THE ROM

How do you advertise a dinosaur exhibit sans dino? This was the challenge DDB faced when promoting Toronto’s Royal Ontario Museum’s Feathered Dinosaurs and the Origin of Flight exhibit earlier this year. So the shop let its target of over 25s with kids under 12 imagine what modern life would be like if birds were like dinosaurs. In newspaper and outdoor, the agency created quirky images without birds, such as of a stark street scene with a sagging telephone wire. TV ads also played up the theme. Initial results suggest 62% of visitors cited the ads as playing an influential role in getting them to the ROM. And the work has nabbed a Bronze Lion and a Gold Extra as well.

FIRST UNITED MISSION

Vancouver’s First United Mission was up against other charities and donor fatigue so DDB needed to make people see the homeless through new eyes and contribute not only money but, for the first time, daily essentials.

The agency used transit ads and guerrilla posters. One, for example, included an image of toothpaste with a price tag of $2,779. The tagline: ‘Try to see things through the eyes of the homeless.’

As a result, donations are rising. One person even walked in with a $10,000 cheque simply because he had seen one of the transit ads.

ICBC

Deterring car theft is a top priority for the Insurance Corporation of B.C. Why? Less car theft = fewer claims = less money spent settling claims = steady or reduced insurance premiums = everyone’s happy. Young men and older cars are the most likely targets. So to raise awareness among young men, DDB created the Stolen Car Show with stolencarshow.com as the centrepiece of the campaign.

Radio, posters, and postcards designed in traditional car show style drove the target to the site where they could learn about anti-theft devices. The agency also hired a Miss Stolen Car Show, Monique, who hyped the Web site on radio and did mini-Stolen Car Shows downtown and on campuses. Blogs were created and Monique even had an MSN address. The site generated over 415,000 hits following the launch and the campaign earned a Bronze Lion.

ENERGIZER LITHIUM

At four times the cost of a regular alkaline battery, Energizer Lithiums were lost in a low-interest category. Yet in its research DDB found that digital devices and by extension, batteries, were very important to people. Running out of battery power with a clock or TV remote was an annoyance but when it happened with a camera or MP3 player, it was devastating. DDB therefore created a focused message: For the digital devices you love and depend on, you need a specific battery that’s ‘designed for digital.’

Its TV creative showed an MP3 player running through the streets with its owner giving chase. Radio showed life doesn’t wait for you to change your camera batteries with a group of partygoers holding the word ‘Surprise’ for an awkwardly long time. Transit was also used.

Without any new distribution gains or changes in promotion or pricing, this previously unnoticed product grew 142% in sales volume. In fact, by February 2005, the brand was sold out. A halo effect across the entire Energizer lineup led to its best holiday season performance in the last 16 years.

And the TV spot was named a Cannes finalist while the radio creative earned a Silver Lion and a Bronze Clio this year.

BC DAIRY

Milk consumption declines as youth become financially independent and discover a host of other beverage options.

Enter DDB and its ‘Survival of the Fittest’ campaign for the BC Dairy Foundation. The goal was to make milk a more conscious beverage choice. DDB chose to leverage the idea of survival with cavemen meeting their untimely demise because they chose the wrong beverage at the wrong time.

The work consisted of TV, cinema, a Web site and washroom posters, as well as decals in C-stores and messages for coffee sleeves.

Four weeks after launch, total milk sales were up 6%. Flavoured milks (the type of milk the target drinks most) were up 8% for the 52 weeks ending Aug. 6/05. The drinkmilk.ca Web site featuring ‘Second Chance Caveman’ was also a hit, with over 87,000 unique visitors since launch.