Winners & Shortlists

GHITA, THE SOCIAL SHEPHERD

TitleGHITA, THE SOCIAL SHEPHERD
BrandVODAFONE ROMANIA
Product/ServiceTELECOM
Category A07. USE OF SOCIAL IN A DIRECT MARKETING CAMPAIGN
Entrant Company McCANN ERICKSON ROMANIA Bucharest, ROMANIA
Advertising Agency McCANN ERICKSON ROMANIA Bucharest, ROMANIA
Media Agency UM ROMANIA Bucharest, ROMANIA
Credits
Name Company Position
Adrian Botan Mccann Erickson Creative Chairman
Catalin Dobre Mccann Erickson Creative Director
Andrei Daniluc Mccann Erickson Copywriter
Razvan Chifu Mccann Erickson Art Director
Sebastian Olar Mccann Erickson Copywriter
Arpad Rezi Mccann Erickson Art Director
Diana Ceausu Mccann Erickson Head Of Strategy
Dana Hogea Bv Mccann Erickson Account Director
Andreea Spilca Bv Mccann Erickson Account Manager
Doina Ionescu Mccann Erickson Account Director
Carmen Marin Mccann Erickson Account Manager
Carmen Bistrian BV Mccann Erickson Pr Corporate Manager
Tiberiu Munteanu Bv Mccann Erickson Av Manager
Alexandru Platon BV Mccann Erickson Av Producer
Roxana Zaharia BV Mccann Erickson Photo Producer
Victor Croitoru Um Romania Planning Director
Cornel Crihana UM Romnaia Media Manager
Valentina Draghici UM Romania Media Planner
Cornel Tiron UM Romania Account Manager

The Brief

While Romanians in large cities have embraced a Western lifestyle, almost half of the country's population lives in villages, with little or no modern comfort. We knew technology could make their lives better, if they became aware of the benefits and affordability of smartphones and mobile internet. Our target was made out of simple people, advertising skeptics who considered technology out of their reach. So we challenged ourselves not to tell them, but to demonstrate to them that smartphones are useful devices. We created and documented a social experiment using the stereotype of isolation: Ghita, the lonely shepherd who could only get friends through Facebook.

Creative Execution

While most urban Romanians are early adopters, 45% of the population is still living in the countryside, using hay carts and horses and never used the internet. With over 500.000.000 euros invested in its data network infrastructure and a strong positioning as the democratizer of technology in Romania, Vodafone needed to push smartphones adoption in rural areas and reinforce its best coverage claim.

Describe the creative solution to the brief/objective.

We built the story as the first trans-media reality show in Romania. Apart from the conventional mix of TV, print, OOH, online, the heart of the story's engagement was on Facebook. After the launch, thousands of people started following his unique content online. This generated huge media interest, from news to celebrity shows. A popular local celebrity invited himself to Jina, and we documented his experience in a web series. The biggest commercial television in Romania invited Ghita to comment a Champions League game live on the internet.

Results

Ghita became a national star, with over 500,000 Facebook fans, appearances on national TV, and a folk song composed especially for him. Both Romania's prim-minister and president visited Ghita, while the European Commissioner mentioned him as an example of Romania's digitalization. Brand Equity Share, the absolute indicator of Vodafone brand strength, finally broke away from our competitor, Orange, after months of head-to-head battle. The 'Best network' attribute increased, driving a 287% surge in the gap versus Orange. Mobile data revenue increased with 22%, and for the first time, Vodafone finished the year selling more smartphones than feature phones.