2011 Silver Best use of new technology

Client UNILEVER/LYNX

What is wonderful about this work? The most effective way of engaging with Lynx fans is through sexy, witty social media. To launch new Lynx Excite, we created 'Fallen Angel', an interactive and personalised video starring Kelly Brook. It resulted in 80,000 new Facebook fans, 25,000 Likes, comments and posts, 95,000 views and 100,000 YouTube teaser views.

What details of the strategy make this a winning entry? Our experience of working with Lynx convinced us of the suitability of social media for engagement with its target audience - predominantly 18- to 24-year-old males. We advised Lynx all recruitment, communication and management should be conducted via Facebook. This meant letting go of consumer data, in the belief that social media's quality of interaction would outweigh the benefits of owning data. To put it another way, by engaging with the target audience on their terms in their space, Lynx is more likely to be seen as cool and their first choice for keeping clean and smelling good. We strongly believe that the one-to-one direct nature of social media allows us to create a much stronger bond between brand and audience, creating loyalty and sales.

How did creativity bring the strategy to life? Hosted on Facebook, we created an interactive personalised video starring Kelly Brook as an archangel stuck in heaven, only to be released when she finds 'The One' (the viewer). Days before the TVC broke, fallen angels from the TVC infiltrated the Lynx Facebook page and made teaser comments about their search for 'the one'. To drive traffic we created banners and digital OOH asking the question - Will Kelly fall for you? The video showed a trinity of angels working tirelessly to find this legendary human, who when combined with the scent of Lynx Excite will release Archangel Kelly. Viewers and fans were invited to allow the Facebook Connect functionality to create a personalised filmic experience in which Kelly Brook addresses them by name, clutches a photo of them to her bosom, writes their name on a mirror, invites them to choose her underwear, and using Google Earth, even falls to earth outside their own home. Viewers can then share their experience with Facebook friends. We also worked with artists to produce supporting 'Angel' content, like graffiti, art and skateboard designs, delivered through the Lynx blog and YouTube channel, and their own blogs.

Results The personalised video resulted in an additional 80,000 Facebook fans (on top of existing 170,000), 25,000 Likes, comments and posts, 95,000 app views and 100,000 YouTube teaser views.

Team Graeme Noble, Gareth James, Susanne Clark, Tim Russell, Daren Kay, David Parker, Martin Harrison, Johnny Hough, Andrew Gardner.

Other contributors Mindshare - Media, Mind's Eye - Production, Information by Design - Research, Andrew Groves - Illustrator, Copyright - Graffiti artist.