2020 Innovation

Report
Insights from the WARC Awards

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2020 INNOVATION REPORT 2

In this Insights from the

Effective Innovation
category in the 2020
2020 Innovation Report

In this Report 2

Report WARC Awards, a global

case study competition to
reward next-generation
Takeaways
What this means for
Introduction
3
4
5
ideas that have led to
effectiveness. Chapter one: Themes from the winning campaigns 7
Innovation can build brand fame 8
Summaries of case Seasonal work can benefit from innovation 11
studies across Grand Prix, Simplicity creates standout 13
Gold, Silver and Bronze Mix and match: innovative brand partnerships 14
winners, as well as three
Special Awards: Channel Chapter two: Winning case studies 17
Innovation Award, Category
Innovation Award and Chapter three: Data 24
Partnership Award.

Data and infographics

breaking down different
models of successful
innovation.

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Takeaways
1: Innovation can be
an efficient route to
building brand fame. As
Grand Prix winner Volvo
shows, it can drive
attention, engagement
and commercial results.
2: In the post-COVID
world, tech innovation
has a key role to play for
brands in replicating
real-world experiences.
Brands should prioritise
keeping up-to-date with
new thinking on how to
engage audiences virtually.
3: Some of the most
effective innovation
comes from mining brand
provenance. Reinterpreting
heritage in an appealing way
can lead to effectiveness.
4: Innovative touchpoints
can unlock an idea, as
proven by Foodbank
Western Australia’s
empty cereal box.
5: Within the luxury sector,
identifying a space within
which to innovate can win
attention, as in Volvo’s case.
3
6: Effective innovation
doesn’t always have to
involve tech. Innovative
analogue solutions with a
simple idea at their core
can create stand-out.
7: Innovative
partnerships from
different sectors can
generate attention and PR,
as well as being effective.
This was proved by the
collaboration between
Xbox and Rough Guides
to promote escapism
through gaming.
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2020 INNOVATION REPORT
What Advertisers
this
— Think about how
innovation could be an
efficient and cost-effective
complement to traditional
means campaigns, enabling your
brands to extend reach.
for: — Consider how seasonal
work could benefit from
innovation, particularly in
the post-COVID world,
where social distancing is
a requirement. Appraise
tech alternatives to real-
life experiences associated
with your brand.
— Figure out how you
can innovate by
leveraging your brand
heritage to reflect
contemporary attitudes.
4
Agencies Media owners
— Assist high-end brands to — Consider how touchpoints
innovate within the luxury can be more innovative:
sector in a way that helps Foodbank Western
them make their brand Australia and Pedigree
distinct and doesn’t rely
on category conventions.
feature examples of
touchpoints that sit at
the heart of a campaign.
— Identify unusual
partnerships that could
be mutually beneficial:
— Innovative context can
help with an unremarkable
what may seem like an product: a sampling push
odd pairing in the first for OMO, for instance,
instance could be a was made more effective
fruitful collaboration. through distribution via
clothes retailers.
— Think about how you can
innovate to build fame — Work with brands on
for your brands. identifying the appropriate
channels to show off their
— Consider how innovation expertise to consumers,
could help refresh similar to Nestlé’s
seasonal communications. collaboration with Google.
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2020 INNOVATION REPORT 5

Introduction
As entire sectors such as retail and tourism are battered by
the pandemic and serial lockdowns, the winners of this year’s
Effective Innovation category show how crucial innovation will
be to rebuilding relationships and recalibrating businesses.

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2020 INNOVATION REPORT
An efficient route
to effectiveness
As media budgets in many
markets will be tight for the
foreseeable future,
considering how your brand
can innovate – whether
through a new partnership or
by rethinking an approach to
seasonal marketing – could be
a valuable investment of time
and resources.
Analogue triumphs
Innovative approaches don’t
always have to include tech.
Many of this year’s winners
triumphed with an analogue
solution: Grand Prix winner
Volvo relied on an ocean
conservation initiative to
engage Australians while
Foodbank Western Australia’s
idea was, in essence, an empty
cereal box to represent the
region’s food-deprived
children. And OMO Tag
in Lebanon saw the
Unilever-owned detergent
brand give away free samples
with new clothes.
Reaching new audiences
This year’s winners are adept
at showing how to extend
reach to new audiences. Xbox
showed how to reach non-
gamers by partnering with
6
Rough Guides and reframing
gaming as escapism, similar
to a holiday. Volvo reached
high-end buyers with a
leftfield approach. And
Tanqueray gin fought off local
competition by appealing to
the aesthetic pride felt by
Spaniards towards Seville.
Thank you to the jury
These innovative strategies
We’d like to thank an
facilitate talking points around
extremely dedicated jury,
brands, grabbing attention
chaired by Jane Wakely,
as well as driving PR and
who debated the papers
social engagement, which
at length.
then put them on the path
to effectiveness.
Look out for changes in the
next edition of the Awards,
which launches in January
2021. Interested in judging?
Contact Lucy Aitken: Jane Wakely
lucy.aitken@ascential.com Lead Chief Marketing Officer,
Mars & Mars Pet Nutrition
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2020 INNOVATION REPORT

Chapter one:
Themes from the
winning campaigns
• Innovation can build brand fame

• Seasonal work can benefit from innovation

• Simplicity creates standout

• Invest in innovative brand partnerships

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2020 INNOVATION REPORT
Innovation can
build brand fame
By reframing luxury and
status to be thoughtful as
opposed to ostentatious,
Volvo captured attention
and share of voice in
Australia, writes
WhiteGREY’s Matt Simms.
Matt Simms is Experience Strategy
Director at WhiteGREY Australia
Volvo Cars has a beautiful
heritage: a belief that because
cars are driven by people, they
should be safe.
This near-century-old focus on
safety meant the brand naturally
became renowned for it, making
the association unshakable. And
that was Volvo’s problem in
Australia. Safety wasn’t a luxury,
it was expected.
Looking back to look forward
Given that Volvo is almost 100
years old, it’s tempting to throw
out tradition to respond to the
significant changes disrupting
the auto industry.
Yet it was only by examining
Volvo’s heritage and marrying it
to contemporary attitudes that
we found our opportunity.
Volvo has an internal
philosophy called Omtanke. It’s
about applying care,
consideration and relentless
8
thinking to everything it does.
This spirit landed well with
members of our audience.
For them, luxury and status
have shifted from a statement
of extravagance and wealth to
a more thoughtful expression
of intelligence.
Finding a way to reframe an
enduring truth around people’s
attitudes and aspirations meant
we could look forward while
remaining grounded in a space
that felt right for Volvo to own.
Being innovative is about
stepping into the new, creating
something original. But for
brand innovation to work it has
to be authentic, grounded in
beliefs and actions.
Long-term trumps
short-termism
The purpose of the activity was
to develop the brand while
building sales, demonstrating the
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2020 INNOVATION REPORT
benefit of taking a long-term
approach to brand building to
complement short-term sales
activity. This was the first time
that Volvo ran brand work in the
market consistently and it has
seen considerable growth as a
result. Investing in brand
improved sales outcomes rather
than detracting from them.
Relevant fame can
shake beliefs
As a small player up against
some famous and
lavishly-funded brands, Volvo
had a lowly share of voice. We
couldn’t buy more of it and spend
our way to relevance, we had to
earn it. While most auto brands
create moments by launching
cars, we created a different sort
of launch with the Volvo Living
Seawall. By doing so, we grabbed
attention while stretching
expectations of the category.
9
Living Seawall was unexpected,
which fuelled interest in the idea
and Volvo. The work of Binet and
Field shows fame-driving
communication models boost
effectiveness by quadrupling
efficiency. Omtanke and Seawall
created a perception shift by
making Volvo appear bigger than
it was in the market: it was fame-
driving and incredibly effective.
Belonging means
being different
We would struggle to truly
differentiate the product, but we
could be distinct. To command a luxurious. It increased interest in for future innovation: to belong in
price premium, Volvo had to feel its product by offering an a category, sometimes you have
like it belonged in the luxury invitation, rather than demanding to be bold enough to challenge
segment. The trouble is, the people must experience it. people’s understanding of it.
category is renowned for being It gained attention with a softer
intense, high-octane, exhilarating aesthetic, rather than shouting
– everything Volvo is not. for it with a confrontational,
Volvo carved out its own bold tone.
attitude, one that was unique The experience of working on
in the segment, yet still felt this led us to a powerful insight Read the full article on warc.com.
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2020 INNOVATION REPORT 10

Volvo: Omtanke
Living Seawall was amplified
across owned media as well
as paid channels, ensuring
national impact.

Volvo’s unique approach to

entering the luxury space
impressed judges. Rogério
Colantuono, Group Strategy
Director at Wavemaker,
said: “Its lateral thinking led
to something completely
fresh. It was powerful and
contemporary in its
approach to luxury.”

But the innovative

execution did not come at
the expense of the brand’s
philosophy. Judge Kara
Yang, Managing Director at
TBWA\Media Arts Lab
Shanghai, commented: “It
reinforced Volvo’s brand
values in a refreshing way.”
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2020 INNOVATION REPORT
Seasonal work
can benefit from
innovation
Fjord Interactive’s
Prue Jones explains how
seasonal work can
innovate to stay relevant,
particularly in the
post-COVID world.
Prue Jones is Design Director
at Fjord Interactive
In the era of inclusivity, brands
have been catering to broader
sections of the community,
particularly around seasonal
activity. Westfield’s Sensitive
Santa, for instance, was
introduced in Australia and New
Zealand in 2018 for children with
specific needs, like autism. It
made having a photo snapped
with Santa less anxiety-inducing
and more accessible for children
and their caregivers.
Conducted outside of official
store hours, the sessions put
children in control of their
experience: they could lie on the
floor with Santa or stand far away
if that was most comfortable. As
word spread, visits to Westfield’s
Sensitive Santa ballooned by a
whopping 620%, proof that
inclusivity is good for positive
brand sentiment and revenue.
But in creating a ‘safe space’ for
customers with unique emotional
11
needs, Westfield was unwittingly
providing a test case for what
none of us could possibly predict
was coming.
2020: the year of anxiety
Our 2020 Fjord Trends Report
outlined how brands are
beginning to shift focus from
profit to purpose in response to
evolving societal norms. Those
norms have never shifted faster
than in 2020. As in the case of
Westfield, in this fearful post-
COVID world, reducing all-
pervasive customer anxiety is
where brands should be focusing
their energies if they want to
maintain or increase interaction
with customers. No one hears a
message when it’s drowned out
by the internal static of anxiety.
Measures to combat the spread
of the virus mean that
communications and
experiences in general must be
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2020 INNOVATION REPORT
re-designed with emotional
safety at their core.
The pandemic’s general brief to
us is pretty simple and can be
summed up as, ‘do everything as
before, but without physical
contact between humans’. This is
particularly challenging for
events such as Christmas, when
the whole point is to unite people
and hand over objects.
Celebrations must now be
recalibrated with the right ratio of
magic and safety.
Spirit vs. security
Here’s where technology is the
sensible conduit. Going back to
the Westfield experience, few
centres will run their much
anticipated Santa events this
year, as crowd management will
present obvious problems.
Instead, Westfield will provide a
no-touch augmented reality
experience incorporating prizes
and activities in line with social-
distancing requirements. This
year, all Santa photography will
be pre-booked online to ensure
contact tracing lines can be
established, with sessions timed
to eliminate queuing. As with all
experiences, how closely this will
come to replicating the IRL
experience is to be determined.
Creativity in the time of COVID
Who knows how current events
will shape or augment our
celebrations of the future? In the
meantime, food must be
purchased, exercise must be
taken, and our health attended
to. This presents opportunities
for brands to create new
channels and reach people when
they are receptive.
For instance, Australian charity
Foodbank Western Australia
positioned Hungry Puffs – an
empty box illustrated with a
cartoon of a distressed child and
a bare bowl – on supermarket
shelves, appealing to shoppers
that no one should go hungry at
Christmas. It was a clever way to
highlight the plight of Australia’s
underfed, a prescient example of
12
how brands or causes can create
unique channels to reach people
en masse when reach and
budget are limited.
Where the true innovation
opportunity lies
True innovation is driven by
necessity. The real opportunity
we have now goes beyond how
our traditions can be re-imagined
in the short term and extends to
innovating a whole new way of
life that is not merely human-
centred, but life-centred – one
that acknowledges our reliance
on the natural world, and on the
importance of our relationships
with others.
This is where true innovation
will be something to celebrate.
Read the full article on warc.com.
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2020 INNOVATION REPORT
Simplicity creates
standout
Simplicity was repeatedly
mentioned by this year’s
jurors as a way to achieve
cut-through and connect
with people.
In a world that has been turned
upside down in 2020, there’s a
case for arguing that taking the
simplest approach – the one
that consumers will understand
in a nanosecond – will be the
most effective. Among this
year’s winners were some
stellar examples of how
simplicity translated to the
bottom line.
Selfies lead to sales
Pedigree’s SelfieSTIX was an
on-pack promotion for
Pedigree DentaSTIX. The
canine snack came with a stick
designed to be used with a
smartphone, enabling dog
owners to snap a photo of
themselves with their pets
looking at the camera. A
SelfieSTIX mobile app took it
further, putting Snapchat-like
filters on dogs’ faces. Judge
Kara Yang, Managing Director,
TBWA\Media Arts Lab
Shanghai, commented: “The
best innovation is often the
simplest. They took an
existing behaviour and made it
easier and more fun.” The
panel praised it for proving
that innovative ideas don’t
necessarily have to call for
revolutionary tech.
Tiny budget, huge ROI
Foodbank WA’s Hungry Puffs
initiative was praised for being
a bold yet simple, memorable
idea that cut through. The
brand highlighted food
insecurity by placing an empty
box of cereal on shelves,
encouraging people to buy
it and thus donate.
13
Judge Ahmad Salim, Group
Business Director, Colenso
BBDO, said: “The ROI is
incredible, plus it was
beautifully simple and
demands a response.”
Give, don’t shed, blood
A brave campaign for NGO
Donner Sang Compter (DSC)
in Lebanon, used an effective
mechanic to encourage
donations. DSC identified
Ashura – a day when some
Muslims mourn the death of
Muhammad’s grandson
through public flagellation –
as an opportunity to ask
people to donate, instead of
shed, blood. “I liked the
simplicity,” said judge David
Balko, Chief Client Officer,
Tribal Worldwide London.
“They zeroed in on a cultural
event and said, ‘Let’s turn it
into something positive’.”
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2020 INNOVATION REPORT
Mix and match:
innovative brand
partnerships
Partnerships that bring
together brands from
different sectors can earn
attention and generate
results, says Wavemaker’s
Rogério Colantuono.
Rogério Colantuono is Group
Strategy Director at Wavemaker
When it comes to brands,
partnerships that boldly bring
different elements together can
unlock new and surprising
perceptions, sensations and
experiences that might lead to
visibility, engagement, loyalty,
and ultimately purchase.
But it’s important to notice that
not all partnerships are born the
same. Let’s look at two examples
from Microsoft.
When Microsoft partners with
digital creators to promote its
Surface devices, it looks big, it
seems interesting, it contributes
to the brand, and everything
expectedly makes sense.
But when partnerships arise
between brands that are
seemingly disconnected, the
conflicting nature of these
associations generates a feeling
of novelty and curiosity that
sparks something new and
attractive (when combined
14
through a powerful insight).
Xbox and Rough Guides are
absolutely disconnected, but
when Microsoft partnered
Rough Guides to promote
sightseeing inside their games,
it unlocked a new perception of
the console experience.
Partnerships that pay off
Be it Xbox and Rough Guides,
KFC and data company PentaQ
or Volvo and the Sydney Institute
of Marine Science, unorthodox
partnerships can provide a
shortcut to audiences and help
brands significantly outperform
their business goals.
This idea is particularly
interesting in our current era of
uncertainty, where people’s
expectations and needs have
been turned upside down and
their perceptions of support,
relationship and trust in
institutions and brands have
© Copyright WARC 2020. All rights reserved.
2020 INNOVATION REPORT
been severely impacted.
How can a brand deliver on its
customers’ expectations when
those are in flux? How can it
quickly build up new attributes
that talk to new consumer
demands? Innovative
partnerships can be a powerful
support tool – both a shortcut
and a powerplay – that can allow
brands to branch out in new
directions, boost new attributes
and bring fresh energy.
As the world emerges from
the pandemic and reshapes itself
through new perceptions and
expectations, expect the same
to happen within brands’
relationships with customers.
The space for innovation will be
broad, but crowded, so brands’
ability to stand out, prove value
and provide amazing
experiences will be tested.
It’s not just about bringing
weird stuff together
It’s important to stress that the
idea of innovating within
partnerships is not simply a
matter of bringing together
brands that have nothing to do
with one another. Effective,
innovative partnerships need to
have a context in which they
make sense, big ideas that act as
a connective tissue and clear,
single-minded business goals.
Though not exactly a
partnership, take Tanqueray’s
relationship with Pantone: it
made sense because the
Diageo-owned gin brand surfed
the cultural relevance of the local
song ‘Sevilla tiene un color
especial’ (context) to find ‘the
colour of Seville’ (big idea) in
order to build local relevance in
the Spanish market (objective). If
not for these well-grounded
elements, such a link would
15
never stick and Pantone would
have never endorsed the
campaign and the colour.
The ‘catch’: only you can
find your secret sauce
Due to the nature of this kind of
partnership, there are no
cookie-cutter, one-size-fits-all
solutions. Their power comes, in
part, from the cognitive
dissonance that they spark.
Surround yourself with talented
and trustworthy partners,
develop a sound strategy, and,
crucially, look at places where
nobody else is looking.
And finally, if this sounds
exciting, be prepared to be bold
and make uncomfortable
choices. Innovative brand pairing
requires a bit of science, a bit of
art, and a great dose of creativity.
More than anything, it takes guts.
Read the full article on warc.com.
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2020 INNOVATION REPORT 16

Three innovative
partnerships
Volvo KFC
Partnerships helped these
winners to connect with
new audiences.

Judge Mitesh M Motwani,

VP Analytics at Omnicom,
said of Volvo: “It retained its
customer base and brought
in a new one which may not
resonate with what Volvo
stood for historically.”

KFC was seen to add value

to gamers’ experience. It
“demonstrated how to be Xbox
part of the conversation,”
according to judge Woei Hern
Chan, Executive Creative
Director at Ensemble.

Xbox struck a chord with non-

gamers. “It made me want to
go out and get an Xbox,” said
judge Prue Jones, Design
Director at Fjord Interactive.
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2020 INNOVATION REPORT

Chapter two:
Winning case studies

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2020 INNOVATION REPORT 18

GRAND PRIX

Volvo Cars Australia:

Omtanke

Agencies: Auto brand Volvo grew sales and Results Takeaways

whiteGREY, Mindshare
market share in Australia through an
Advertiser: ocean conservation project targeting
Volvo Cars Australia
high-end buyers. 38% sales increase • Sustainable innovations can help
reframe your heritage around
Market:
Australia To establish itself in the luxury category, 49% market share contemporary attitudes.
Volvo built a platform around the concept increase • Fame-generating work not only
of Omtanke – a Swedish word meaning delivers increased effectiveness, but
care and consideration. It created the 113% average uplift boosts positive sentiment towards
Volvo Living Seawall, a structure made in luxury brand brands, leading to long-term impact.
from upcycled plastic which was placed in attributes • Carve out your own niche in the
Sydney Harbour, cleaning the water by luxury space; don’t strive to blend in.
providing a habitat for pollutant-filtering
organisms. The project was promoted VIEW CASE STUDY
across social, PR, cinema and TV.
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2020 INNOVATION REPORT 19

GOLD AND PARTNERSHIP SPECIAL AWARD GOLD AND CHANNEL INNOVATION SPECIAL AWARD

Tanqueray: Xbox:
#FFAB60 Visit Xbox
Tanqueray gin increased Video gaming giant Xbox
penetration and made itself drove fame for its One X
relevant in Spain by finding console and engaged
the ‘Special Colour of Seville’ non-gamers by behaving like
to launch a new variant that a tourism brand across OOH,
paid tribute to the city. print, social and a partnership
with Rough Guides.

Results Results
1.5pp penetration increase VIEW THE CASE STUDY 55% website traffic increase VIEW THE CASE STUDY
€2m PR value 9.2m global impressions

Takeaways Lead agency: Takeaways Agency:

PS21 McCann London
• Data, tech and creativity • Explore categories outside
can work together to create Contributing agency: of your own to uncover Advertiser:
emotional connections Carat innovative approaches. Xbox (Microsoft)
with consumers. Advertiser: • Partnering with credible Market:
• Tech and data can elevate Tanqueray (Diageo) voices lends your United Kingdom
a creative idea through Market:
campaign authenticity and
tangible claims. Spain authority.
© Copyright WARC 2020. All rights reserved.
2020 INNOVATION REPORT 20

GOLD AND CATEGORY INNOVATION SPECIAL AWARD SILVER

Foodbank WA: Pedigree:

Hungry Puffs SelfieSTIX
Foodbank Western Australia Pet food Pedigree grew
raised donations by sales of DentaSTIX in New
identifying a provocative way Zealand through a gadget
to highlight the harsh reality that made taking selfies
of food-insecure children. with their pets easier for
dog owners.

Results Results
$312,855 in donations (2018) VIEW THE CASE STUDY 13.3% sales volume growth VIEW THE CASE STUDY
$335,000 in donations (2019) 8.55% distribution increase
7.17:1 ROI
Agency: Lead agency:
The Brand Agency Colenso BBDO
Takeaways Takeaways
• Innovation can lie in the Advertiser: • Simple ideas can be Contributing agencies:
creation of new touchpoints. Foodbank Western Australia innovative if they are rooted MEC Wavemaker, The Collective Force,
FINCH, Franklin Road
• Calls for donations are more Market: in consumer insight.
impactful when they blend Australia • Identify an existing Advertiser:
Pedigree (Mars)
seamlessly into consumers’ behaviour and think of how
lives and disrupt them. you could facilitate it. Market:
New Zealand
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2020 INNOVATION REPORT 21

SILVER SILVER

KFC: DSC:
Colonel KI Blood Unity
Fast-food brand KFC NGO Donner Sang Compter
engaged its young Chinese drove blood donations in
audience by creating Colonel Lebanon by hijacking an
KI: an AI commentator that outdated tradition, turning
predicted outcomes of it from an occasion for
e-sports tournaments. blood-letting into a chance
for generous blood-giving.

Results Results
70mins brand exposure a day VIEW THE CASE STUDY 400% donations vs. standard VIEW THE CASE STUDY
203m reach 1,965 lives saved
1.9m on-screen comments
Lead agency: Takeaways Lead agency:
Mindshare FP7 McCann Dubai
Takeaways • Innovation doesn’t always
• Identify innovative ways to Contributing agencies: mean creating something Contributing agencies:
approach a crowded space Riot Game, PentaQ new: it can be persuading McCann Health Dubai, FP7 McCann Beirut
such as e-sports. Advertiser: people to reconsider an Advertiser:
• Enhance your audience’s KFC (Yum China) existing behaviour. Donner Sang Compter (DSC)
experience of their passion Market:
• PR is key in campaigns Market:
rather than disrupting it. China tackling social issues. Lebanon

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2020 INNOVATION REPORT 22

SILVER

OMO:
OMO Tag
Laundry detergent
OMO achieved sales and
market share growth
with a novel approach to
sampling in Lebanon.

Results
100% volume sales increase VIEW THE CASE STUDY
45% market share increase
71% online mention growth
Agency:
TBWA\RAAD
Takeaways
• Simple ideas can be Advertiser:
impactful by reaching OMO (Unilever)
consumers in new ways. Market:
• Remove obstacles between Lebanon
product and consumer to
boost engagement.
© Copyright WARC 2020. All rights reserved.
2020 INNOVATION REPORT 23

BRONZE BRONZE

Nestlé: Master Kong:

Okay Nestlé! CNY Makeover
Multinational food Instant noodle brand Master
and drink corporation Kong Express drove sales
Nestlé demonstrated its during Chinese New Year
nutrition knowledge to with limited-edition products
Indian mothers with an modernising a tradition to suit
AI voice assistant. younger Chinese consumers.

Results Results
18% more nutrition association VIEW THE CASE STUDY 800% e-comm traffic growth VIEW THE CASE STUDY
84% brand trust increase 100% sales increase

Takeaway Lead agency: Lead agency:

• By proving their expertise McCann Worldgroup Takeaway BBDO China

through consumer-facing Contributing agencies: • Traditions can be refreshed Contributing agencies:

platforms, rather than Digitas, Sensforth to appeal to younger Carat, Dentsu, Public Relations
through products, brands Advertiser:
consumers: consider how Advertiser:
can amp up their Nestlé cultural practices can be Master Kong Express Noodle
credentials in a more reframed to respond to (Ting Hsin International Group)
Market:
authentic way. India evolving habits and needs. Market:
China
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2020 INNOVATION REPORT

Chapter three:
Data

• Where the shortlisted case studies came from

• Campaign objectives

• Creative strategy

• Media used

• Campaign duration and media budget

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2020 INNOVATION REPORT 25

Where the shortlisted case studies came from

Selected markets

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2020 INNOVATION REPORT 26

Word of mouth
trumps awareness
Campaign objectives
Word of mouth witnessed 2020 shortlist vs. 2019 shortlist (selected objectives)
a substantial increase in
popularity among the
shortlist, dethroning
awareness as the most
cited objective. Talkability
was a key aim for brands
targeting specific
communities, like Pedigree
reaching out to dog owners,
and Tanqueray celebrating
the city of Seville.

More papers on this year’s

shortlist used innovation to
refresh brand identity and
launch a new brand. As
exemplified by Volvo
entering the luxury
category, and Tanqueray
launching a new variant,
innovative approaches can
be the gateway to new
beginnings for brands.
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2020 INNOVATION REPORT 27

Innovation
gets emotional
Creative strategy
Almost half of all shortlisted 2020 shortlist vs. 2019 shortlist (selected strategies)
papers used participation
as a creative strategy.
Pedigree, in particular,
heavily relied on dog
owners’ user-generated
content to promote its
SelfieSTIX gadget.

Emotion also grew

considerably. Campaigns
such as Visit Xbox,
Hungry Puffs and Omtanke
connected with consumers
on a human level, proving
that innovation does not
equal cold tech.

Personalisation, on the
other hand, witnessed a
drop, going from 29% to
10%. None of the papers
using it as a strategy
converted to winners.
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2020 INNOVATION REPORT 28

Digital is combined
with experiential
Media used
Online video and social 2020 shortlist vs. 2019 shortlist (selected channels)
media continue to dominate
the media mix of innovation
strategies. Events follow
closely, used by almost a
third of the shortlist. For
campaigns Blood Unity and
Visit Xbox, a combination
of on-ground events and
online activity was key to
achieving reach as well
as talkability.

While out of home and apps

both witnessed a dip, they
were essential channels for
some winners. Visit Xbox’s
gaming landscapes
captured attention with
outdoor placements, and
Pedigree’s user-generated
content mechanic would
not have been possible
without its app.
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2020 INNOVATION REPORT 29

Little middle ground

in budget and length
Campaign duration Media budget
While the number of 2020 shortlist vs. 2019 shortlist 2020 shortlist vs. 2019 shortlist
campaigns lasting between
one and three years
increased, the highest jump
was seen in short-term
durations. Work lasting up
to three months increased
from 48% to 70%.
In-between lengths were
less popular this year, with
only Tanqueray’s campaign
having a duration of three
to six months.

In terms of budgets, this

year saw an increase in
shortlisted work with low
ones – up to 500k – as well
as a modest growth in
those with bigger resources
– between 5–10 million.

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2020 INNOVATION REPORT 30

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