UNIQLO AXE SPEIGHT
Uniqlock Gamekillers Great Beer Delivery
Agency: Projector Agency: BBH New York Agency: Publicis Mojo
Creative director: Executive creative director: Executive creative director:
Koichiro Tanaka Kenny Roddy Lachlan McPherson
This quirky mash-up of music, dance and a clock for Japanese This edgy dating game show, made by BBH and @radical media, has After hearing that New Zealanders in the UK were missing their
clothing retailer Uniqlo has been a worldwide sensation. become a phenomenon. It began with a one-hour show on MTV, favourite beer, a working Speight’s Alehouse was strapped to the
Stealing all the top prizes – Cannes grand prix, D&AD black pencil, funded by deodorant brand Axe (Lynx), which followed the trials of a deck of a ship and sailed from Dunedin to London, with a crew
One Show grand prix, the list goes on (and on) – this 24/7 clothes man trying to chat up a girl, despite the many characters recruited after a nationwide search.
catalogue has entered into popular culture. (gamekillers) determined to put him off his game. The 16-week voyage received yards of press coverage and was
“It’s an incredibly simple idea, so very easy to understand and Axe branding was stitched in to the proposition of the show, which made into an hour-long documentary, which aired on Sky.
engage with,” says Laura Jordan-Bambach, the head of design at LBi, was all about ‘Keeping your cool’. Lachlan McPherson, the executive creative director at Speight’s New
who was on the online advertising jury at last year’s D&AD awards. Axe also had a presence through branded animation sequences Zealand agency Publicis Mojo, says the idea was born out of a legend
“We think of campaigns as short bursts, but digital can showing tips on how to disarm the gamekillers. about Speights being shipped in the 1920s to help prevent a shortage
continually engage.” Kevin Roddy, executive creative director at Axe agency, BBH New of beer in New Zealand’s North Island.
The idea with Uniqlock, which comes as both a downloadable widget York, says: “I always say this was a form of brand content, not branded “Speight's is regarded as 'The Stuff of Legends' and it seemed
and a screensaver, is that a series of dancers wearing the latest content. We were literally able to build this from scratch.” appropriate that we help Speight's create a new legend,” says
ranges of Uniqlo clothes appear on the clock every so often. The A series followed, plus a raft of traditional advertising to support the McPherson.
dancers and clothes change with each new season, sustaining interest show, which ensured Gamekillers found its way into US pop culture. “The news media coverage the voyage attracted gave us a far
with fresh content. It won in last year’s D&AD broadcast innovations category, where stronger statement of authenticity than a traditional television
The Uniqlock links to Uniqlo’s online store and is also being used as Kevin McKeon, executive creative director at Strawberry Frog New campaign could have provided.”
an installation in-store. Created by Projector in Japan, the clock has York, was on the jury. “I think a lot of times brands are jammed into Al Young, creative director at St Luke’s, is a fan: “Right from the start it’s
been viewed 245 million times across 214 countries. content and culture in a way that seems forced and transparent,” says so much more deeply involving than a conventional advertisement
Paul Woolmington, founding partner at Naked Communications and a McKeon. “But they did a brilliant job of integrating the Axe brand into telling you how refreshing Speight’s is.”
juror for the titanium and integrated awards at Cannes in 2008 the culture without it seeming obvious.” Another fan is Andrew Watson, creative director at Amsterdam
describes it as, “An idea unconfined by a medium”. BBH New York has also recently been behind a documentary for the Worldwide: “This campaign stood out because it had legs to last for a
“It transcends its form and is beautifully integrated. It allows you to launch of Oasis’ new album, recording how four new tracks were long period of time. They took a product not known well outside its
enter the world of Uniqlo,” he adds. leaked through the city’s street musicians. home country and turned it into an international event.”
72 I inmotion
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