How to “wow” jaded electronics consumers? This year, Samsung Electronics took the top Reggie award from the Promotion Marketing Association for a campaign that combined product placement and other tactics that leveraged a tie-in with the action blockbuster The Matrix: Reloaded.
The film trilogy has cultivated an ultracool image that is enhanced by its very limited use of promotional partners. At the same time, Samsung’s DigitAll Matrix campaign was the manufacturer’s first global promotion/ad campaign linked to a big Hollywood film. The match worked thanks to the intersection of technology with style — traits shared by the film and the manufacturer.
Samsung created a Matrix-themed wireless telephone used by the lead characters (with prominent logo exposure). The custom phone is also used in the Enter the Matrix video game.
Samsung’s TV spots mirrored the look of the movie, and borrowed talent from the film. Assistant director James McTeigue shot the TV spots, and featured five different products. Campaigns in global markets included media, online banner ads, FSIs; links to Samsung’s online microsite, in-store displays, banners and signage, wireless marketing tie-ins (Samsung Fun Club), p.r. and guerrilla marketing. Marketing materials were created in 30-plus languages; global media/promotional spending reached $100 million.
Super Reggie Winner
Samsung Electronics DigitAll Matrix
Client: Samsung
Agency: Norm Marshall & Associates
Promotion Partners: Cheil
Communications, FCB
Winners by category
National Consumer Promotion
(Budget: $5,000,000-plus)
Gold: AT&T Wireless American Idol
Client: AT&T Wireless
Agency: Einson Freeman
Partner: OgilvyOne
Silver: Pods Unite
Client: Volkswagen of America, Inc.
Agency: Arnold Brand Promotions
Partner: Apple
Bronze: Pepsi Play For A Billion
Client: Pepsi-Cola
Agency: Tracy Locke Partnership
Bronze: Rugrats Go Wild Movie
Client: Nickelodeon; Agency: In-house
Partners: Burger King, Blockbuster, Quaker Oats, Kid Cuisine, Embassy Suites, Skippy Peanut Butter
Honorable Mention: Pure Luck! Get Spotted Drinking Aquafina & Win!
Client: Pepsi-Cola
Agency: Tracy Locke/Euro RSCG Impact
Partner: The WB Network
National Consumer Promotion
(Budget: $1,000,000 to $5,000,000)
Gold: The AXE House Party
Client: Unilever AXE
Agency: GMR Marketing
Partners: Edelman Worldwide, BBH
Advertising, Mindshare
Silver: Marshmallow Peeps Celebration Tour 2003
Client: Just Born, Inc.
Agency: Marketing Werks, Inc.
Partners: ePR, Kaleidoscope Marketing
Group, Prototype Source
Bronze: Angels In Action
Client: Georgia Pacific’s Angel Soft
Agency: DVC Worldwide
Honorable Mention: All My Children’s Search for the Sexiest Man In America
Client: ABC Daytime; Agency: ABC Integrated Marketing & Promotion
Honorable Mention: Ice Java Launch
Client: Nestlé USA
Agency: Publicis Dialog
Partner: Makai Events
National Consumer Promotion
(Budget: under $1,000,000)
Gold: Hungry-Man’s King Sized Adventure
Client: Pinnacle Foods Corp.
Agency: Kobin Enteprises, Ltd.
Partner: Sony Pictures Television
Gold: Ruffles “Would You Name Your Baby Horton?” Search
Client: Frito-Lay
Agency: Marketing Resources, Inc. and Ketchum Entertainment Marketing
Bronze: Clean Getaway
Client: Court TV; Agency: In-house
Partner: Loews
Honorable Mention: Heineken “Hoax”
Client: Heineken USA
Agency: Modem Media
Honorable Mention: The New Face of Oxy
Client: Glaxo Smith Kline
Agency: DVC Worldwide
Local, Regional or Target Market Promotion (Budget over $1,000,000)
Gold: Phaeton Test Drives at W Hotels
Client: Volkswagen of America, Inc.
Agency: Arnold Brand Promotions
Partner: W Hotels
Silver: VERB. It’s What You Do
Client: Centers for Disease Control & Prevention
Agency: Frankel
Partner: Publicis Dialog, Saatchi & Saatchi, A Partnership, G&G Advertising, Garcia 360, PFI Marketing
Bronze: AMD Area-64 Promotion
Client: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
Agency: Momentum North America
Honorable Mention: Be A Prom Star
Client: Gingiss Formalwear
Agency: Frankel
Honorable Mention: song in the city
Client: Song
Agency: LIME Public Relations + Promotion
Local, Regional or Target Market Promotion (Budget under $1,000,000)
Gold: HSBC BankCab
Client: HSBC Bank USA
Agency: Renegade Marketing Group
Partner: M Booth & Associates
Silver: Vertical Fashion Show
Client: Marshall Fields
Agency: GMR Marketing
Bronze: Reel Moms
Client: Loews Cineplex Entertainment
Agency: Ad Store, D.L. Blackman, Allied Advertising
Partners: Urbanbaby.com, Child Magazine
Honorable Mention: Wrigley Field Talking Billboard
Client: Miller Brewing Company
Agency: Zipatoni
Honorable Mention: Sandman Holiday
Client: The Gambrinus Co.
Agency: The Richards Group
Partners: Creative Link, Procermex
Multi-Partner Promotion
Gold: Clean Getaway
Client: Court TV; Agency: In-house
Partner: Loews
Silver: SI’s Fresh Faces Model Search
Client: Sports Illustrated; Agency: In-house Promotion Partners: Nissan, Nautica, W Hotels, NEXT Model Management, AVP
Bronze: Galyan’s 4 Adventure Tour Presented by Subaru
Client: Galyan’s and Suburu of America
Agency: International Outdoor Group
Partners: Bushnell, Cascade Design, Gatorade, Johnson Outdoor, Jansport, Marmot, Motorola, Merrell, Princeton Tec, Salomon, Smith, Suunto, The North Face, Thales Navigation, Thorlos, Watermark and W.L. Gore
Honorable Mention: song in the city
Client: Song
Agency: LIME Public Relations + Promotion
Honorable Mention: MI-5 Spies and Lies
Client: A&E Network
Agency: Civic Entertainment Group
Business-to-Business Promotion
Gold: The Program Exchange Delivers
Client: The Program Exchange
Agency: B.R. Zoom
Silver: HTH Hardware Loyalty Program
Client: Arch Chemicals
Agency: Harwood Marketing Group
Bronze: Oxygen’s “It’s All About Isaac”
Client: Oxygen
Agency: The GEM Group
Honorable Mention: Scratch The Surface, Start The Buzz: The Fuse Upfront
Client: Fuse; Agency: In-house
Partners: Anatomy Media, C2 Creative, Heavy, Inc., Psyop, Inc.
Honorable Mention: The Investigation Channel Challenge
Client: Court TV; Agency: In-house
Partner: The Michael Alan Group
Multicultural/Ethnic Promotion
Gold: Pepsi Black History Month Program
Client: Pepsi-Cola
Agency: Tracy Locke Partnership
Silver: Awareness Is Love
Client: Procter & Gamble
Agency: PowerPact
Bronze: Dora’s Search for the City of Lost Toys
Client: Nickelodeon; Agency: In-house
Partners: Clear Channel Entertainment, Crest, Teddy Grahams, Pampers, Bounty, Mervyns, Chuck E Cheese
Honorable Mention: Tecate Long Beach Grand Prix
Client: Labatt USA
Agency: DVC Worldwide
Honorable Mention: ElectricMOYO
Client: Nissan North America
Agency: True Agency
Partner: GTM…It Means A Lot
International/Global Promotion
Gold: Samsung Electronics Digitall Matrix
Client: Samsung
Agency: Norm Marshall & Associates
Partners: Scheil Communications, FCB
Silver: PEDIGREE Paws to Recognize
Client: Masterfoods
Agency: Ryan Partnership
Bronze: Heineken’s “Get Connected”
Client: Heineken International
Agency: Norm Marshall & Associates
Partners: Ryan Partnership, Publicis
Honorable Mention: Name Your Plane
Client: Boeing Commercial Airplane
Agency: Seismicom
Honorable Mention: Football “OK Corral”
Client: Pepsi Co International — Beverages
Agency: Tracy Locke Partnership
Partner: BBDO
New Media Promotion
Gold: The Axe House Party (see above)
Client: Unilever AXE
Agency: GMR Marketing
Partners: Edelman WW, BBH, Mindshare
Silver: AMD Area-64 Promotion
Client: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
Agency: Momentum North America
Bronze: The Investigation Channel Challenge
Client: Court TV; Agency: In-house
Partner: The Michael Alan Group
Honorable Mention: Subwaykids.com
Client: Subway Restaurants
Agency: b. little & co.
Partner: Launchbox, Kids’ WB, Cartoon Network
Honorable Mention: Morning Numbers
Client: Asahi Soft Drinks Co, Ltd.
Agency: Dentsu, Inc.
Cause/Community Outreach Promotion
Gold: Dr. Seuss’ The Cat in the Hat Challenge
Client: First Book; Agency: In-house
Silver: Teacherpalooza
Client: Washington Mutual
Agency: OPTS Events
Partners: Sedgewick Road, Tajima Creative
Bronze: Designer SquarePants
Client: Nickelodeon
Agency: In-house
Honorable Mention: Forensics In The Classroom
Client: Court TV; Agency: In-house
Promotion Partners: Topics Education Group, AAFS, NSTA
Honorable Mention: “Dying For A Smoke?”
Client: The Illinois Dept. of Public Health
Agency: UPSHOT Marketing
Partner: Golin Harris
Event Marketing
Gold: song in the city
Client: Song
Agency: LIME Public Relations + Promotion
Silver: Vertical Fashion Show
Client: Marshall Fields
Agency: GMR Marketing
Bronze: Let’s Just Play
Client: Nickelodeon; Agency: In-house
Honorable Mention: LEGO “What Will You Make?” Tour 2003
Client: LEGO Systems, Inc.
Agency: Marketing Werks, Inc.
Partners: Ruder Finn, Switzer PR
Honorable Mention: Concert for Schools
Client: AOL
Agency: Momentum North America
Partners: Infinity Radio, The New York Post, Civic Entertainment Group, Event Resources New York, Freud Communications, Interpublic Sports and Entertainment Group, PMK
Account-Specific Promotion
Gold: Fisher-Price Stars on Broadway
Client: Fisher-Price
Agency: Eric Mower & Associates
Partner: Toys ‘R’ Us
Silver: PEDIGREE Paws to Recognize
Client: Masterfoods
Agency: Ryan Partnership
Bronze: Linda LoCal: Diet Detective
Client: Court TV; Agency: In-house
Partner: Kellogg’s Special K
Honorable Mention: Sara Lee’s Perfect Fit Tour
Client: Sara Lee Branded Apparrel
Agency: The Guild Group
Honorable Mention: Wal-Mart’s Dove Month
Client: Unilever HPC
Agency: Marketing Drive Worldwide
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