2015 Winners & Shortlists

Creative Execution

We didn’t want the underwater store to only be enjoyed by those who visited it, but by people all over the world. So we wrote and shot a film that brought to life the incredible thrill of visiting the store, focusing on the visual beauty of its design as well as the immersive experience of being inside it. Then we released the film through our major social channels: Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter.

Our online video earned over 5.25 million views across Facebook, YouTube and Twitter, and picked up over 225,000 Facebook Likes. We also had a Twitter CTR of 9.70% and increased our Twitter followers by 21%. Our total engagement was over 6.5 million and our total earned media over $4.5 million. 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%). And best of all, Xperia sales increased 115% with retailers across Dubai selling out of Xperia products for over a week.

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 created the emotional connection we needed, highlighting Sony’s unique feature in a way that created a powerful response in the people who experienced it (both live and through our social activity and news/articles).