Work

» Water Cooler Roulette Viral Campaign

The Viral activity is based on the new Affinity, ‘character-based’ profile modeling and the fact that TA Young Officers and Professionally Qualified Officers are the hardest segments to reach. In order to reach this challenging target we intend to use a non-traditional, viral marketing skillset and insight.

Taking this difficult target audience and the Us-Out (Extrovert/Affiliated) segment as a target, the key insight was reached that these people are often employed in office based jobs that can be unfulfilling, and are consuming non-traditional media, especially in the office where amusing, time-killing sites provide a means of escape. They are also likely to be sharing viral communications with their friends and colleagues in order to satisfy the need for social contact and reinforcement.

Based on these insights we have tapped the creative idea of “dull office games and motivational techniques” to create Watercooler Roulette.

The viral activity is divided into two phases: Concept Establishment and Reveal & Solution.

Concept Establishment develops the exaggerated and comic idea of an office game that is blown out of all proportion. Watercooler Roulette is based on the concept of two competing co-workers taking turns to tap the taps of a Watercooler. Whoever makes the Watercooler bubble loudly looses, with points being awarded for longer, risky taps on the taps. The game is patiently ridiculous and ripe for successful viral exploitation.

Using a combination of e-mailed Powerpoint presentations, viral films and playable online skyscraper adverts on time-killing portals and other sites visited by our target audience, we will drive traffic to an ‘Official Watercooler Roulette’ website. This site will explore the game concept in more and provide the means for the activity to go viral. It will also begin communicating the background ideas of lack of job fulfillment, lack of opportunities and excitement, the need for a social aspect of employment, and frustrated career paths.

Once the viral activity has reached critical mass Phase two – Reveal & Solution begins. The Watercooler Roulette site introduces new content that effectively asks the question “What are you doing here wasting your time?” It will challenge visitors to challenge themselves beyond the office, get some job satisfaction and develop skills and a real career path that provides teamwork and social elements. It challenges them to consider that if they were part of the TA they would not need to waste time on sites like this but would instead have a richer life and career. It will then drive them towards the Army Jobs website in a different frame of mind that would hopefully mean that they would consider an Army or TA career for the first time.

The supporting traffic driving initiatives would also introduce this new phase and key messaging, thus claiming ownership of the concept for the Army and generating wider publicity and PR.








Links + Stuff

» staroftheeast.com

The website of Robin Garms, my partner and creative director at Publicis.



» Nick Cave

The greatest singer songwriter ever. Well I think so.



» Giles Angel

Photographer, and retoucher. And a friend.



» Holy Moly

Rules of modern life.



» La Maison des Beaux Arts

Bed and breakfast and holiday apartments in Nontron, Dordogne.