Wow, we’ve actually made it…it’s December everyone! The last month of the weirdest year of our lives. Here at Hatch, this means two things: virtual Christmas festivities with our fellow Hatchlings (can’t wait!) and lots and lots of exciting planning for our clients to make sure we maximise the opportunities coming up in 2021 across the board.
Before we get to that though, let’s take a moment to celebrate the amazing work and Hatch moments from the past month… We welcomed out first lockdown Hatchling, Niamh – hi again, we hope you enjoyed your first month! At the PR Moment Awards, we won “Social Media Campaign of the Year” for our “Red Hot Dates” campaign for Boost, and were nominated in three more categories, too. Villa Maria’s “Made for the Moment” campaign launched, with some amazing interview guests telling us all about what makes a moment for them. You can watch them for yourself on Villa Maria’s Facebook page and check out the podcast. Not only all that, but we brainstormed more than ever with some amazing 2021 strategies already shaping up for our clients. Watch this space!
We don’t want to blow our own trumpet too much though…let’s have a look at some of the campaigns we’ve loved in November!
Williams Trailers get unexpected exposure from…a Hollywood star?!
In a highly rumoured yet still entirely random move, Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have announced they are the new owners of National League’s Wrexham A.F.C. On the day of the announcement, searches for “Wrexham A.F.C.” in the UK increased 17-fold!
In true Ryan Reynolds style, the announcement was made with a spoof advert for one of the club’s sponsors, Williams Trailers, with the club’s video featuring the new owners seen by over nearly 5 million people on Twitter alone.
Oh, an if you’re wondering “Why Wrexham?”, the new owners have a very convincing answer – “Why not?”.
Why Wrexham?
𝓦𝓱𝔂 𝓝𝓸𝓽?
🔴⚪️ #WxmAFC pic.twitter.com/1rgb6RVYyl
— Wrexham AFC (@Wrexham_AFC) November 16, 2020
PlayStation 5 launc
The most anticipated launch of this year had to come with an activation to suit. Despite the new console selling-out on pre-order within minutes, the actual release date couldn’t come by without the brand marking it in a special way.
And why not do that by using an existing globally recognised symbol and merging it with something expectant gamers will instantly recognise. The result? New London Underground symbols at Oxford Circus, just down the road from PlayStation’s UK headquarters. We love the simplicity!
From one iconic shape to four. We’ve given the Oxford Circus Tube signs a #PS5 upgrade. 👀 pic.twitter.com/iw9qlEXR7B
— PlayStation UK (@PlayStationUK) November 18, 2020
On the topic of gaming…
How do you engage with a younger audience when you’re a) a country’s tourist body and b) we’re in the middle of a pandemic? Tourism New Zealand found a fantastic solution, inviting the world to come and “PLAY NZ”.
Partnering with one of Australia’s most popular gaming YouTubers, Loserfruit, for the launch, the organisation created a fully immersive game enabling people to experience New Zealand and its many attractions virtually. Find out more here.
Black Friday deals with a twist
Come the end of November, we’re all inundated with hundreds of sales and discounts from every single company we’ve ever interacted with (yes, that includes the weird 2-in-1 potato peeler you once just HAD TO buy off an Instagram ad and now their unsubscribe button never seems to work).
One company decided to take the ads even further. Using the style of low-budget daytime advertising, the Born Free Foundation brought the shocking stat of wild animal populations falling by 70% since 1970 to life while providing viewers with a clear call to action – adopt an animal now and stop the decline.
The provocative film was supported by an array of social media, out of home activity and a digital pop-up Instagram shop, enabling users quickly and easily adopt an endangered animal from as little as £3 a month.
Football fans come back to the Bridge…kind of
Sports sponsorship at its finest – heart-warming, hope-inducing and delicately branded. To celebrate the 50th wedding anniversary of a couple of lifelong supporters, Three brought them back to Stamford Bridge to celebrate the milestone.
Bearing in mind the pandemic situation, they couldn’t actually visit the ground through, could they? Have a look at what they did instead – it’s worth it!
