BOSCH IXOISM

TitleBOSCH IXOISM
BrandROBERT BOSCH POWER TOOLS
Product/ServiceBOSCH IXO
Category E01. Acquisition & Retention
Entrant PHILIPP UND KEUNTJE Hamburg, GERMANY
Idea Creation PHILIPP UND KEUNTJE Hamburg, GERMANY
Production EXPERIENCE ONE Stuttgart, GERMANY
Production 2 BRIDGINGIT Mannheim, GERMANY
Production 3 DATENWERK Munich, GERMANY
Credits
Name Company Position
André Bourguignon Philipp und Keuntje Executive Creative Director
Franziska Flau Philipp und Keuntje Creative Director
Caterina Florencio Philipp und Keuntje Art Director Digital
Maxie Perlberg Philipp und Keuntje Junior Art Director
Klas Batschkus Philipp und Keuntje Art Director
Klaus Huber Philipp und Keuntje Senior Copywriter
Jens Hoffmann Philipp und Keuntje Director Brand Consulting
Christina Klein Philipp und Keuntje Senior Project Manager Digital
Anna Wiegel Philipp und Keuntje Junior Project Manager Digital
Charlotta Dittmann Philipp und Keuntje Senior Project Manager
Insa von Zeppelin Philipp und Keuntje Social Media Manager
Johanna Blevins Philipp und Keuntje Agency Producer
Karen Schwarzer Philipp und Keuntje Head of Art Buying
Jenny Weser Philipp und Keuntje Editor
Bianca Colussi Philipp und Keuntje Head of Production
Ansgar Struck Philipp und Keuntje Head of Postproduction
Sven Fröhlich Philipp und Keuntje Senior Retouch Artist
Ponke Herrmann Philipp und Keuntje Senior Final Artworker
Juliette Mainx EYECANDY Photographer & Set Designer
Fanny Böhme EYECANDY Photographer & Set Designer
Stefanie Grau - Freelance Interior Architect, Set/Furniture Designer

Why is this work relevant for Direct?

Our product is relevant to more people than those addressed by previous communications. We activated the traditional target group of handymen and also the new target group of trendy DIY enthusiasts. We even inspired those who hadn't yet discovered the DIY trend. For the first time, they experienced a power tool as more than a men's product, but a desirable design object. In lifestyle magazines, relevant social media, and target points in everyday life. In our IXO Style Contest, the new target group was actively involved with our product. They served as multipliers, ensuring considerable dissemination.

Background

The IXO from BOSCH was the first really small and extremely practical cordless screwdriver. With over 15 million units sold, it is the best-selling power tool in the world. 15 years after its first launch, the IXO had lost its uniqueness; it was gradually lost among many other power tools. Also, it was strongly attacked by the competition, which flooded the market with quite similar (mostly cheaper) products. So far, tools have been extremely manly (high-performance power tools for real men). But the world has changed: Women are handy, men no longer identify themselves with role clichés, and the current gender equality discussion leads to an openly lived gender diversity. How can we make the IXO and the Bosch brand something special and unique again? How do we create an extraordinary product and brand experience? And how do we reach new target groups without frightening the old ones?

Describe the creative idea (30% of vote)

Our idea: IXOism - Screw prejudice! So far, power tools have been advertised as if they are only meant for strong, masculine men. We transform the IXO from a functional tool into a lifestyle object for everyone! A power tool for aesthetes, design and decoration lovers of every gender and sexual orientation. We make sure that not only the tool is trendy and "instagrammable", but also each of our assets. For this, we have invented a loud, colourful, and always slightly crazy world (with its own language), the IXOism. We go one step further with the IXO Style Contest and allow the target group to participate in new creative thinking: anyone can design the cordless screwdriver according to their own ideas - as colourful, unusual, and varied as our modern, trendy target group itself.

Describe the strategy (20% of vote)

To address our traditional target group and the new target group, we don't limit IXOism to the usual DIY setting. We move out of the handyman's corner. And we set the IXO cordless screwdriver in a new context - unusual, unexpected, and with maximum effect. The positive message always resonates: Dare to be different. Wherever we find a trendy audience, we create desire and elevate the IXO to a design icon. We break with expectations wherever we go and emerge where you wouldn't expect a power tool: with unusual videos and motifs, in collaboration with artists on Youtube, Facebook, and Instagram, in lifestyle magazines and shopping districts in city centres. We activate the community with the IXO Style Contest and let it spread itself by collecting likes.

Describe the execution (20% of vote)

With a multi-stage, Europe-wide campaign, IXOism was able to spread. During the teaser phase, the IXO Style Contest attracted attention. In the bridge phase, we kept the tension high until the IXO went on sale. And in the launch phase, we went on the offensive to get a wider audience excited and motivated to buy. We used traditional channels as well as digital and interactive media: - Print ads - Posters and Citylight Posters - IXO Style Contest (online) - Social Media - Moving image (teaser and campaign video) - Artist cooperation (influencers and female artist group Eyecandy) - Media cooperation with lifestyle magazines (staging the IXO as a lifestyle must-have) - Installation: interactive game (on a digital Citylight, one could virtually screw eggs to the wall with the IXO)

List the results (30% of vote)

Enthusiastic reactions and comments show we nailed it (and didn’t screw it up). We managed to convince our traditional Bosch target group and inspire the new target group. The risk of repositioning the IXO cordless screwdriver, relaunching the Bosch brand, and winning new target groups, was a complete success. With the IXO Style Contest, we were able to activate everyone, regardless of age or gender. 15,000 IXO styles have been configured, with more than 260,000 votes received. The site was visited over 400,000 times with a 3:13 minute average length of stay. Comparatively: According to the statistics company Nielsen/NetRatings, the average time for a website is around 40 seconds. We achieved 12 million impressions on social media channels. Our media reach was 32 million potential customers.