Why is this work relevant for Brand Experience & Activation?

Facebook was caught in the midst of long negative news cycle. Which overshadowed all the good that the brand was both capable of and actually powering in the middle of the pandemic-induced distress across the entire country.

Background

To change the conversations around Facebook into the positive impact it has on the life of millions in the country.

Describe the creative idea (20% of vote)

For Diwali – the festival of prosperity, in the kind of year that is 2020, we wanted to tell a story that captured the very essence of what so many amongst us have been doing. Which is, they’ve been coming together and selflessly going the extra mile to be there for others. The film is a tribute to all those who’ve harnessed the power of Facebook to amplify the good within us for the greater good. And brought to life the Indian truism that prosperity too grows only when shared with others. This is the story of the 28-year-old Pooja and the people (who’ve been laid off) that she keeps hiring (even though she doesn’t need them) through the hard months of 2020, at great personal cost and how those people come together and come through for her.

Describe the strategy (20% of vote)

There’s an age old Indian saying – Prosperity grows when you share it with others. This was especially prescient in a year like 2020 and served as our strategic plank. To tell a story of what a lot of people in India were doing, which is, they were coming together and selflessly going the extra mile to be there for others. Often by harnessing, the power of Facebook to amplify the good within us for the greater good.

Describe the execution (30% of vote)

With most regular PR channels out of action because of the pandemic, we took an unusual route. Instead of a PR Blitz, we banked on a single story, a 7min23sec long, emotive story to break the news cycle. A story of Facebook being used to amplify the good within us for the greater good. Story of the 28-year-old Pooja and the people – who had lost their other jobs, who she keeps hiring, even though she doesn’t need them, through the hardest months of 2020, at great personal cost & how those people come together and come through for her.

List the results (30% of vote)

Not only did it break the news cycle. It broke the internet in India. Drove 228K reshares (19x compared to typical video reshare per view),61M views of which 6M organic views on facebook. With 68.9M views of which 900k organic,25K reactions,84% of likes on Youtube. Earned 22M reach, celebrated by 27 media exposures across leading mainline & marketing media, global publications. Generating 544 million impressions. 122 million completed views. For around 900 million minutes of viewing. Across multiple video platforms. The ad was picked up by wide range of news channels. Positive social sentiment shot up during the campaign period.