2016 Winners & Shortlists

Brief Explanation

It's rare when a creative execution actually physically touches an audience. In this remarkably direct campaign, we demonstrated the importance of a good night's sleep, while calling out and fixing a humanitarian crisis. Instead of doing a regular outdoor campaign which would show images of the product, we decided to convert the outdoor boards into physical beds for homeless laborers in Pakistan - affecting their lives directly. We designed the world's first Billbed. Pakistan's leading mattress brand, MoltyFoam, had suffered a decline in brand love which we managed to turn around with a highly effective direct campaign. After putting up over 150 BillBeds across 9 cities with a budget of less than $20000, we launched a short documentary on social media which went viral in the country. The campaign not only re-ignited brand love, it also provided a solution for a much needed cause.

Creative Execution

The creative execution was the product itself. Rather than just spend money on static billboards, we decided to turn them into functional devices that would actually help people get a good night's sleep. We designed the world's first BillBed. By day the BillBeds advertised the brand, and by night - with a simple flick - they transformed into comfortable beds. The weatherproof BillBeds were placed in more than 150 locations in 9 major cities in Pakistan, all for under $20,000. We carefully selected places that we knew would benefit homeless laborers the most. A short documentary was then created for social media.

Results

The campaign instantly went viral, attracting the attention of politicians and celebrities alike who took notice of the situation, raising awareness of the plight of these laborers. Even though our goal was strictly CSR, the campaign renewed people’s love for the brand and raised sales by 2%, a significant increase for a 'life-event' product. In a recent survey, love for the brand had increased by 68%, while purchase intent rose by 82%. Most importantly though, we provided a good night's sleep to countless homeless laborers. A few laborers even reported that the better night's sleep on the BillBeds gave them the energy to work more the next day, thereby raising their income.