Ann Summers creates buzz with Heart Throb viral
- Added:
- Oct 03, 2008
Digital agency Global Beach has createda new online viral campaign for Ann Summers, to coincide with the launch of the company’s new Rampant Rabbit toy, the ‘The Heart Throb’.
Centred around new microsite www.myheartthrob.co.uk, the campaign has been designed by Global Beach to build an online community associated with the Ann Summers brand, rather than just generate pure product sales.
Consumers are invited to vote for Britain’s number one male heart throb, either celebrity or members of the public, and can put themselves up for the vote.
The site will be live until 24th October 2008 and is part of a wider marketing campaign which includes advertising in female consumer press, including titles such as Cosmopolitan, Company, Heat and Closer.
Previous viral campaigns for Ann Summers have been based on videos; the Global Beach approach was chosen due to its different innovative mix of tactics.
The agency was awarded the brief which was put to all 270 agencies currently registered to receive briefs from the Ann Summers Viral Academy.
“As part of our ongoing social media approach, we wanted an entertaining and engaging campaign for the Heart Throb but not something that overtly promoted the product or our brand – it had to be more subtle,” commented Julian Baker, Marketing & Business Development Director, Ann Summers. “Viral is key to us in trying to create online brand advocates. Britain’s Number One Heart Throb met our criteria of fun and quirky and is in the right tone of voice for Ann Summers – Global Beach hit the nail on the head.”
Candidates for the title (celebrity or just the boy next door) are listed on a microsite where visitors can vote for their choice and rank them under eight attributes, including ‘I know how to satisfy a woman’ and ‘I can make you laugh’.
The top ten rankings of both celebrity and non-celebrities are shown on the site (Richard Hammond is currently ranked first followed by Chris Moyles), while the celebrity top 100 is also available.
Men can also submit themselves and all visitors can play the Throb Off game, where two heart throbs are pitted against each other in a vote-off.
All calls to action are linked to finding out more about the Ann Summers Heart Throb itself.
Other award-winning social media campaigns Global Beach has created in the past 12 months range from ‘Stand up Speak up’ for the Conservative party, to ‘Doggie Snaps’ for pet owners, also known as ‘Face Bark for dogs’.
