Adaily Inspiration Week #9: Brand Hijacks
Adaily Inspiration is a weekly newsletter containing 5 inspiring ads from our full 2,500 database of winning campaigns.
For this week we chose campaigns for “brand hijacks”. Below you can find our 5 picks, but if you want to see more just click direct link to query » HERE «
1. “The Art Of Stealing” - Lupin
Netflix did a Lupin-themed campaign using the theft of the Lady with an Ermine painting and a clever twist involving Lupin himself.
GONG • 2022 • TV show • Poland • Europe
Challenge
The challenge of this campaign was to create a buzz and generate attention around the upcoming second season of the Lupin Netflix series. The goal was to engage the audience and make them curious about the heist of the "Lady with an Ermine" painting. The campaign needed to be executed in a way that not only captured the interest of the public but also kept them guessing about who was responsible for the theft. Additionally, the campaign needed to generate media coverage and online discussions to maximize its reach and impact.
Target Group
The target group of this campaign was the general public in Poland, including art enthusiasts, fans of the Lupin Netflix series, and the wider population interested in cultural events and heists.
Idea
The main idea of this campaign was to promote the second season of the Netflix series "Lupin" by staging a heist on the most valuable painting in the Polish collection, the "Lady with an Ermine" by Leonardo Da Vinci. The campaign involved stealing the painting and exhibiting a fake version in the National Museum, with the lady depicted without her famous necklace. The goal was to generate buzz and intrigue by creating a mystery around the theft and drawing attention to the connection between the fictional thief Arsene Lupin and the missing necklace.
Results
The campaign to promote the second season of the Lupin Netflix series through a heist on the painting "Lady with an Ermine" generated successful results. The fake painting, without the famous necklace, was displayed at the National Museum, attracting media attention within a few hours. The campaign became the number one trending topic in Poland and reached a wide audience with 2.5 million people. It also received over 10,000 engagements and gained 170 mentions in the media. Additionally, the campaign successfully garnered media pickups in 2020. Overall, the campaign generated significant buzz and awareness for the Netflix series.
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2. “Heinzjack” - Heinz
Heinz Arabia did a disruptive and engaging campaign using a fan named Thomas Heinz to connect with the FIFA World Cup audience.
FP7 McCann Dubai • 2022 • Other food • United Arab Emirates • Middle East
Challenge
The challenge of the campaign was to connect Heinz Arabia with the FIFA World Cup in a smart and organic manner, despite not being an official sponsor. The goal was to stand out and be disruptive in a cluttered space, ensuring that Heinz was part of the football conversation. Additionally, the campaign needed to have sufficient stature to carry the brand before, during, and after the tournament.
Target Group
The target group of this campaign was football fans, specifically those attending the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The campaign aimed to engage and interact with fans of the sport who were present at the tournament, both local and international attendees.
Idea
The main idea of this campaign was for Heinz Arabia to connect with the FIFA World Cup in a smart and organic way, even though they were not an official sponsor. They achieved this by finding a person named Thomas Heinz from Hamburg and sending him to the World Cup wearing a QR code-enabled football jersey. The campaign encouraged fans to find Thomas Heinz using the hashtag #FindHeinz in a competition reminiscent of "Where's Waldo."
Results
The campaign generated significant buzz and engagement both online and offline. On social media, the hashtag #FindHeinz trended and garnered over 16 million impressions. Thomas Heinz became a popular figure among World Cup attendees, receiving countless interactions and photo opportunities. The QR code on his jersey allowed fans to scan and instantly access exclusive content and promotions from Heinz Arabia. The campaign successfully created brand awareness and positioned Heinz as a playful and witty brand associated with the football event. Overall, the campaign achieved its goal of maximizing Heinz's presence during the World Cup and engaging with a global audience.
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3. “Bookvertising” - Nemira Publishing House
Nemira's Bookvertising got international brands like Cheetos and Johnnie Walker to promote other products in their ads using books as props.
SAATCHI Creative HUB Bucharest • 2022 • Books • Romania • Europe
Challenge
The challenge of the Bookvertising campaign was the low budget for promoting authors and books. The Romanian publishing house Nemira needed a creative solution to give much-needed visibility to books and engage international brands in promoting them.
Target Group
The target group of the Bookvertising campaign was both international and local brands, as well as the wider audience of readers and potential book buyers. The aim was to get brands to adopt books as props in their ads, promoting the visibility and importance of books in popular culture. The campaign also targeted TV stations and media outlets to generate awareness and encourage people to read more.
Idea
The main idea of the Bookvertising campaign was to address the low budget for promoting authors by partnering with international brands and using their ads as a platform to promote books. By allowing brands to adopt books as props in their ads, the campaign aimed to increase visibility and create a conversation about reading in the community. The initiative successfully generated significant earned media and impressions, sparking interest from TV stations and other media outlets, ultimately encouraging people to read more books.
Results
The 'BOOKVERTISING' campaign by Romanian platform Nemira had successful results. Over 50 international and local brands adopted books as props in their ads, providing much-needed visibility to the books. The campaign surpassed its original expectations, with books being featured in TV commercials, outdoor advertising, the largest commercial catalog from Kaufland, and window displays. This generated 1.2 million euros in earned media. Additionally, the campaign sparked a national conversation about reading within the communities of writers and readers, leading TV shows, and across various media outlets. The initiative also got the largest Romanian TV stations involved, who joined by introducing a new PSA encouraging people to read at least one book per month. Within two months, Bookvertising generated over 730% impressions, and it is expected to deliver up to nine million impressions in a year, continuing to serve as a timeless and open platform for Romanian publishing houses and brands.
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4. “Whopper Heist” - Burger King
Burger King did a campaign using digital OOH signs and NFC technology to let people "steal" hidden Whoppers.
We Believers New York • 2022 • QSR • United States • North America
Challenge
The challenge of this campaign was to create an engaging and interactive experience that would encourage people to participate in the burger "heist." Burger King and Netflix had to develop a system that seamlessly integrated the digital OOH signs with the BK app and NFC technology, allowing people to easily "steal" the hidden Whoppers using their phones. They also had to ensure that the campaign created enough excitement and motivation for people to actively seek out the hidden burgers and ultimately visit Burger King to redeem them.
Target Group
The target group of this campaign was individuals who were fans of the Spanish TV series Money Heist and also regular customers of Burger King.
Idea
The main idea of this campaign was to engage and excite customers by utilizing the concept of the TV series Money Heist and encouraging them to "steal" digital Whopper burgers from Burger King's digital out-of-home signs. By incorporating technology, such as NFC chips and the BK app, the campaign aimed to create a unique and interactive experience for customers, ultimately driving them to redeem their "stolen" burgers at Burger King locations.
Results
The results of the Burger King and Netflix campaign were highly successful. The promotion generated significant attention and engagement from participants. Thousands of Whoppers were 'stolen' through the digital OOH signs, resulting in a boost in foot traffic to Burger King locations. The use of the BK app allowed people to track the availability and locations of the hidden Whoppers, creating a sense of excitement and urgency. The campaign successfully aligned with the theme of the Money Heist TV series and created a unique, interactive experience for customers. Overall, the campaign achieved its objective of encouraging people to become robbers themselves and generated positive brand visibility for Burger King and Netflix.
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5. “The Ad Break Championship” - Volkswagen
Volkswagen did the Ad break Championship - GTI Hijack using a live gaming platform during TV ad breaks.
DDB Sydney • 2022 • Cars • Australia • Oceania
Challenge
The challenge of this campaign was launching the latest model of the Volkswagen Golf GTI with a limited media budget and in a market saturated with car advertisements. Additionally, the target audience, who were primarily younger and tech-savvy, had grown weary and less engaged with traditional TV ads. The goal was to stand out and capture the attention of the audience in a unique and engaging way.
Target Group
The target group of this campaign was primarily younger and tech-savvy individuals.
Idea
The main idea of the campaign was to disrupt the traditional TV advertising model by hijacking the entire ad break to launch the new Golf GTI. Instead of a standard 30-second ad, a 3-minute live racing game was created, allowing viewers to play against each other via their phones. This unique and interactive approach aimed to capture the attention of the target audience, generate buzz, and increase engagement with the brand.
Results
The GTI Hijack campaign for the launch of the new Volkswagen Golf GTI was highly successful. Despite having a significantly lower budget compared to competitors, the campaign had a major impact. The campaign received over 70,000 game sessions and generated more than 90,000 visits to the campaign page, resulting in a 97% increase in website traffic. The racing game within the ad break garnered over 5,000 hours of active gameplay, hijacking over 2.7 million dollars in media from other brands that had ads in the same commercial break. The campaign also had a significant impact on brand perception, with brand metrics for 'inspiring' and 'exciting' doubling. Dealer call backs increased by 436%, stock enquiries went up by 97%, and test drives saw a remarkable increase of 725%. Most importantly, sales of the Golf GTI increased by 55% during the active campaign period, making it the most successful GTI launch ever. Overall, the GTI Hijack campaign proved to be highly effective in capturing audience attention, driving engagement, and ultimately, boosting sales for the new Volkswagen Golf GTI.
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