Red Heart Spiced
Winning the hearts of a new generation of consumers
Red Heart Rum launched a new variant, Spiced in a market where rum consumption is on the decline, and a giant global competitor is the dominant player. We were asked to create an engaging campaign and brand experience which would kick start trial and awareness of a new product. Our challenge was to get Red Heart Spiced noticed by our core consumers (ages 18-24) and encourage them to put their usual beverages aside and try something new.
Strategy
Red Heart rallies men (and women) to be brave and spontaneous. Our insight into our target audience for Spiced was “the best times are unplanned.” Our strategy was to reward our consumers for changing their routine and giving something new a bash. To “Flip the script with Red Heart Spiced.”
What we did:
Awareness:
In the first phase of the campaign, we called on our audience to nominate friends and tell us why they needed to shake things up. We partnered with popular 5FM DJ Roger Goode to recruit on air and online.
With digital partner agency HelloComputer, humorous clips were created and posted on social media channels, working together with radio ads that spoofed friends ‘stuck in a rut’. This drove consumers to a microsite where they could nominate their mates to Flip the Script.
Are you ready to Flip the Script?
To help create awareness, Roger Goode flipped the script on his own nominee and buddy Sias Du Plessis, the noted sports correspondent who’s been reading sports news the same way, day in and day out, for fifteen years. Roger Goode challenged an unaware Sias to Flip the Script and read the sports news in a new way – an experience neither he nor his fans will ever forget, all caught on camera.
We all have friends like Sias…
The video was seeded online and live on air, with a call for consumers to nominate their mates “who could use a bit of a shake up, like Sias.” When users clicked on the video in their social media feed, they would navigate to an entry form on the the campaign microsite, where they got to name their mate and explain why he or she needed to “Flip the Script”. They also had the option to share their nomination on Facebook, creating more fun and talkability.
Mates nominated mates and we picked our victims…
Activation
Nominations poured in from allover the country. We selected the best three candidates, and together with partner agency Stretch we flipped their routine – on camera, each with a different twist to their day, tailored to their interests. The nominees had absolutely no idea anything was up, but meanwhile we had been coordinating in the background with their friends.
Try it Spiced
The clips were promoted on social media channels and also featured on our microsite. Once watched, consumers were able to view the special Red Heart Spiced drink created in honour of the entertaining antic they had viewed. These mixes were in turn promoted on social media.
The Impact
By creating fun, engaging experiences, the brand generated PR-worthy content that drove awareness and helped build relevance. Various news channels, blogs and influencers wrote about, commented on and featured our stories which put the consumer at the centre of the brand experience. One of our stories even featured as the 2nd search result on organic Google search!
With a limited budget, we brought the brand experience to life in a way that resonated with our audience and got Red Heart Spiced to be considered by new generation of consumers. Our campaign resulted in 700,000 online engagements, 100,000 clicks through to the campaign microsite and a 46% increase in followers across Red Heart’s social communities.
Credits
Creative Director: Martinique Wilkinson
Copywriters: Martinique Wilkinson, Camilla Clerke, Charne Verwey, Andrew Davenport
Production company: Tin Toy
Digital Agency: Hello Computer
Activation Agency: Stretch