Brand | SONY MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS |
Product/Service | MOBILE |
Entrant | FP7/DXB Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES |
Entrant Company
|
FP7/DXB Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
|
Advertising Agency
|
FP7/DXB Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
|
Production Company
|
MUDDVILLE Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
|
The Campaign
Apple and Samsung dominate the mobile market in the Middle East. Meanwhile, Sony has been quietly improving its products to the point they now outperform the leaders in many ways. But to win “share of pocket” vs. iPhone and Galaxy, Sony first needed to win “share of desire” by repositioning itself as a brand that people really wanted to spend time with. So when they launched Xperia Z3, the first ever fully waterproof range of smartphones and tablets, we saw an opportunity. THE WORLD’S FIRST UNDERWATER STORE let us highlight this unique feature in a way that turned potential customers into Sony fans. The project was extremely bold for the Middle East market, so it took months of thinking, testing, fixing, and trying again before we had a fully functioning, WiFi-enabled, breathable store 5 metres under the sea.
Success of the Campaign
From the very first presentation, the client was as excited about this project as we were, which allowed us to really push the limits of what we could achieve. The public reaction across the Middle East was also very positive – in a region where brands don’t take such big risks, ours paid off: within 4 weeks brand preference was up 4 points, and our brand sentiment score jumped to 91% positive (compared to a Sony global average of 40%). As our story spread from Dubai to more than 80 countries, we were talked about in articles including Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Wired, Gizmodo GQ, CNN, and T3. Our Internet film earned over 5.25 million views, and our Twitter followers increased 21%. Total earned media was over $4.5 million. And Xperia sales increased 115%, with retailers across Dubai selling out of Xperia products for over a week.
Describe how the campaign/entry was launched and executed across each channel in the order of implementation.
In the run-up to the store opening we released a series of teaser images hinting at what was waiting beneath the waves, creating a frenzy of media and public demanding to know more. We also set people across the Middle East a challenge through Facebook: come visit the store and drown your smartphone for an Xperia Z3. In just 3 days, over 2,000 took part for the chance to travel to Dubai for the opening. Besides the members of the public who visited the store, we invited media and key influencers for a special event, complete with afterparty on the beach. We also used the opportunity to shoot an Internet film, which spread across the world through our social channels. And we sent the full story to various tech sites, ad industry blogs, and major press for coverage – turning the pop-up store into a huge PR success.
Credits
Paul Banham |
FP7 DXB |
Executive Creative Director |
Mo Aram |
FP7/DXB |
Art Director |
Chris Booth |
FP7/DXB |
Copywriter |
Karl Uhlemann |
FP7/DXB |
General Manager Manager Business Unit |
Alston D'sa |
FP7/DXB |
Account Manager |
Khaled Hamza |
FP7/DXB |
Head Of Creative Services |
Brence Dsa |
FP7/DXB |
Producer |
Erol Salcinovic |
FP7/DXB |
Design Director |
Kuba Skowronski |
FP7/DXB |
Senior Designer |
Sameer Ketkar/Celia Jaber |
FP7/DXB |
Senior Designer |
Tahaab Rais |
FP7/DXB |
Head Of Strategic Planning And Insights |
Aakriti Goel |
FP7/DXB |
Digital Strategic Planner |
Sameer Islam |
FP7/DXB |
Strategic Planner |
Srinivas Kuniyil |
FP7/DXB |
Assistant Production Manager |
Jon Shaikh/Scott Rawsthorne |
Diamond Bullet |
Director Duos |
Jac Mulder |
Muddville FZ LLC |
Dop Lighting Cameraman |
Leigh Ferreira |
Muddville FZ LLC |
Producer Post House |
Sasan Saeidi |
FP7/DXB |
Managing Director |
Gita Ghaemmaghami |
Sony Mobile Communications |
Marketing Communication Manager |
Nicolas Firdy |
Sony Mobile Communications |
Marcom Digital Manager/Sony |