THE PHONE CONDOM

TitleTHE PHONE CONDOM
BrandBEN
Product/ServiceTELECOM
Category A08. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) / Corporate Image
Entrant DDB UNLIMITED Amsterdam, THE NETHERLANDS
Idea Creation DDB UNLIMITED Amsterdam, THE NETHERLANDS
Media Placement INITIATIVE Amsterdam, THE NETHERLANDS
PR TRIANGLE PR Amsterdam, THE NETHERLANDS
Production HOLY FOOLS Amsterdam, THE NETHERLANDS
Credits
Name Company Position
Ben Imhoff DDB Unlimited Creative Director
Luuk Simonse DDB Unlimited Creative
Leendert-Jan de Ronde DDB Unlimited Creative
Job Koopman DDB Unlimited Strategy Director
Sander auf dem Brinke DDB Unlimited Databay Director
Michael Nap DDB Unlimited Business Director
Tamara Bogaard DDB Unlimited Producer
Wendy Wouters Initiative Communications Director
Collin Maas Holy Fools Owner / Executive Producer
Daan Groot Daan Groot Director
Patricia Bruens Triangle PR Founder/ PR Manager
Ivonne van Zuilen BEN Head of marketing
Bianca Filemon BEN Communication Operation Manager
Denise van Dongen BEN Social Media Manager

Why is this work relevant for Direct?

70% of Dutch people have less sex due to smartphone usage in the bedroom. Which makes the smartphone the number one sex problem. Telecom provider Ben introduced a solution: The Ben phone condom. A condom that fits over your phone and protects you from mobile distractions in the bedroom. Available for everyone online, to get delivered for you or your lover. We created a new way to become better in bed.

Background

Situation • Ben is a small but fast-growing challenger in the Dutch telecom market • Most telcos promote newest phones and ‘the largest data bundles at the lowest price’ • Ben promotes more responsible phone usage and basic phones and subscriptions Brief • Promote more mindful phone usage to improve social connections • Develop an impactful brand activation challenging the unlimited data usage convention • Invite the target group to think about more considerate phone usage and basic Ben subscriptions Objectives • High appreciation, likeability and brand recognition: above the category benchmarks • 25% increase in website traffic • 15% additional clients

Describe the creative idea (30% of vote)

The Ben Phone Condom Many Dutch people get frustrated by the endless smartphone use of their friends and partners. Even in the bedroom! That’s why we introduced the Ben Phone condom. A condom that fits over your phone and protects you from mobile distractions in the bedroom For whom are you going to order it?

Describe the strategy (20% of vote)

Ben is all about making people use their phone more responsible. By changing the perspective to everyone that becomes frustrated by the endless phone usage of their lovers in bed. Data gathering: 1. Mobile subscriptions switch market: 150,000 – 160,000 per month 2. Ben used to target the low price segment only: 30% of switchers 3. Since 2015 we changed this to all people interested in more responsible phone usage: 45% 4. By changing the perspective to everyone that becomes frustrated by the endless phone usage of their friends and family, Ben became relevant to 70% of the Dutch people Target audience: 300-320,000 people are in market during the campaign period (July – August) Approach:Aim for unreasonable growth in attention and behaviour by addressing the intriguing issue of (sex) partners looking more to their smartphone than at each other, even in the bedroom!

Describe the execution (20% of vote)

Foreplay, June 29: • 20,000 Ben Phone Condoms ready for personal delivery • Internal launch with Better in bed T-shirt + phone condom for all Ben colleagues • 40-seconds video live on ben.nl and social channels YouTube, Facebook, Instagram • PR stunt in bed with bed problem expert Kaat Bollen • PR research ‘Phone #1 Dutch sex issue in bedroom’ Attract, July 1 – 31: • Launch: TV, online, social video edits (30/20/10/6 seconds), digital out-of-home and radio • Personal invitation to order the phone condom: email, targeted video ads and posts • Video content Kaat Bollen better in bed tutorial, Phone kama sutra, episode of the Ben Youtube series: Ben Afklikkliniek #4 Convert, June 29 – July 31: • Order direct special landingpage • Ben.nl responsible Ben subscription offers Afterplay, August 4 • Billboardboat during Gay Pride Canal Parade

List the results (30% of vote)

Business impact: • +22% market share (from 4 to 5%, GfK) • +25% new clients (gross adds) • (Lower) cost per additional client €74 Euro (benchmarks: €80 - €100) Response rate: • +49% search Ben, +34% website traffic (target +25%) • Over 15 million earned PR and social reach (Q-Music, FHM, BNR, Telegraaf, Libelle, Metro) • 35,000 Phone Condoms ordered (150,000 – 180,000 people actively in market per month) Change in behaviour: • After 1 week 20,000 phone condoms already ordered. • 35,000 phone condoms ordered and delivered (15,000 additionally produced) • Active Phone Condom trading at Dutch e-Bay Marktplaats.nl • A significant increase of excitement in the Dutch bedrooms. Awareness: • 80% campaign recognition (target 73%, benchmark 69%) • 74% campaign stand-out (target 60%, benchmark 49%) • 60% campaign likeability (target 55%, benchmark 41%) • 80% spontaneous brand recall (target 70%, benchmark 69%)