The Brief

Green Cross wanted a unique, targeted idea that could directly communicate the brands values and objectives to Vietnam. Key to this was to go beyond traditional advertising to 'rise above the competitive spend'. To connect with Vietnamese consumers by solving a relevant major social problem in Vietnam. That would enable Green Cross to access hard to reach rural areas to raise awareness of the brand. The Kinetic Energy shoe has given Green Cross a direct link to communities and it's consumers. The Kinetic Energy Shoe is currently being toured around schools and communities in Vietnam to show how it works and spreading the Green Cross message. Along with this direct mail and other items are being used to tell the brand story. That Green Cross products and mission is to provide better living conditions in Vietnam through innovation. The response is direct widespread consumer engagement with the Green Cross brand.

Creative Execution

The steps were:1, identify a real issue affecting kids in Vietnam affecting their quality of life. 2, Solve the problem- the Kinetic Energy Shoe. 3, Take the Kinetic Energy shoe on a roadshow around Vietnam particularly focused on schools and town hall meetings. At the schools, the Kinetic Energy Shoe was presented as part of Green Cross's commitment to building healthy communities and better living conditions for all. The brand story and the idea are one. The creative execution is a pure demonstration of innovation for better living. Stage 4, is a competition where kids can come up with solutions to everyday problems they face related to healthy living. The biggest challenge was developing the Kinetic shoe. While the basic mechanics already existed nobody had yet successfully repurposed it for something as simple as a shoe that generates power. The process took longer than anticipated. The campaign is ongoing

Describe the creative solution to the brief/objective.

Green Cross has a wide target audience but the primary audience is Mums and kids. Their relationship is currently not with Green Cross but with the product functions. All Green Cross products fall under the platform of solutions for healthier living. Importantly a large part of the target audience live in hard to reach rural areas. ( 80% of Vietnamese population of 100 million people live in rural areas). The strategy is to promote the Green Cross brand by demonstrating healthy living innovation through the solution. Nothing is more relevant to Vietnamese consumers than solving a real life social issue.

Results

Note this is an ongoing campaign. The first goal was to solve a real problem relevant to Vietnam that is scalable and can be used to promote the Green Cross brand. The successful development of the Green Cross Kinetic Energy shoe does that. 60% increase in brand awareness and what the Green Cross brand stands for already year to date. 100 schools have been visited so far and the goal is to visit 500 schools by year end 2015. Before this campaign there was almost zero awareness of The Green Cross brand. Enormous PR is generated around each school and town hall visit. The Kinetic Energy Shoe allows Green Cross to access schools and town hall meetings in rural areas that would not be possible with traditional advertising. Consumers can touch and feel the brand and the idea lets them experience Green Cross's values first hand.