made to appeal directly to these people.