While Romanians in large cities have embraced a Western lifestyle, living conditions in rural
areas are stuck in the distant past. 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, reliable devices, not just urban fads. That a smartphone equipped with
mobile internet can help anyone break his personal barriers and progress.
The idea was to create and document a social experiment using the Romanian stereotype of
isolation and technology virginity: Ghita, the lonely shepherd who could only get friends through
Facebook.
The Brief
The idea was to create and document a social experiment using the Romanian stereotype of
isolation and technology virginity: Ghita, the lonely shepherd who could only get friends through
Facebook. We challenged ourselves not to tell people, but to demonstrate to them that
smartphones are useful, reliable devices, not just urban fads. That a smartphone equipped with
mobile internet can help anyone break his personal barriers and progress.
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.
Execution
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.
The Situation
While Romanians in large cities have embraced a Western lifestyle, living conditions in rural
areas are stuck in the distant past. 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.
The Strategy
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.