Well, today is the last day of voting for TFCU's Buck The Norm video contest. The prize is a $2,000 scholarship and a MacBook for the entrant whose video gets the most votes. It's amazing every year to see what people come up with in these homemade videos. They can range from the cute, to the bizarre, but are always fun to watch.
This year the video theme was a $10 Day Challenge, asking them to make a video about how they would spend a day with only $10 in their pocket. The rest is up to them...
and their socks...
their pbj-making skills...
and the friends they can get to hang out as extras in chick suits.
While it's hard to let go of creative control, we at least like to steer entrants in the right direction. As part of the contest promotion on the Buck The Norm site, we show a How To Video to tell them about the video theme, rules, and tips for making a buckin' great video.
We also require they use some of our downloadable "props."
But making the video is only half the journey to the prize. We want our entrants to get lots and lots of votes, because TFCU doesn't choose the winners, we don't choose the winners... their friends, family and, well, strangers do. So we also give them digital tools for getting the word out and getting people to click on their video!
Did I mention today's the last day to vote? Hey, I'm just spreading the word, man.
We are back from the 2011 CUNA Marketing and Business Development Conference, where credit unions across the nation converge (this year in Las Vegas) to get innovative, get inspired, and get some sparkly sparkly Diamond Awards.
Photo collage courtesy of the only phone pics Amy sent me. Amy, aka our CU Cheerleader was too busy spreading the credit union spirit and pep to take me some decent pics! Left is Roy at the podium as he rallies the general session about the power of internal culture. Right is our sparkly sparkly Diamond Awards (more on those momentarily.)
Even though some of us could only be there in spirit, a handful got our cheesy mugs played for the general session crowd on what I imagine was a huge screen, to illustrate how we practice-what-we-preach at Third Degree by embracing the tools of internal communication, and empowering our credit union clients to do the same. Roy is passionate about this subject. The grainy collage pic doesn't do his enthusiasm justice (that's okay Amy, we know you were probably constructing a pyramid of credit union marketers in a cheer at the time). So just imagine lots of pounding on the podium as he presented this to the crowd, along with Evita-like hand gestures.
Pre-conference, Third Degree created this "Powerful People" ant-themed video for the CUNA Council to help generate buzz and boost conference registration in the months leading up to Las Vegas. It was one of the highest attended marketing and biz development conferences for CUNA in the past eighteen years!
But now for the (drum roll please) Diamond Awards!
The "10 Reasons To Switch in 2010" campaign we created for Delta Community Credit Union out of Atlanta, was a big winner for the night. In addition to some merits, it won a Diamond for Print Ad.
The "10 Reasons" TV Campaign also snagged a Diamond for TV Series! If you recall we had quite a time creating these larger-than-life number props.
The whimsy of Northwest Georgia Credit Union's new look and feel was not lost on the judges either. Along with merits, the commercial that first launched the credit unions branding makeover was awarded a Diamond for :30 TV Spot.
In fact, whimsy was a winner all around, as Tinker Federal Credit Union got a Diamond for The SaveAbles Youth Marketing campaign, including the irresistible SaveATron himself.
Shark victims and financially empowering thumb lifeguards were not anything to sneeze at either, as the Buck The Norm, Ghouls Gone Wild Parade Entry also brought home a bloody hard-earned Diamond for TFCU.
But we've got to give a hand to plain old fashioned emotional connection, people, as TFCU's "Get Back To You" Complete Campaign stole some hearts and at least one Diamond, too.
I like a film shoot as much as the next gal. Hello? Craft service. Yum. And speaking of craft. I love crafting an emotional connection with the viewer by capturing "real life" meets "what-we-wish-life-really-were" moments that you get from shooting a true moving picture.
Film shoots are especially fun (fun meaning unpredictable) if there are dogs or babies involved. TFCU always includes at least one if not both. But they are so worth it in the end. Kleenex please.
So why does this creative director think the animated approach is also a great alternative for credit unions?
1. You can stretch a television production budget (get more bang for your buck.. and yes, us creatives care about your budget)
2. Create an affordable (yes, we know that word, too) video for an internal launch or for branch multimedia and website play (even if you don't do TV placement)
3. Retain a high quality feel (your spot is playing right next to a national one and the viewer doesn't feel like yours is the "homegrown" commercial)
4. The visuals translate great online, where video is quickly becoming a must-have (smaller screens = me like pretty pictures)
5. Promote products with "pop" to get a short-term results boost as a balance to your overall long-term branding (rather than trying to clutter your awareness messaging with salesy offers)
And even though you might think animation equals childish. Think again. And ignore the sock monkey below for just a second because it sort of negates my point. But animation have to mean cartoon. Set into motion photos, type, colors, illustrations and combine them with that just-the-right voice and that I'll-know-it's-right-when-I-hear-it music, and you begin to emote a lively, or a stirring, or even quirky (now enter sock monkey) moving message.
So as just static images, you ask "what the heck does a sock monkey have to do with getting a credit card?"
But set it into motion, and this "un-strings" attached credit card spot drives home the point. This is the third of a series of videos we've created for Northwest Georgia Credit Union, from their initial brand launch to a summer auto loan promotion.
These objects alone might look like a study in yellow...
But they actually represent the three pillars "open," "honest" and "hardworking" of ABNB Federal Credit Union's new brand.
And who says an animated spot can't be warm, sincere – or rooted in something substantial?
Voice and music are the most compelling ways to bring a story to life, like we did for LaCapitol Federal Credit Union when they redefined their brand across the state of Louisiana.
And video doesn't just have to mean television. The ABNB and La Cap videos are also a great example of videos that were created for internal launches to employees and staff, that were later were more easily translated into shorter tv spots when they were ready to roll out their messaging to the greater community.
Just because almost half the country is covered in a big ol' blanket of snow and ice, doesn't mean we don't all have to eventually dig ourselves out of our driveways and make our way back to the nine-to-five.
For Third Degree-ers navigating snow drifted streets and icy intersections is pretty much a universally tricky but all-in-all doable feat. And our careful trek from the parking lot to the safety and warmth of our office is probably just like yours (translation: perhaps one out of five of us fall on our posteriors before making it to our front door).
Our attempts at making snowballs, perhaps a little on the pathetic side. And our outerwear apparel, er, well, let's just say orange knit U-Haul hats are probably a bit on the unique side.
But once we get inside staying as "hot" as our brand, is a little bit more of a challenge. That, my friends, is our state-of-the-art heating and air system. It has an on and off switch. But the "on" setting is debatable. When your agency is housed in a turn-of-the-century warehouse (which is cool to be sure) certain additional provisions must be made.
Fingerless gloves... a must for typing, designing, copywriting and not losing your digits to frostbite.
Hot drinks... in Daniel's case fancy tea in a fancy, fancy tea cup.
In Holly's case... a cup of joe in styrofoam. Note the scarf and puffy vest are an all-day indoor fashion statement. At least they match.
Having a space heater that close to your face just cannot be a good thing.
But, portable heaters are a staple under every desk. Some of us keep our rugged footwear on all day.
Some bring a change of shoes. Not forsaking fashion for function.
And some will just forsake all professionalism at this point for warm tootsies. (Even while they are drinking fancy, fancy tea out of a fancy tea cup... not to give away the anonymity of this socked creative).
Hey, it's just all in the spirit of serving it up hot. Or at least not frozen for today.
It's not because our media planners are mall rats. Although I'm sure they'd admit to eating an Auntie Anne's soft pretzel or slurping an Orange Julius with a Gap shopping sack (with its classic logo in tact) hanging from the crook of one arm. But malls are a great place to get where people are – with some unexpected messaging. And we don't just mean those rotating poster kiosks.
Our most recent mall attack is an ER campaign for a regional hospital, Unity Health Center. While we'd done our fair share of outdoor for this small-town-provider trying to keep their community close to home vs. trekking an hour to the big city – the mall had been an untapped territory for getting out the word.
It takes a lot of planning and clever use of space to get the best impact out of a wrap like this. You don't want it to look like a flying giant banner accidentally smacked into to the front of the building and just stuck there.
If you asked our media planners (after bribing them with soft pretzels or Gap gift cards of course) to tell you the top four reasons why they recommend mall placement for your messaging, they'd say:
1. It's a perfect example of taking your media message to where people are, as opposed to making them come to you.
2. Like outdoor, but people aren't whizzing past at 60 mph-- they have more time to take the message in.
3. A great medium to tackle that ever elusive tween/teen audience. Several recent studies have been done about the effectiveness of mall advertising against teens.
4. It is a great way to target geographically. If your market potential is several neighborhoods, as opposed to an entire DMA, seek out your local mall. For the most part, people shop, close to where they live or work.
It's why we've "gone to the mall" for clients like Planned Parenthood where we've wrapped unused storefronts strategically located next to family rest & play areas, Buck The Norm with a debt-wise message right around holiday shopping time, and ACOG Clean Air messaging with a giant suspended "square of clean air" over the atrium-style food court and square blue-sky floor clings leading up to all the escalators.
The happenings of a hard working creative department that's sizzlin' away at industrial-era warehouses in Oklahoma City and Durham, NC. Home to Third Degree, where we serve it up for clients across the country.
