- 2015
- Art Direction, Interactive
- Energy BBDO
LG challenged us to create an epic launch for the new G5 phone & its whole ecosystem of accessories.
LG phones were continually getting left behind Apple and Samsung because they didn’t hold any cultural weight in the North American market. With only 4 months pre-launch, and a product we had barely seen, we concepted a highly coordinated launch plan that would make cultural waves. We designed an experience worth documenting in a way that only their new products could.
To make LG stand out, we rallied around the idea of play.
To hit home with our younger target, we proposed the simple ask to play more. To distinguish LG from the seamless white sweep tech look, the campaign rallied around bright, bold colors and the idea of play. We worked their existing tag “Life’s good” into the campaign with “Life’s good when you play more.”
Unboxing a World of Play
A jack-in-the-box, a perfect metaphor for spontaneous play, took “unboxing” to the next level. The huge, unbranded structure would be placed in a high-trafficked area. Then it would count down to unleash the world’s most playful ‘unboxing’ of all time: a live performance for an explosive new music video for the band OK Go – exclusively filmed using the G5 & Friends (the accessories).
Keep the Play Going
We planned to activate different PR outlets and tap social media influencers to create buzz around the jack-in-the-box. Livestreams, like Periscope and Youtube, would keep the momentum going during the event. When it was all over, we’d post all the amazingly playful new content online and continue to use #playmore hashtags with new mashups and smaller influencer events.
We beckoned people to come play.
For the 72-hour countdown, the exterior would be an interactive playground that lets people control the facade with their movement.
We sent play to be unboxed.
We identified 20 of the most influential tech writers and influencers, and found out what they love to do for fun. Then custom jack-in-the-boxes specifically geared toward the way they play were designed. Each box was unique in terms of look and feel, to the way it opened, to the carefully curated set of the new G5 and “Friends” to play with. By selecting only 2-3 “Friends” that catered to their lifestyles, the bloggers would have some exclusivity in what they reviewed. Each contained a special invitation to the big unboxing event.
Launch Day:
Show off the tech in a seriously playful way
To distinguish this launch from a concert or another a big party, we created moments that let each device shine. The G5 has the widest lens out there, so we designed wide interactions we could film in a narrow space. For the rollerbot, we created interesting moments best captured from floor-level angles. For the 360° cam, an atmosphere with action happening all around worked well. The VR goggles would be the best and only way to relive or share the experience.
A performance to make the G5 and Friends shine.
To capture the performance, we’d rig cameras throughout the structure and use all of LG’s “Friends” to get amazing shots. The making-of story would be as interesting as the music video and the performance. We’d also shoot a mini-documentary with the phone, explaining how we used the different types of LG cameras and features to capture different shots in the music video. All of the magic captured in-camera with no special effects or post put the focus on authentic play that would steal the hearts of the audience through its realness.
Play across timezones
To go even further, we designed a plan that could involve a literal rollout of the launch — placing 3 boxes in 3 key markets, all set to open within 1 day of each other. When the word got out about the first box, people in the next city could scramble to the next one, creating a global launch and original content with 3 music videos.
The play lives on: a spectacular new music video and tons of content
After the launch, we’d release the music video and the mini making-of documentary to the press to spread the story around the world. The result would be authentically epic yet accessible — very much like OK Go has always done — the “Oh why didn’t I think of that” feeling and the goal of inspiring the public to go out and play, to create their own amazing things to share with the world. We’d encourage people to create their own music videos to the song by releasing all the newly captured 360° content to use and reedit as they like.
Nobody's Perfect
The production team was at the helm, Ok Go was ready to go... but LG was only able to run parts of this campaign instead of the full launch. We can’t help but wonder if G5 sales would be in a better place if they had gone all-in.