Describe the creative idea

Battery brands talk about batteries first; however, we shifted focus to our portable lights, and developed a digital entertainment platform to increase engagement. These products and the light beams they generate became tools and weapons to fight the darkness, and be prepared to face possible disasters by winning "Bousai" kits. We flipped our usual way of communication, by moving away from promoting batteries, to launching our portable lights to have a voice in the "national disaster preparedness month", and increase brand awareness. This allowed us to contextualize and visualize our products better in these situations, including placing them as survival tools for conquering the dark in an html-manga series. We moved away from our traditional retail-focused communication to digital channels to guarantee consumer engagement regardless of covid restrictions, and used a beautifully dynamic Manga medium to tell stories because of its pop-culture significance, low cost and wide readership.

Describe the execution

We removed focus from our batteries, and during the “preparedness month”, we launched our portable lights in Japan as tools to get ready for future disasters. "Let there be Light" is an original branded html-animated Manga series. The story unfolds as an unknown monster attacks Japan, and is battled by a group of friends of Mr Energizer when they discover that the monster can't stand the light. Each issue features different Energizer Portable Lights as tools to fight the dark, while highlighting the importance of "Bousai" kits (disaster preparedness kits) in being prepared. Readers could win limited edition "Bousai" kits by finding and clicking on hidden badges in the manga issues, and then registering online. The series went live on its own Energizer website, using a classic adventure-style of manga illustrations, all of which were digitally illustrated in traditional 2D. Cold colors (blues, purples, violets, blue-greens) and dark colors were the dominant ones in most of the adventure, to allow the occasional yellow colors of the light to be more striking. Some warm colors, like red and orange, would occasionally appear on our main characters to highlight them even more. To drive viewers to the online series, we animated short sequences of the manga into "anime" trailers. Using these trailers, and other pieces of content, we invited readers to continue the story with every new issue, with a chance to win and engage with the brand each time. We also extended the campaign into retail, using display branding to highlight the brand, while directing shoppers to the online experience and rewards. The campaign for over a year, and saw an uptick in performance and results, that were sustained through out. The series began development in May 2020, and went live in September, with monthly issues until end of 2021.