GHITA, THE SOCIAL SHEPHERD
| Title | GHITA, THE SOCIAL SHEPHERD |
| Brand | VODAFONE ROMANIA |
| Product/Service | TELECOM |
| 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
| 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.