Nestle South Africa were launching a unique range baby cereals. Nestum & Cerelac, nutritious meals in single serve sachets had many unique selling points. Our client the Product Management team wanted us to devise a strategy for a launch to their 500 staff that would go beyond the normal product displays and give-ways around the offices.
Working with their PR Agency Ogilvy’s we designed an internal competition to make a 1 minute advert extolling the virtues of the products. Commercial Break our innovative advert making experience was the perfect vehicle. The client wanted to get maximum mileage out of their investment so we devised a program that ran for 6 weeks. In the first week we set up a display at their offices in the canteen. We set up movie cameras, clapperboards, storyboards, posters and a host of props. The unsuspecting staff were expecting actors to burst on to the scene and for directors to start barking orders at any minute. That came the following week when, early one morning, everyone received an email imploring them to get down to the canteen at lunchtime if they had any creative talent! There they were greeted with Dream Team Catalyst facilitators in a variety of costumes making a mock advertisement and involving the staff in a very impromptu manner.
Then as they sat to eat lunch we chatted to them in groups and explained that the fuss was all about and issue a challenge. They had 2 weeks to get some colleagues together and submit a script for an original, informative and interesting Nestum and Cerelac advertisement. The response was overwhelming. The building abuzz with excitement and 2 weeks later the finalists had been selected. Five teams ideas would be turned in to adverts. All five teams were invited to an on-site workshop and introduced to the technical equipment, given some guidelines and tips for making award winning ads and introduced to the Dream Team Specialists who would coach and mentor them through the experience. Filming began soon after in an average of 4 hours each team had their ad “in the can”. The ads were loaded on to the company Intranet and YouTube. All staff members were encouraged to vote for their favourite ad.
The winner was announced at a glittering function held at the client’s premises. Another huge turnout of staff ensured ample opportunity to expose the clients staff to even more product messages and education.
The client was over the moon with the result. 5 great ads and the whole building talking about their product! We are already talking to them about how we can bring some Catalyst magic to their next events. Product launches at Nestle will never be the same again!
