Project Overview
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V8 NYC Pride Event 2018
CLIENT: Cambell's
CHALLENGE: As a corporate Sponsor of NYC Pride 2018, BFG was tasked with a quick-turnaround assignment from V8 because their current agency did not have the capacity to execute within a window of about a week and a half. In that time, we needed to concept, design, build, staff and execute at two venues, a branded mixer/brunch partnering with SKYY Vodka at restaurant David Burke Kitchen and a 10'x20' V8 Energy booth along the parade route complete with sampling engagement, photo-op, giveaways and roaming samplers to hand out free product at Pride Fest.
RESULT: Not only did we do all of the above hitting all deliverables and timing, we hit a home-run with the mixer event, created huge excitement and a line to our booth that stretched down the block. Best of all we sampled out all of the product on hand. Client was incredibly happy and appreciative of the work in the short amount of time we had and was very pleased with the quality execution.
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Nutrament Website Refresh and Social Media Launch 2017
CLIENT: Harvest Hill
CHALLENGE: Harvest Hill tasked Epsilon to refresh an inactive website for a brand they acquired from Nestlé called Nutrament - a meal-replacement nutrition drink. A fairly obscure brand to the general market finds it's niche in the urban communities comprised of mostly Carribean and Hispanic households. We targeted key markets in urban New York, Miami and Toronto. Our assignment was to create relevancy and connection with their target audience by updating their website and launching a social media presence as well as drive awareness to potential new users.
APPROACH: We looked at the target demographic, identified and tapped into cultural insights and early connection to the brand from when they were growing up and reestablish meaningful relevancy. Using elements of nostalgia we depicted them with relatable, dynamic imagery capturing current trends they enjoy such as music, sports, lifestyle, and just hanging out with family and friends. We also established Instagram, Facebook and Twitter pages to create engagement and on-going dialogue within key brand pillars using inspirational visuals and messages while touting product benefits and usage.
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Love Your Feet, Amopé Foot Care at Target 2015 - Gold Effie Winner 2016
CLIENT:
Reckitt Benckiser, Amopé Brand
CHALLENGE:
RB introduces Amopé Pedi Perfect an electronic Foot Care tool in the U.S.A. in spring of 2015. Seeing success in Europe prompted the US launch but there were several challenges and barriers that needed to be addressed. With any new product with an unfamiliar name, awareness and education was also key to success. IN Marketing is called to help with their shopper marketing efforts across major retailers including Target, Walmart, CVS and Walgreens in key seasonal drive periods. Our challenge was to help consumers overcome the barriers of price ($49) and that it is merchandised as a utilitarian tool within the foot care category next to items such as foot powders and remedies – (not exactly an exciting category) and is only visited when needed.
IDEA:
Our opportunity was to make the brand relevant to consumers by positioning it as a beauty aid product and tapping into beauty and footwear categories during key seasons such as, mother's day and "getting flip-flop ready" for summer. We target consumers by intercepting them with in-store and digital tactics at the right place at the right time with the right message. We also engaged bloggers to generate conversation outside the store. The result is a huge sales success story which was an average of seven units/per store/per week for the first 10 weeks – 600% over KPI. This netted us a Target Partner Award of Excellence and a Gold Effie shopper award in 2016.
EFFIE - GOLD, 2016:
Single-Retailer Program - Mass Merchants: RB’s Amopé Pedi Perfect™ and IN Marketing Services won a Gold SME for “Love Your Feet: Amopé Pedi Perfect™ launch at Target” which engaged beauty-minded female guests and tactically redirected them to the foot care aisle. The effort inspired women to embrace Amopé™, and her feet, as part of her beauty routine. The result was a significant increase in foot care category sales at Target, which was an average of seven units/per store/per week for the first 10 weeks – 600% over KPI.
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Heineken Walmart Game Day Pitch 2015
CLIENT: Heineken, USA
CHALLENGE: Heineken looked to IN for help in their shopping marketing efforts with a stronger presence at grocery and mass retailers. The assignment was to develop a football Game Time program leading up to the Super Bowl that Walmart would get excited about and support.
IDEA: We needed to come up with an approach that followed the tone and attitude of the brand and make the program relevant at key retailers. We didn't want to compete with the Budweiser brand in a space that they traditionally excel in. So our approach was to focus on what Heineken does best – provide unforgettable experiences. In true Heineken style, the idea is to create the most epic party rivaling the epic game itself. And we'll help our target do that with our Make An Epic Play program. For a winning party, you start with an Epic Kick Off with Heineken. Then you gather your friends for an Epic Huddle and then make that Epic Pass to each guest. And with each Epic First Down, everyone makes a play towards a winning party.
To connect with our target consumer at Walmart, we create a mass display and smaller, scalable case stack displays showing how they can make their game day epic. On every pack of Heineken, Dos Equis and Tecate a game piece gives them a chance to win a living room/game room makeover with relevant Walmart partners. We also create a gamified mobile and web experience that unlock various low-level Epic experiences.
Bacardi Gift Worthy, Guest Worthy 2011
CLIENT:
Bacardi
CHALLENGE:
Bacardi Shopper Marketing asked IN to develop a holiday program to drive traffic to the grocery spirits category and help consumers choose Bacardi portfolio products during their shopping trips. There are two main barriers to purchasing spirits at grocery. Liquor is not top of mind during grocery shopping. People typically shop for their wine and spirits at traditional liquor stores. Secondly, the category is confusing to shop and there is no one knowledgable to help them like in a spirits store.
IDEA:
Our strategy was to drive relevancy of spirits purchase while they shopped for their holiday gatherings at grocery stores as a one-stop destination, saving them time and money. We also had an opportunity to speak to two mindsets during holiday entertaining – you're either hosting an event or you're attending one. We created a program that spoke to these shoppers. If your'e attending a gathering, you will likely bring something to share. If you are hosting, you will obviously be providing your guests with food, drink and entertainment. Because people want to give and receive the best, we came up with Gift Worthy, Guest Worthy. And we made it easy for shoppers to "get in the spirit" with in-store POS with high value savings, take-one entertainment guide, and a live "ask the expert" demo for easy recipes, tips and tricks.
We also delivered a mobile microsite with sample food/drink recipes and entertaining ideas delivered via Microsoft Tags on POS. With this tool, shoppers were able to look at recipes and pick up ingredients as they shop through the store. For a deeper dive into entertaining tips, recipes and offers, we partnered with Redplum with a page takeover delivering a more robust Gift Worthy, Guest Worthy experience.
AXE Hair Launch - Dec 2008
CLIENT:
Unilever, AXE Hair
CHALLENGE:
AXE was about to change the hair care category forever when they launch their new line of hair products. We were invited to Chicago to come up with a platform to launch hair products the way only AXE could do it. Can we match the success of their fragrance lines?
IDEA:
What shaped up to be one of AXE’s biggest new product launch began in shopper marketing where we developed the concept of AXE Hair Crisis Relief. The inspiration for this idea, right or wrong, is how guys judge, objectify and rate women as they are walking down the street based on her looks. (Guys, you know you do it.) Well, isn't it about time the tables were turned on these guys? Now ladies will be the judge of how we look, particularly our hair. We set the stage for a grass roots movement where girls target clueless guys with bad hair giving them a hair intervention. They provide “crisis relief” by educating them to shampoo and style their hair to achieve the look and feel that girls will approve of.
We developed ground up creative, shot lovely "crisis angels" and guys with "hair-don'ts" to leveraged factoids to educate guys of the apparent crisis surrounding their hair in-store and online in social media. The Facebook takeover sparked some interesting and colorful discussion between the sexes and drove awareness and robust conversation.
While the idea was leveraged into national TV, web, PR, and in-store, we were also tasked to develop a demo booth for a Walmart event and soon after took on a second life to travel the college circuit for demos and awareness of the launch. It even made it's way to the ESPY’s where we shampooed and styled famous athletes such as Matt Stafford.
TVC:
Degree Mobile Tour - 2008
CLIENT:
Unilever, Degree Men
CHALLENGE:
Degree men Absolute Protection launches a new product that is so innovative it's here before it's time. With a tie-in with Sci-Fi show Eureka, the story goes, it was developed with the help of the towns genius residents where over-engineered inventions have come to life. Now, we are tasked to get the word out to the rest of the country about the next big thing from Degree. The goal was to provide a fun engagement for consumers and get Degree products and coupons into their hands to experience the product efficacy benefits and ultimately drive them into Target stores.
IDEA:
Working in partnership with Stage, a Ryan partnership mobile events company, we developed a mobile tour concept that was truly over-the-top and over-engineered. With Turtle Transit, in MA we custom built a vehicle from two FJ-40's and created a rocket-powered, go-anywhere, entertainment monster on six, count them, 6 wheels!
The audience experienced an impromptu concert of their peers while they jammed out to Guitar Hero via a flat-screen TV that rose up from the center of the vehicle from under the rocket engine. Under the gulf wing doors, a touch screen scanned a heat-map of hands and provided back a custom profile. A hand-out using thermal inks provided a similar experience and contained a Target coupon which was handed out along with a mini sample. The mobile tour resulted in awareness and sales lifts near the Target stores in proximity of the events.
AXE Bom Chica Wah Wah Relaunch - 2007
CLIENT:
Unilever, AXE Master Brand
CHALLANGE:
The AXE brand was staging a national relaunch of their equity with a new platform called "Bom Chica Wah Wah" and we were tasked to generate excitement and buzz in the category at key retailers Walmart and Target.
IDEA:
We brainstormed engagement ideas and sketched out tactics that could bring "Bom Chica Wah Wah" to life in a big way. We created a retailtainment event at Wal-Mart that tested a guys mojo with our "BCWW" display. The display featured an interactive LED meter that "measured" a guy’s "BCWW" which cued a voice chip recording of a sexy female that congratulates him if the meter hits high numbers. Of course on first try, he barely makes it to level 3. But with a quick spray of AXE, he tried again to max out the score. The engagement was facilitated by attractive “AXE Angel” demonstrators who flirts, intercepts, engages and samples product to guys as they pass by. 
At Target, we approached the men's apparel department with a win-win opportunity to drive traffic from the personal care aisle where AXE is the leader. With the premise of smelling and looking good and seeing the appeal to dudes, they took in our endcap with a custom, Target exclusive $5 AXE T-shirt offer with purchase of AXE products. As a result, AXE T-shirts sold out and we saw huge sales lifts during the run of the program. No only were we the first to place HPC products in the apparel department, but because of the success Unilever continues to have a semi-permanent display of their men's fragrances to include AXE, Degree and Dove for men.
To support the sales team with their various buyers, we also concepted, sketched and designed ideas for a unique sales kit. After a few rounds of concepts, we landed on a dynamic kit design containing a real guitar, sales materials that simulates music sheets, guitar pics and DVD/CD’s that look like mini LP’s. This award-winning kit brought a lot of excitement to the sales team and their customers. Additionally, a level 3 integration into the popular game Guitar Hero III, allowed us to seat an un-lockable AXE guitar of the same design further connecting the brand to our target.
SELECCIóN TECATE - 2006
CLIENT:
Heineken, USA Tecate
CHALLENGE:
Soccer is an important pastime for Hispanic consumers. Coming off a great year of soccer programming and momentum generated during activations in 2005, we were poised to set the stage in 2006 with the World Cup approaching. The Tecate beer brand had tasked Alcone with developing a national program to drive purchase of their products during the key soccer season.
IDEA:
We developed a national sweepstakes that would send lucky winners to the 2006 World Cup in Germany by "Choosing Tecate for the Home Team". We secured eight of Mexico’s top professional soccer players and photographed them to represent the home team. The photography was used on national POS signage, commemorative special packs, cans and autographed posters.
To support the initiative at the local level, we negotiated pro players to make appearances at off-premise stores in key Hispanic markets. We also activated the Chicas Tecate at local Copa Tecate soccer games to drive awareness and excitement.
Soho US Launch - 2005
CLIENT:
Pernod Recard, Soho
CHALLENGE:
Pernod Ricard wanted to launch Soho in select US markets to see how this brand would perform states side. At this time, swank martini bars were all the rage in cosmopolitan cities such as New York, Miami and LA. Based on key insights and current trends, there was no better time than to introduce a new type of martini made from an exotic and sweet lychee fruit from Asia.
IDEA:
Starting with brainstorming and thumbnail sketching, we were looking for a way to visually introduce the fusion of East and West with a fashion forward style reminiscent of the trendy Manhattan bar scene. I explored textures, fashion design and icons that provided a sophistication that married well with traditional Chinese aesthetics such as brush lettering. Once I landed on some compositions I liked, I proceeded with color ad mockups which we narrowed down to three ideas to present. 1. FASHIONABLY SOHO. 2. SWEET, NOT INNOCENT. 3. EAST MEETS WEST. Along with the presentation, we developed mood videos to help sell the tone of each idea.
The client chose FASHIONABLY SOHO. We shot with Kvon photography and created the final look of the campaign. Once client approved, we proceeded to blow out launch elements including on/off-premise sell sheets, posters, table tents, recipe cards, event banners and various branded premiums and engagements. A campaign style guide was also developed to keep the campaign aesthetics consistent and well, FASHIONABLE.
Presentation video:
Tezón Product Launch, 2005
CLIENT:
Pernod Ricard, Tezón
CHALLENGE:
Pernod Ricard launches a new super premium tequila in June 2005. Alcone was tasked with the development of the launch. The brand is positioned as an impeccable, genuine, hand-crafted tequila with the highest taste quality that appeals to the most discerning palette. Our job was to create the right positioning message and attitude to reach the target wanting the best tasting tequila on the market. The reasons to believe: time-honored Tahona process, quality blue-agave, slowly cooked in pot-stills for unmatched cleanness and purity. With the right positioning, we reach our target.
IDEA:
Similar to what we did on the Soho launch, we brainstormed and developed ideas based on our target insights, what matters to them and what they look for in a luxury brand. We wanted to ensure our ideas communicated uncompromising quality, craftsmanship, genuine and heritage with a little bit of attitude. Our idea spaces include 1. Impress Yourself. 2. Take your time...We did. 3. Elemental: The Origin. The Spark. The Difference. 4. Tequila like it was in the beginning. The client chose Impress Yourself.
Mood Video Sell-in:
Pepsi Subway MLB Partnership, 2002
CLIENT:
Pepsico, Food Service Division
CHALLENGE:
Our assignment was to develop a national consumer promotion for Subway leveraging Pepsi's partnership with Major League Baseball, All-Star Game.
IDEA:
We developed a sweepstakes program at Subway that gave consumers a chance to win tickets to the 2002 All Star game just by voting for their favorite players. We developed signage, collectible cups and a unique ballot box designed to look like a baseball stadium.
To promote the sweeps and drive traffic to Subway, we also scripted and storyboarded a TV spot. The idea goes like this. At the opening scene it appears that an unknown baseball player is about to throw a pitch. As we pull back, it is revealed that we are not at a baseball field but inside a Subway store. The "pitcher" throws his ballot into the box right down the middle and pre-celebrates what he hopes to be a win and a trip to the All-Star game. This program was such a success, they ran it again in 2003.
Final Aired Spot: