Socially Responsible Branding Social responsibility is a key ingredient in the brand foundation of the NSLC. In an effort to help the NSLC discourage drinking and driving, they turned to Revolve to help them break through the clutter.
Discovery
Anti-drinking and driving messages aren't new and they aren't hard to find, especially during the holiday season. We researched what was out there, what was being said and what affect these messages were having. Our findings led us to one important conclusion - approach is everything.
Direction
Historically, most social responsibility campaigns focus on the consequences of drinking and driving. With so many messages about what can happen, people have become inundated with this approach and tune it out. And, if people aren't interested, it's impossible to convey a message. We set out in a different direction to find an alternative to traditional consequences advertising to reach the 19 -34 year old target.
Ideas
We reinvented the social responsibility message by introducing humour through three eccentric characters and their unique transportation businesses dedicated to helping people get home safely - Burly Joe's Piggybacks, Wheelbarrow Willie and Donnies Donkeys. These oddball proprietors and their businesses reminded people that There are lots of ways to get home safely. All you need is one. Without being preachy, the Lots of Ways campaign lets the viewers figure out in a quirky and memorable way there are alternate ways of getting home.
Actions
The campaign was strategically designed to reach people through multiple touch points. The integrated campaign blended traditional and non-traditional media tactics including television, print and outdoor, a content-rich interactive website, POS material at NSLC retail outlets, partnerships, contests, PR and guerilla tactics including a toll-free 1-800 number, mock business cards and posters placed in high-traffic locations in key markets.
Results
The Lots of Ways campaign is the most comprehensive and successful social responsibility effort ever undertaken by the NSLC. The campaign microsite received 75,945 hits in the six-week campaign period, over 5000 contest entries and more than 5000 downloads - all significantly higher than our traffic objectives. In addition, the toll-free campaign hotline received over 3000 calls, which was triple the objective.
PR efforts generated local and national coverage on television and radio, in print and online. The campaign was recently featured in Marketing Magazine's Creative Eye, and all three TV spots spent time as the top-rated spots on the Canadian Advertising Club's website. The strategy and creative proved so strong that interest from the three other liquor boards in Atlantic Canada led to the first ever multi-provincial social responsibility campaign effort.