From 6-second online bumpers to 6-minute brand guidelines videos to fun convention fodder to broadcast TV, and beyond—I’ve done it all. On all kinds of budgets. I welcome the challenge of video variety, that is, the best practices and nuances of different formats. (Contrary to popular belief, an online video is not simply a cutdown version of the TV spot.) Here’s a selection of my video output from recent years. Just push play.
It was a vey busy year. First, we re-focused the brand’s messaging on the unique “Theraflu moment.” That is, those few minutes a sick person spends with a hot, soothing cup of powerful relief. Next, we reinvigorated the brand’s digital marketing with bold, energetic graphics, snappy copy, and powerful, pop-driven music. It was fresh territory within the cold & flu category. But we were just getting started. Launching new PowerPods, we moved cold & flu relief from the bathroom medicine cabinet to the kitchen counter by mixing bold and direct with warm and humorous. Oh, did I mention the powerful videos for the ExpressMax offering? Like I said, it was a very busy year.
I admit it, I still love print. Mostly because it strips ideas down to their essence: a headline and an image. Or maybe just a headline. Or an image. No sexy technology, no army of directors, editors, and mixers, just words and images arranged to convey and provoke. Often, on digital assignments, I’ll work out the print ad, even if there isn’t a print ad. It helps me clarify the idea. Anyway, I’ve done a lot of print over the years. Here are some favorites.
Gen Z’ers want to be out there among their peers, especially on social media. That’s why the appearance of a cold sore can create serious panic. “It Came from Within” is a social media-driven campaign designed to target Gen Z’ers where they spend a great deal of time—on social media with their peers. The campaign uses the over-the-top style and tone of B-horror films to position cold sores as monsters that can attack your social life. At the same time, it’s building awareness about the fast, effective cold sore relief of Abreva. Mock horror movie posters announcing short :15 and :30 second online “horror films” are posted on Instagram and YouTube, while in-school guerrilla tactics provide support offline. The tagline, “Stay calm, carry Abreva” empowers users to fight back.
Buy a soldier in Afghanistan a beer from the bus during your morning commute? Mission accomplished. Turn online banking into a scavenger hunt? Cool. Or how about letting geeks do geeky things at a convention for geeks? Um, sure. Mobile marketing is at its best when it empowers us in the moment—and on the go. Here are three ideas that utilized the unique properties of the mobile phone to accomplish client asks in ways that no other media could.
DROID did a lot of what iPhone could not, which meant that iPhone users were compromising. The “Compromise Deactivated” retail campaign was designed to get iPhone users to switch while keeping the tone and style of the brand campaign. Customers were targeted via a wide assortment of tactics: digital, video, direct response, print and OOH all pushed people to retailers and special mobile Compromise Deactivation Pods, building intrigue around the new DROID. And the campaign’s in-store retail assets provided a stark contrast to Verizon’s normal look.
Millennial business travelers view even a short business trip as an opportunity for larger experiences. "There's A Story Here"—a digital campaign targeted at these travelers—was created to shift the Marriott Rewards Card from a “destination” strategy to an “experiences” strategy. The campaign used video, social media, content and eCRM to directly engage customers and reinforce the “story” concept. Ultimately, cardmembers were invited to share their Marriott travel stories on a special activation page. And everybody traveled happily ever after.
Nearly thirty employee interviews and a two-day photo shoot later, the “Paths” employee recruitment campaign was born. A stylized path design let us share the employee’s unique career paths across web, mobile, social, print, video and OOH. There’s even a digital brochure that recruiters could customize on the fly to specifically target the most desired candidates. More than a recruitment campaign, it’s a celebration of achievement.
