The Campaign

Millennials are comfortable about sharing pretty much anything these days. Social media has become a soapbox for transparency. But there's still one thing millennials go to great lengths to hide. Their internet search history. It was the one place our audience were unleashing their wildest, weirdest, craziest tastes in secret. In fact, a recent Google Survey revealed that more millennials were comfortable sharing their paycheck than their search history. So we created the Chatime #HistoryCha_llenge: a challenge that dared our audience to swap their crazy tastes for ours. Rather than hiding it, we asked people to screengrab, upload, and hashtag their search history on Instagram Stories. The weirdest and wildest ones could win a year's worth of free Chatime. It was time to get weird.

Creative Execution

Using staff and loyal customers, we put the call out to share their weirdest search histories. Then, using the best of the bunch, we created an online film, launched through our social channels and PR, that called on people to share their own for a chance to win. We knew that people would be reluctant to share their entries on Instagram, where they could be viewed permanently. So instead, we used Instagram Stories, where entries would only last for 24 hours. Scraping for our hashtag, we turned the best entries into content for our integrated campaign. In fact, the entire campaign was made from user-generated content; from the initial online film, to our social content, to our digital out of home, and on-pack advertising. Rather than hiding it, we encouraged our audience to celebrate their crazy tastes. The crazier the better. After all, that's what we were known for.

In just two weeks, and with a budget of just $30,000 (including media), the #HistoryCha_llenge received nation-wide coverage, increased our social audience by over 17%, and provided Chatime with one of their highest sales spikes in CBD stores since opening. These results more than tripled the KPIs set out for the project.

Our bubble tea audience is at a stressful time in their lives. They're facing the responsibilities of university; of their burgeoning careers and relationships; of elevating house prices and falling salaries. They're facing pressure from home and family and society. And all at a time when the world around them is increasingly serious. Our brand strategy was to offer our audience 'a moment of fun in a serious world'. With a limited budget, and a small but vocal social audience, we knew we needed to create an idea that was highly shareable; an idea that could thrive in social channels. Given our audience, we wanted an idea that was mobile-led, and played to Millennials' spirit of social one-upsmanship - an attitude where social currency is based on boldness.