MediaCom climbs back up the MAOY ladder this year with a strong showing in fourth place thanks to a couple of smart partnerships with the CBC and a very glamorous retail launch. The agency, which has offices in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver, also upped its glam factor this year by taking on new client Revlon, along with Centennial College and online dating site Zoosk.
H&M opens like a star
After renovations to H&M’s store in Toronto’s Eaton Centre, MediaCom treated the re-opening like a movie premiere and the target (women 18-34) like stars, reinforcing H&M’s image of affordable, accessible glamour.
The campaign focused on traditional advertising, social media, PR, promotions and the event. Downtown core domination included newspaper earlugs and inside front covers, and TTC posters telling riders how many stops to the store. Through a partnership with Citytv, Tuned In with Lucy Zilio taped at the pre-launch party, and segments were broadcast on opening day. The day itself began with a fashion show on Breakfast Television and the opening was covered by Citytv’s evening news. With hundreds of people in line, the event spilled into Yonge-Dundas Square where a video screen showed press party vignettes and counted down until the doors opened. 
Customers had their photos taken with purchases that were instantly uploaded to the screen and to H&M’s Facebook page. Shoppers’ blog posts and tweets were also streamed to the video screen.
H&M exceeded its sales target for the two-day event (pre-party and opening day). Five-hundred followers were added to H&M’s Twitter feed and 1,500 names added to H&M’s database.
Guinness sends The Hour to Dublin
MediaCom wanted to celebrate Guinness’s 250 years of heritage in a “truly remarkable” way, making it relevant to a new generation of drinkers – young urban males who drink it only on special occasions, or who have yet to try it. Backed by Real World Street, the agency’s proprietary research database, The Hour host George Stroumboulopoulos was identified as a celebrity who embodied the values and depth the Diageo brand stood for.
MediaCom decided to blur the lines between advertising, creative and media through a one-of-a-kind venture. The Hour packed up production and moved to Dublin for a week to commemorate Guinness’s birthday. Guests were hand-picked by CBC producers, George and the Diageo client, and included the prime minister and the reclusive lead singer of the Pogues. Marketing included a “Join us in Dublin” consumer contest, as well as co-branded promotional messaging, in-show mentions and product placement. 
Brand awareness spiked, consumption of Guinness increased 15% over the period for YAY share growth. There were 50,000 contest entries, and the show’s audience increased by 250,000.
TD invades the CBC
To increase brand awareness and equity, MediaCom was charged with integrating TD Canada Trust (TDCT) into scripted content. The obvious broadcast partner was CBC, which over-indexed against the target (upscale, educated adults 25-54). TDCT would sponsor CBC’s fall launch.
The plan included branded storyline integrations in three prime-time scripted programs – Being Erica, Little Mosque on the Prairie and Heartland – filmed in real TD locations. The agency and TDCT briefed writers and producers directly, and managed the creative development throughout the campaign. Co-branded 30-second spots featured lead actresses from the shows seated in the iconic Green Chair. TD also sponsored a weekly feature called “The World of Good News” on The Hour, as well as an online hub housing new fall content, with extended cuts of the co-branded spots. Online and promotional ads rounded out the plan.
Unaided brand awareness grew 18% and positive opinion grew 29%. It achieved $3.50-to-$1 online ROI and nearly $2-to-$1 broadcast ROI due to negotiated discounting, shared production costs and viewership over-indexes. And earned media for TDCT was worth approximately $100,000.
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