2022 Gold B2C

Agency: TMW Unlimited and The Specialist Works

Client: Freesat

Campaign Name: Freesat - Live Life Free

Campaign Overview

In the highly competitive world of TV entertainment providers Freesat had a perception problem. The brand was rooted in value but had limited appeal with the key growth audience - Sky customers - as ‘value’ inadvertently became associated with 'cheap'.

Strategy

To ensure it delivered a truly credible brand shift, Freesat used its in-house behavioural team, Human Understanding Lab, to get under the skin of Sky customers, their TV habits and viewing experience.

Freesat found that despite most Sky customers claiming they were content with their TV habits, they were actually frustrated by a number of small, underlying 'TV niggles’: poor value for money, content overload and a fragmented experience.

This provided a powerful starting point to reposition Freesat and give it a new lease of life as an enabler to change contracts, based on the central tenet: ‘Empower with the freedom to enjoy TV without compromise.’

Creativity

‘Live Life Free’ was Freesat’s call-to-arms for Sky customers. To champion the message effectively, the brand created some mascots to bang the TV freedom drum. Ossi and Pod - two crabs literally unaware of the world of free entertainment just above their heads on a classic seaside pier - embarked on a voyage of discovery through a fairground to bring to life Freesat's most compelling benefits.

The TV ad featured a seamless combination of live action and CG animation. The campaign ecosystem allowed Freesat to land messages across different touchpoints in a flexible and scalable manner, with a brand world stretching from an immersive fairground for emotionally rooted executions, through to colourscapes peppered with arcade fun for lower-funnel activity.

Results

After three months from go-live, Live Life Free had increased the likelihood of Sky customers to choose Freesat as their box provider. There was also a net positive increase in brand perception scores across the board.

Freesat successfully broadened its brand appeal and was shaking off its value-based identity to super-charge sales. Activity continues, including internal comms and retail activations.

The Team

TMW Unlimited - Andre Santos, Director of Marketing Freesat - Katherine Jones, Consumer Marketing Manager Freesat - Lloyd Francis, Creative Director - Motion - Tom Rees-Kaye, Senior Editor - Millie Graham-Campbell, Head of Production - Luke Bosshard, Motion Designer - Tom Harman, Creative Director - Stuart Woodall, Associate Creative Director - Neil Matthews, Associate Creative Director - Lucy Burt, Senior Account Director - Karen Morris, Client Services Director - Maddy Walker, Account Manager - Claire Wilson, Senior Account Director - Becky Yates, Senior Account Manager - Dan Bowers, Chief Strategy Officer - Paul Dazeley, Head of Planning - Joel Girling, Planner - Martin Allen, Creative Director Coffee & TV - Josh George, Character Modelling Coffee & TV - Jonny Grew, Character Animation Coffee & TV - Nick John, 2D Lead Coffee & TV - Amy Rowcliffe, Director of Marketing Digital UK

The Specialist Works - Emma Martin, Group Client Director - Emma Gibbs Group Client Director - Sophie Cheshire, Client Director - Conrad Turner, Client Manager - Ruchika Goenka, Paid Social Account Director - Rebecca Dammann, Paid Search Account Director - Talia Murphy, AV Executive - James Russel, Rands Media Director

Contributors

Coffee & TV