Was Vanish Napisan’s Crystal White House campaign the most audacious idea in 2011?
Case Study: Australian laundry powder, Vanish NapiSan, wanted its new product range, Vanish Napisan Crystal White, to be famous for keeping white clothes white.
In order to get consumers talking about the brand message of ‘whiter whites’, Euro RSCG, Sydney and sister PR agency, Red created a campaign to sponsor the most famous white building in the world, the White House in Washington DC.
They had A$25million to secure naming rights – their entire annual marketing spend.
The strategy was to document this audacious bid, feed the content into a Facebook page, and use it to spark media interest. When the campaign to sponsor the White House failed, they turned it around and ran a competition to sponsor a suburban white house in Australia.
The campaign received widespread media coverage, reaching 11 million people in Australia alone, almost half the population.
The highlights included150 minutes of earned media on radio in Australia, with 72 media items across Australia in 2 months, when 5 is the norm. This resulted in a total of 87% share of voice versus their competitors. They received a further 140 media items globally, including CNBC, ABC and two live TV interviews on Fox News, each airing to 50million American homes. Online, the campaign Twitter reach was 620,000+ and their Facebook site received 22,000+ visits.
The Background
Trusted by generations of Australians, Vanish NapiSan is synonymous with effective fabric stain removal. The brand wanted their new Vanish Napisan Crystal White range to be equally famous for keeping white clothes white. Although the brand had previously engaged traditional marketing methods, consumers weren’t talking about the new product. The challenge was to undertake a campaign that would capture consumer attention. Vanish Napisan marketing team was particularly keen to see how non-traditional methods could be used for the first time to benefit its brand.
The objective
This was new campaign territory for the brand and success would be measured in awareness and engagement levels, as opposed to sales. Four focus groups, in addition to voxpops on the streets, were used to research reaction around the creative and to ensure the core audience wouldn’t be alienated. People loved the ‘fun’ and ‘cheekiness’ of the idea, recognising it as a very different approach for Vanish NapiSan.
Here’s how they did it
Stage 1
Reckitt Benckiser marketing director, Chris Tedesco, released the White House sponsorship story to Australian media, stating that Vanish NapiSan Crystal White was launching this ground-breaking attempt to sponsor the White House, with a budget of $25 million – the entire annual marketing budget. They also sent letters to every single member of the US Congress, asking for their support.
They appointed a spokesperson for the campaign, Adam Whittaker, who became the Vanish Napisan Crystal White brand champion. Whittaker posted a direct pitch to President Obama on YouTube, offering $25million to Sponsor the White House. This film gained over 10,000 views.
Next, they appointed a well-known DC lobbying firm, Grayling, to help set-up meetings with influencers/politicians, and they sent spokesperson, Adam Whittaker, to Washington DC to ‘negotiate’ the deal.
Stage 2
At the height of the American debt crisis, as Congress and the President stared each other down, they sent their spokesperson, Adam Whittaker, to Washington DC, armed with a giant cheque for $25million.
He pitched the deal to everyday Americans, Democrats, Republicans, Congressmen, Senators, and members of the Secret Service. A camera crew followed him at all times, posting over 20 viral films to a Sponsor the White House Facebook page, where fans were following and supporting the campaign.
As the campaign grew, the Australian Facebook fans began offering their houses for sponsorship, in case Obama said no.
They decided to respond.
Stage 3
They changed the campaign.
If they couldn’t sponsor the White House, they decided to Sponsor a White House. So they announced to their Facebook fans that they were going to sponsor a white house in Australia instead. Would it be theirs?
The competition was released to the media, and launched on TV and online ads.
People from all around Australia posted their entries on the Facebook page. They released featured entries to local press, with the winning entry from Brisbane achieving coverage across the state of Queensland.
The results
On a fraction of the normal media spend, the Vanish Napisan White House Campaign captured consumer attention…
They reached 11 million people in Australia alone, almost half the population.
87% share of voice versus their competitors.
150 minutes of earned media on radio in Australia
72 media items across Australia in 2 months, 5 is the norm
A further 140 media items globally.
Two six minute segments on national TV in the US.
A social media reach of over 600,000 people.
16 Comments
Nup, it was lame. Nice try to spin it though.
No.
lame idea and overly long case study. Painfully blatant push by Euro to get some traction before AWARD jury gathers.
Into it. Defo audacious.
this one just wont flush
“A social media reach of over 600,000 people.”
Really?
Only a pathetic 3000 people – worldwide ‘liked’ your Facebook page, so massaging the figures up to 600,000 seems a little rich.
As far as audacious goes.
No.
Not in the slightest.
Droga’s ‘Iraq’ probably takes that crown.
Morally repugnant, but a damn site more ‘audacious’ than this.
They reached 11 million people in Australia alone, almost half the population.
87% share of voice versus their competitors.
150 minutes of earned media on radio in Australia
72 media items across Australia in 2 months, 5 is the norm
A further 140 media items globally.
Two six minute segments on national TV in the US.
A social media reach of over 600,000 people
But did it sell product?
A very, very thinly veiled to curry favour with Award judges.
But without an amazing idea, it’s just a case study. A case study that seems to be rather economical with the truth as far as we can see.
One quick look at the dedicated YouTube site does indeed show 10,000 views. As far as Australian advertising goes – that’s a disaster.
Delve deeper and you realise that they actually sent an actor over to Washington DC – seeing as his numerous videos barely raised over 200 hits, you can safely say that was an (expensive) disaster too.
How’syour Louie the Fly ‘A Nation DECIDES!’ video going Euro?
Sorry, but how did this reach 11 million people?
As someone else pointed out, there were only 3,000 fans on the facebook page worldwide, which was the hub of the campaign.
That’s the worse case of results tampering I’ve ever seen.
All these great social media measuring statistics but what was the % increase in sales?
It’s great everybody is supposedly talking about it but was it effective, did it increase sales and market share by 20, 30 ,40 50%?
ban the case study.
I’m sure whoever wrote this should be gangsters accountant, what with cooking the books so much. The only thing audacious about this campaign is inflating 3000 to 11 million. Keep this steaming heap of turd locked away please, only sam kekowitsch lamb ads are worse.
Case studies are the new scam ad.
It was the shittest, that’s for sure.
If it takes longer to explain the idea than it does to get it and results are the sticking point of your case study, it’s time to fire the suits and replace them with monkeys.
Love a good stunt.