2015 Winter Warmer Campaign
Award Category
BEST PARTNER INITIATIVE
Agency
Seven Affiliate Sales
Client
Origin LPG
Collaborating Partners
Chief Entertainment & Mindshare
Objectives
After a successful 2014 Winter Warmers campaign, Origin LPG was looking to boost sales results to even higher levels in 2015. The client brief focused on the insight that LPG gas customers care strongly about what it offers more so than the gas itself: attributes such as warmth in winter, comfort foods and cosy nights in with the family. This research needed to be the focus of the campaign. Origin LPG and Mindshare were also seeking an alternative to a traditional TV campaign, so hosting the campaign online and generating website traffic was a key requirement.
Campaign
The strategy was to produce a content series featuring regional restaurants and local chefs, recipes and produce, to connect the idea of winter warmers to regional Australia. The featured restaurants would also be geographically targeted to high prospect locations for new customers. The ‘Winter Warmer Regional Restaurant Recipe Series’ was strategically launched in each regional market to match the onset of winter cross TV, online and social media. In addition, broadcast and online integration was used to further the reach of each content piece. This included tie−ups with programs such as MKR, Better Homes and Escape to the Country to target culinary enthusiasts in each regional market. To boost community engagement, a viewer competition giving regional Australians the chance to vote for their favourite recipe and restaurant was launched. This drove viewers to the Origin website, which also housed additional long−form content. The winning restaurant and recipe featured in a follow up ‘Congratulations’ campaign, which allowed one regional Australian to win a trip to the restaurant to experience the recipe they chose. Impressively, the campaign also gathered stream of its own, picking up organic press in local newspapers.
Results
In NSW and Victoria, sales grew 26% over April−June: a key period for the brand. In addition, Origin LPG’s website traffic jumped 182% year−on-year, with new account application increasing by 256% over the period. Post−campaign research also found that those who were aware of the campaign had a better perception of Origin LPG and were more likely to use or recommend it to others. The success of the campaign delivered regional media its first ever MFA award.
Judges Comments
“This campaign leveraged the unique relationship regional audiences have with TV networks, but more importantly, proudly local restaurants, to create content that tied back to their brand and product promise. Crucially, it demonstrated to the judges the return you can generate through a customised approach beyond the often-prioritised metro markets.“
