Cadbury Eyebrows Campaign with a Canadian Twist (October 15, 2009 update)

The fun Cadbury Eyebrows campaign from the UK is now officially in Canada with an added twist that makes it uniquely Canadian! “Have you found the Eyebrow Language decoder on DairyMilk.ca yet?” This starts the latest Canadian Tweet for @DairyMilkCanada on Twitter. Already enjoying over 735 followers, (October 15, 2009) Cadbury Dairy Milk is Tweeting about their fun new EYEBROWS campaign which originated earlier this year in the UK, and is currently unfolding in Canada with a set of unique creative elements that is getting a buzz. Some people love the campaign while others wonder about its relevancy to chocolate! For the sceptics, the connection is made clear by Cadbury, irreverently poking fun at itself on its YouTube channel, stating that the ad is, “Yet another feat of ridiculousness and joy,” a feat that gets attention, starts conversations, and creates memorable engagement with a product that too is fun. This Cadbury Eyebrows ad is linked below, (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVblWq3tDwY).

The Canadian Cadbury Eyebrows campaign engages chocolate lovers with TV spots, billboard ads, transit ads, and commuter newspaper ads. It also interacts with Canadian consumers through the social media they use. Twitter, (@DairyMilkCanada), directs followers to YouTube mash-ups and a microsite. Its Canadian Facebook Dairy Milk Eyebrows page, (http://www.dairymilk.ca/facebook), entices people to become fans and win chocolate for a year. Its YouTube channel, (http://www.youtube.com/user/glassandahalffull), provides a forum for video responses, comments, video ratings, and viewings. The Eyebrows ad currently boasts 4,855,072 views on YouTube, 12,892 comments, and 123 video responses from around the world – all creating a buzz for their chocolate, (October 15, 2009).

Below you can see a video response/spoof that is posted on the Cadbury Glass and a Half Full YouTube channel, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tomZZViNBc

Also unique to Canada is the billboard, transit, and commuter daily newspaper campaign, EYEBROW LANGUAGE, which you can see in Toronto and Vancouver. This part of the Eyebrows campaign teases consumers with ...     “Wheel of Fortune / hangman-type” ads that ask people to decipher the message by going to the Cadbury Dairy Milk microsite at http://www.dairymilk.ca/. Here a language decoder is provided together with other fun elements such as a downloadable ringtone from the commercial's song, "Don’t Stop the Rock," by Freestyle.

The daily commuter newspaper ads are designed with the characteristics of the media in mind. Ads run in the daily commuter newspapers Metro and 24 Hours in Toronto and Vancouver over a 4 week period. The headlines are written in “Eyebrow Language” and ask the readers to decipher the message. Cleverly, the first ad of the week brings attention to the campaign, the second ad of the week engages the reader with an opportunity to win a prize, and the third ad of the week provides information on the contest-event which occurred the previous day! Ads that took place early in the campaign in Toronto had decoders go to a local mall at a specific time, twirl, clap three times, and yell chocolate to win a prize. Video clips and photos of these mini-events are being uploaded to the microsite for this campaign.

You can enjoy mash-ups of the Cadbury Eyebrows Campaign at  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVblWq3tDwY

James Ready - Share Our Billboard Campaign - Wins Gold at Cannes

James Ready? Who is James Ready(?) was the question being asked a few months ago when the Canadian beer brand started hitting the media for the marketing awards it was winning for its innovative outdoor billboard campaign, SHARE OUR BILLBOARD. So, for those of you not familiar with Ontario’s micro-brewing industry, James Ready is not a person but a brand of beer brewed since 1875 by the James Ready Brewing Company in Niagara Falls, Canada. Its campaign, SHARE OUR BILLBOARD, created by Leo Burnett, just won a Gold Lion at Cannes yesterday for its innovative outdoor advertising campaign. The award recognizes the James Ready campaign’s creative approach and its ability to engage with young beer drinkers to create a local buzz in the market.

The James Ready Canadian advertising campaign, SHARE OUR BILLBOARD. made a splash by plastering 106 billboards in southern Ontario, asking people to keep the price of James Ready beer at $1 per bottle by sharing in the cost of the billboard campaign. Classified ads appeared in local Canadian newspapers with a similar message as to the outdoor advertising campaign. People were asked to, “Help us keep James Ready a buck. Share our billboard.” Billboard messages steered people to a website www.jamesready.com where they could post their best offer (no actual cost was accepted) and upload messages and photos to be included in the billboard. The result – on a first-come-first-serve basis, people’s submissions were posted on individual local billboards with a tag line from James Ready Beer thanking them for keeping the price of the beer at $1! The people showcased in the SHARE OUR BILLBOARD campaign became local celebrities in their communities, creating further buzz for James Ready beer and prompting many conversations at water coolers and bars in the area!

The James Ready SHARE OUR BILLBOARD campaign has already won numerous awards including Andy, Marketing, and OBIE awards. You can see a short video clip of this Canadian campaign below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xqu2HbCRkgE

Coca-Cola LA LIVE Spot

Advertising is everywhere - we can hardly move without another message telling us something or other.... and of course, "something or other" is the issue! How many messages do we actually notice, let alone remember? Here’s a message you can't forget, the Coca-Cola LA LIVE digital outdoor advertising campaign launched a few weeks ago at the Nokia Plaza in downtown Los Angeles – home of the Grammies.

Conceived, produced and directed by BRAND NEW SCHOOL in Los Angeles, the outdoor campaign airs simultaneously on 17 digital screens in the immediate vicinity, literally submerging viewers in a campaign of red hues that is overwhelmingly Coca-Cola! Smart camera angles, clever edits, and top athletes star in the footage making viewers feel part of the action. The Coca-Cola logo becomes the focus of the spot, not the athletes which Coke had originally envisioned. Turn it around and the brand is the king.

Hmm – this does remind you of something? Yes, those BELL CANADA 2008 Summer Olympic Games' spots used to launch Bell’s rebranding effort and ER campaign. Do you recall those oversized logos and athletes performing over a blue backdrop that ended up being a giant sized Bell logo? Stunning! I must say Bell has my vote for this one. What do you think, Bell or Coca-Cola?

Click below to watch the Coca-Cola LA LIVE spot, the making of this spot (a must-see), and the stunning Bell spot.