2020 Brand Experience & Activation

AIR

TitleAIR
BrandZEEMAN
Product/ServiceBASICS
Category A04. Travel, Leisure, Retail, Restaurants & Fast Food Chains
Entrant PERSUADE Den Bosch, THE NETHERLANDS
Idea Creation PERSUADE Den Bosch, THE NETHERLANDS
Media Placement FELI HANSSEN Delft, THE NETHERLANDS
PR GANBAROO PR Amsterdam, THE NETHERLANDS
PR 2 WITH LOVE NANS * Antwerpen, BELGIUM
Production ARTBOX Amsterdam, THE NETHERLANDS
Credits
Name Company Position
Michiel Rijshouwer Persuade Creative Director
Stefan Keukelaar Persuade Art director
Wouter Kraaijvanger Persuade Copy writer
Saskia Teunissen - Van den Eerenbeemt Persuade Account Manager
Mariëtte van der Heide Ganbaroo PR PR Manager
Feli Hansen FHCS Media Manager
Menno Fokma Art box Digital Creative Director
Manuel Ferrari Art box Animation
Geert Jansen Art box Producer
Freek van Haagen Art box Designer
Guido Maat Audentity Music

Why is this work relevant for Brand Experience & Activation?

To open the eyes of new customers and spread the story of low cost formula Zeeman (good quality doesn't have to be expensive if you keep everything simple), we have to break through some barriers. Additional to the brand campaign we therefore approach our target group by brand activations like this perfume experiment. This activation has no commercial objectives. But it is planned to create buzz, engagement and free publicity.

Background

Zeeman is a Dutch retailer in low priced basics and textiles, with more than 1.300 stores in Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, France, Spain, Luxemburg and Austria. For low price formula Zeeman continuous growth is a must. In new countries France and Spain Zeeman is expanding fast. This is not possible in the home markets Netherlands and Belgium, in which Zeeman has 100% presence and which are declining with increasing competition and shifting towards online. Zeeman has to win new customers. And focuses on communicating the brand story. The story is locked up in the core of the brand: Zeeman believes in the power of simplicity. The smart, efficient business process makes it possible to offer responsibly made, quality products at the lowest possible prices. With surprising campaigns we open the eyes of new customers and spread the Zeeman story: good quality doesn't have to be expensive if you keep everything simple.

Describe the creative idea (20% of vote)

We were amazed at the high prices people pay for famous perfume brands. And wanted to know what exactly you pay for when buying a good perfume. To find out we decided to make our own. Together with master perfumers. Made with a base of 20% perfume oil and top ingredients. Just like expensive brands. A real perfume, produced in large quantities and without the temptation of expensive bottles and over the top marketing. Our price for 50 ml perfume in a standard bottle: 4,99 (including our regular margin). Available in 2 unisex fragrances. The name: Lucht. The idea and message are contained in this one word: Lucht. Lucht means Air, and in Dutch it has double meaning of something that seems like a big deal, but actually isn’t. You understand immediately: ‘when you buy expensive perfume you pay a lot of money for temptation, for things you don’t need’.

Describe the strategy (20% of vote)

This campaign was targeted on new customers: attentive people who don't want to spend a lot of money on f.i. basics. To open new eyes and spread the brand story, we like to challenge markets with a lot of ‘mist’ and ‘complexity’. The strategy was to explain what you pay for when buying famous perfume brands. Not for the core product, the perfume, but for temptation. To prove this, we made our own quality perfume, Lucht. The price 4,99. Online we did give a full price breakdown of Lucht and expensive brands. To create credibility for the quality of the perfume the campaign was designed on a high-quality level and in line with the Zeeman brand value simplicity. We asked master perfumers to explain in how to recognise a good quality perfume and to review our perfume. On-pack and on the website, we specified the ingredients.

Describe the execution (30% of vote)

The campaign focused on the home countries and was designed to spread itself through earned media. We kickstarted the campaign on Monday with a press campaign including a press event for beauty press. The day after we launched our story in a small budget media campaign (tv, online, cinema and outdoor). On a website we underline the quality of Lucht and the price difference. The campaign created a lot of buzz and free publicity in all media. Starting a run on the sale of Lucht, Saturday in all Zeeman shops and in the web-shop. A display with testers gave extra attention instore. The first batch was sold out in 1,5 hours. The resell started immediately for high prices. Consumers protested against this and that was again picked up by all media. The second batch, one week later, was also sold out in a few hours. Online in 2 minutes.

List the results (30% of vote)

The campaign created a lot of buzz and free publicity. In newspapers, magazines, online, on radio and many publications on national tv. And engagement of a broad target group via social media. Building up in Netherlands and Belgium to a total of 54,9 million earned media contacts with a media value of 3,25 million euro (OBI4WAN method). Both batches of Lucht were sold out within 2 hours. Online and in the Zeeman stores. The resell online started immediately with prices up to 75 euro. Also because of additional sales the revenue in the campaign weeks had an enormous boost: +35,5%. Lucht had great customer reviews and will get a fixed position in the Zeeman collection. So as a result we created a new product hero, spread the Zeeman brand story and opened the eyes of new customers. We underlined the brand statement: Zeeman. It can be that simple.