OCEANS WEEK

TitleOCEANS WEEK
BrandAB INBEV
Product/ServiceCORONA X PARLEY
Category E01. Integrated Campaign led by PR
Entrant WIEDEN+KENNEDY AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS
Idea Creation WIEDEN+KENNEDY AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS
PR ALISON BROD MARKETING + COMMUNICATIONS New York, USA
Production WIEDEN+KENNEDY AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS
Production 2 MINNOW 11 California, USA
Production 3 MPC Amsterdam, THE NETHERLANDS
Production 4 LOUPE Amsterdam, THE NETHERLANDS
Production 5 SKETCH EVENTS Brighton and Hove, UNITED KINGDOM
Credits
Name Company Position
Mark Bernath, Eric Quennoy Wieden+Kennedy Amsterdam Executive Creative Director
Alvaro Sotomayor Wieden+Kennedy Amsterdam Creative Director
Vasco Vicente, Dean Pauley Wieden+Kennedy Amsterdam Art Director
Toby Moore Wieden+Kennedy Amsterdam Copywriter
Joe Togneri Wieden+Kennedy Amsterdam Head of Integrated Production
Stijn Wikkerink Wieden+Kennedy Amsterdam Producer
Martin Weigel Wieden+Kennedy Amsterdam Head of Planning
Maria Correa Wieden+Kennedy Amsterdam Planning Director
Hillary Heath Wieden+Kennedy Amsterdam Communications Planner
Freddie Young Wieden+Kennedy Amsterdam Digital Strategy Director
Anna Chan Wieden+Kennedy Amsterdam Digital Strategist
Courtney Trull Wieden+Kennedy Amsterdam Group Account Director
Will Hunt Wieden+Kennedy Amsterdam Account Director
Thomas Missault Wieden+Kennedy Amsterdam Account Executive
Nelleke Rekers, Stacey Prudden Wieden+Kennedy Amsterdam Art Buyer
Noa Redero Wieden+Kennedy Amsterdam Studio Artist
Janna Boesjes Wieden+Kennedy Amsterdam Head of Project Management
Gabi Moreira Wieden+Kennedy Amsterdam Project Manager
Michael Graves Wieden+Kennedy Amsterdam Business Affairs
Lizzie Murray Wieden+Kennedy Amsterdam Studio Manager
Morgan Maassen Minnow 11 Director of Photography
Matthieu Toullet MPC Colorist
James O’Donnell OzDesign Manufacturing Producer (shirt)
Adolfo Correa Freelance Shirt Pattern Designer

Why is this work relevant for PR?

To own the conversation on World Oceans Day 2018, we hijacked Corona’s own media channels to help raise awareness for marine plastic pollution. By using a multitude of executions, media channels and influencers, we generated global attention and made headlines in key markets around the world. Ultimately garnering 2.69 billion earned media impressions and achieving our aim to show the world the reality of paradise today: drowning in plastic.

Background

Today, paradise as we know it is at risk of becoming extinct. Our oceans are drowning in plastic, with a staggering eight million metric tons of plastic waste dumped into the sea each year. As a brand synonymous with the beach, Corona is committed to protecting paradise. But right now, most of the world doesn’t know that marine plastic pollution is a global issue, which affects us all. To get people to care, Corona briefed us to raise global awareness of the issue and change the public’s perception of paradise from: idyllic to endangered. Reflecting the scale of the issue, our brief was a global campaign, focusing specifically on seven key markets: (Australia, Colombia, Chile. Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Peru, United Kingdom).

Describe the creative idea

Our oceans are drowning in plastic, but most of the world is not aware of this colossal environmental issue. To highlight the issue and make everyone care, we created a global conversation by putting plastic into other places it doesn’t belong – everywhere from fashion to billboards to events. Aligning with World Oceans Day 2018, we hijacked the most iconic symbols of paradise, including Corona’s own brand platform. Across all touch points (including, large scale installations, events, Corona’s own brand channel, specifically developed products, and via global influencers and media outreach), our ‘Oceans Week’ campaign replaced the pristine beach images the public is usually fed, with executions that show paradise in its true state: drowning in plastic.

Describe the strategy

Every element and asset of the campaign was designed to change people’s perceptions and raise awareness for marine plastic pollution. It was key for our campaign to appeal to many different types of consumers, similar to how plastic pollution faces everyone, everywhere. Utilizing multiple platforms, we were able to generate global earned media and maximize the campaign’s reach to target a global audience - everyone from surfers and beach-goers, to city dwellers and the fashion world. Furthermore, it was also an opportunity to educate consumers on Corona's ongoing partnership with Parley For Oceans and commitment to protect 100 islands across the world by 2020.

Describe the execution

In the week leading up to World Oceans Day, we started the conversation by hijacking Corona’s OOH and DOOH - swapping the brand’s familiar images of paradise for beaches blighted by plastic, and added a thought-provoking question mark to the brand’s global tagline ‘This is Living’. The hijack continued on Corona’s Instagram, and featured only images of paradise’s true polluted state. In key global cities, we created large attention-grabbing installations in high foot traffic areas. At first these resembled typical Corona billboards, but over a few days were transformed into gigantic ‘Waves-of-Wastes’ built from real oceans plastic. We also redesigned the classic Hawaiian Shirt pattern, including plastic into the design. Made using upcycled plastic, the limited-edition shirt was available online, with proceeds donated to Parley for the Oceans. Our influencers wore it during the evening news, shared it on their social channels, and used it to broadcast the WSL competition.

List the results

Corona was the most talked about brand during Oceans Week. The campaign garnered 2.69 billion earned media impressions, increased total brand mentions by 13%, and drove 44% of #100islandsprotected lifetime usage. The campaign instigated front-page, agenda setting news and made it to national TV and newspapers in key markets: Australia (The Australian, News.Au), UK (Sky News, Evening Standard), Colombia and Ecuador (La Republica, El Tiempo), Dominican Republic (Chevere Nights). Globally, over 200 influencers shared our content and generated 30 million social impressions. Our limited-edition Paradise? Shirt sold out in a couple of days and was featured in media coverage all over the world. In Chile, mayor Evelyn Matthei gave her endorsement to the Corona X Parley partnership, following national coverage of the wave of waste. All of this working to achieve our aim of highlighting the issue of marine plastic pollution across the globe.