2016 Winners & Shortlists

The Brief

The challenge was to find an engaging way to sample NESCAFE in universities, and encourage CONNECTIONS, which is at the heart of NESCAFE strategy. We know that that tensions run high during the first week of university, not due to academic pressures but because students find themselves outside their comfort zone. We designed an activation that could help freshmen students break the ice, over a free cup of NESCAFE coffee. On each coffee cup, we printed different questions as inspiration for conversation starters. Once students chatted, they could “connect” by tapping their RFD bracelets to become friends on Facebook.

Creative Execution

Coffee drinking habits start at the age of 18, hence a key strategic pillar for NESCAFE over the last decade has been to drive trial through sampling where most 18-year-olds are -- in universities. However, youth’s attention has become more fragmented than ever. They are more likely to run (straight) into a sampler than stop for a coffee. Even a free one. The campaign kicked off in Q4 2015 in Lebanon. Step 1: Choose a university, and collaborate on the ground with the sampling team to plan the event. Step 2: Design the social media aspect, and produce RFD bracelets. Step 3: Coordinate with a production crew. A director with multi-camera crew was used to capture event on camera. Step 4: Implement event, edit and post video. Step 5: Pool answers, and plan the next activation based on answers and learnings (which is currently where we are at).

Describe the success of the promotion with both client and consumer including some quantifiable results

Objectives: Create engagement, assess likeability and determine next location. Facebook: the video had over 6.5 million views, and 244K organic views. In fact, this was the best performing piece of video content NESCAFE has posted on Facebook. Engagement has been overwhelming with over 70K interactions and 62K likes. We also sampled DOUBLE the average number of cups of coffee. We’ve had great feedback from fans: Ayman Al-malik?: ? “If only they had this when I was in university I know things would be different. I loved it.”????????? ?Dina Alassaad:? ? “Lebanese American University-Beirut, would set a perfect socializing environment. SO. SO. Brilliant Nescafe! Wow, coming from a psychology major and being a positive psychology advocate, I say this is just inspiring!”???????????????????? ?Ghassan Assi?: “this is just too awesome!! so happy seeing things like this happening in the Arab world!?”???????????????????? The next activation is being planned as this is being typed…

Explain why the method of promotion was most relevant to the product or service

NESCAFÉ wanted to transform its sampling activities into a more engaging activation, and increase the number of cups sampled. We created a pop up sampling café, called “Connect Café”, to help new students start connections. Any student could pass by, and take part in the activation. The activation was a “speed friendship” event where 1 student sits across from another and chats for a few minutes, before swapping to meet another new student. RFD bracelets enabled students to connect via social media with a simple tap on the bracelet. The genuineness of the activation struck a chord with our young audience, who often find the first few days of university to be difficult and lonely. What better way to meet new friends than over a (free) cup of NESCAFE coffee? Especially when the cups have questions printed on them to help get conversations started.