Technology Campaign of the Year 2006

Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith was anticipated to be the biggest entertainment moment of 2005 – and equally as anticipated were the diehard fans who would spend hours, or even days, waiting in line to see the premiere of the franchise's final movie. The Geek Squad, Best Buy's 24-hour computer task force that conducts computer setup, repair and education, decided to capitalize on this media surge. Since waiting for premiere tickets usually resulted in sky-high employee/student absenteeism, the Geek Squad would use this as an opportunity to help people keep up with their lives and jobs, anytime, anyplace – even on a movie line.

Best Buy and Ketchum embarked on a national, under-the-radar program focusing on saving fans and employers from Star Wars-related absenteeism, or "Prequel-itis." The team leveraged research done by consulting firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas, which shows that an estimated 2.6 million full-time employees skipped work to see the previous premiere, costing the economy millions of dollars, and providing an impetus for the campaign. Ketchum gathered anecdotal research based on telephone conversations with fans, and internet searches of fan sites, to determine how to best reach the hardcore audience.

The team first reached out to the Star Wars fan community through online and direct-to-consumer means, under the guise of helping them to be productive with Wi-Fi, while skipping their jobs to wait in line.

The Geek Squad created an "Absentee Kit," which provided customizable excuse notes and survival tips to help fans use the technology and call on the Geek Squad to avoid the office that day. Ketchum kicked off the campaign at Celebration III, the official Star Wars convention in Indianapolis, with a handful of Geek Squad members manning a popular booth exhibit. The team also partnered with New York Line, an organization of fans raising money for the Starlight Starbright charity, helping members of a three-week "standathon" stay connected to their lives and jobs – ultimately gaining the trust and support of the most vocal fans.

"This was a creative use of guerilla PR," said one judge. Geek Squad's national awareness increased by 163% among target consumers, exceeding the client goal. More than 180 print, broadcast, and web placements reached an estimated 35 million people. More than 80% of coverage indicated whom the Geek Squad is, and what it does. The campaign's ROI was 176%, and approximately $8 was spent for every 1,000 people involved.

Honorable Mention: Edelman and Microsoft Game Studios: “Halo 2” PR Program

Approaching the 2005 holiday season, Microsoft's Xbox was getting set to unveil its next-generation system, the Xbox 360. How? With the release of Halo 2, the sequel to its Xbox franchise. The team was tasked with selling millions of games without showing the product, talking about the storyline, showcasing graphics, or being able to count on advertising. A word-of-mouth campaign was created, including an online viral campaign, preview events, and a midnight madness event that had fans lined up for blocks around national retailers. In the first 24 hours of availability, more than 2.4 million copies of Halo 2 were sold in North America, and over 2 million members subscribed to Xbox Live. One judge commented, "I'm particularly impressed with how Edelman achieved results in light of the client restrictions for getting pre-launch publicity."

Finalists:

Edelman and Microsoft Xbox
"Halo 2" Launch PR Program

GolinHarris Los Angeles and Nintendo of America
Nintendo Leads Battle of the Hand-Helds: Innovative DS Enters the Fray

Ketchum w/GMR Marketing and Best Buy
Geek Squad Rescues Star Wars Fans from "Prequel-itis"

Rogers & Cowan and Napster
Napster

Weber Shandwick and Intellifit Corporation
A Retail Revolution: Finding What Fits