VCTV LIVE BY VODKA CRUISER

Short List
TitleVCTV LIVE BY VODKA CRUISER
BrandASAHI PREMIUM BEVERAGES
Product / ServiceVODKA CRUISER
CategoryD03. Use of Branded Content created for Digital or Social Media
EntrantVIZEUM Melbourne, AUSTRALIA
Idea Creation VIZEUM Melbourne, AUSTRALIA
Idea Creation 2 THE STORY LAB Melbourne, AUSTRALIA
Media Placement VIZEUM Melbourne, AUSTRALIA
Production THE STORY LAB Melbourne, AUSTRALIA

Credits

Name Company Position
Aliya Hasan Vizeum Head Of Strategy
Davor Vilusic Vizeum National Head Of Digital
Lee Foster Vizeum Digital Director
Tom MacKenzie Vizeum Social Media Manager
Chris Heywood The Story Lab Head of Creative & Product
Ayesha Islam The Story Lab Senior Account Manager
Sarah Jane Sands The Story Lab Producer
Clalla Morishita The Story Lab Art Director
Donna Sutherland The Story Lab Senior Project Manager
Maryke Bishop The Story Lab Production Manager
Tim Melville The Story Lab Video Director

The Campaign

For young women, life is hectic and their loyalties can be frankly quite fickle. We needed to uncover why the inherent tension between enjoying the taste of Vodka Cruiser and not identifying with the projected image. As we probed deeper, through focus groups and speaking to female psychology experts, it became clear that the values and identity of these young women was in a state of transition. The brand needed to be a cultural catalyst, keeping pace with consumers lives, giving them an aspirational window to the world. Our strategic idea was to take Aussie women (18-24) on a journey of discovery that encourages self-expression and fuels confidence. We designed an approach to connect culturally using branded content in a uniquely compelling way to position Vodka Cruiser as a relate-able modern brand that entertains, inspires and sparks conversation. One that speaks with them, not at them.

Creative Execution

The fast and funny chat show was designed to follow an interactive format covering themes like relationships, food, travel, fashion and career to build Vodka Cruiser’s image as a true social companion. Hosted in infotainment style, each show featured socially influential guests. This wasn’t TV as they knew it. Viewers didn’t watch VCTV, they were part of it. We pre-promoted in the form of teasers, invitations to users to submit their own content for inclusion in the show, as well as time targeted boosting 2 hours before each episode went live. We created post-show 'highlights' packages and immersive Facebook canvas units to attract new audiences. Facebook Carousel ads ensured the product was top of mind. We amplified VCTV across Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Outdoor, POS and owned channels. Organic sharing included Twitter and Snapchat. Multiple trade promotions, giveaways, as well as product placements were baked into the show to fuel sales.

The campaign exceeded objectives in an unprecedented fashion: 1) Improve brand favourability by 3% - We saw 9% increase in brand favourability (vs. regional benchmark 1.8 %) -62% agreed with Vodka Cruiser ‘is a brand for people like me’ a +9% over the previous Qtr. -57% agreed with Vodka Cruiser ‘is a good brand to be seen drinking’ a +20% over the previous Qtr. 2) Drive active engagement and improve campaign recall by 5% - We saw 23% increase in Ad recall (vs. benchmark of 8 %). - 1.35 million Facebook users reached (90% of Women 18-24) - Who spent time equivalent of 240 days with the brand - The content garnered 3.2 million views 3) Generate sales momentum- increase by 3% year on year - We saw a staggering 9.3% uplift in sales- triple that of forecast growth. VCTV has been the most successful campaign in Vodka Cruiser history.

VCTV by Vodka Cruiser is a category-first, globally-recognised branded content innovation at the intersection of creativity and digital smarts. This work took the 'Facebook Live' platform into unexplored territory. Never before had it been used in Australia as an ongoing episodic platform- that changed its usage to interactive ‘TV like’ broadcast. A smart fusion of influencer marketing, user generated content and product integration made VCTV a ground-breaking case of branded ‘infotainment’ harnessing the power of ‘live’. The campaign managed to re-kindle brand love, drove unprecedented engagement and tripled product sales year on year amidst a shrinking category.

Insights, Strategy and the Idea

This audience is one of the hardest for brands to engage. They block ads, yet consume more content than ever before. They crave authenticity and 'opt in' communications over disruptive media. They favour 'real world' celebrities over traditional A-listers. The key therefore was to reach them through their favourite devices, using credible voices of influence and play on their turf. The Big Idea was born, Vodka Cruiser TV (VCTV) - An immersive and interactive weekly ‘TV show’ broadcast exclusively on Facebook LIVE. VCTV was a category first branded content series shot in high definition, using multiple cameras, specifically for the Facebook Live platform. We partnered with SketchShe, who are amongst the biggest global social media celebrities to create a six episode series, screened live weekly. Approachable, energetic and free spirited - we selected Influencers that were a perfect embodiment of the brand personality.

Links

Social Media URL