Workday made staff feel like rock stars in this award-winning campaign, here's why
Workday and Ogilvy have won the Grand Prix (as well as in the Integrated Campaign category). Here is the award-winning case study.
Workday's first-ever Super Bowl campaign
Workday's first-ever Super Bowl campaign aimed to disrupt the B2B conversation and expand awareness from the C-suite to the broader population. The "Rock Star" concept addressed the corporate world's overuse of the term "rock star" as a compliment and featured legendary musicians: Ozzy Osborne, Paul Stanley, Joan Jett, Billy Idol, and Gary Clark Jr.
Objectives:
Audience Expansion:
Expand Workday's awareness beyond the C-suite to the broader population.
Compete with larger and better-known brands during the Super Bowl.
Generate buzz and drive viewers to learn more.
Strategy:
1. Leveraging Universal Insight:
Capitalize on the universal corporate compliment "You're such a rock star."
Question how real rock stars feel about the term.
Feature legendary musicians in the campaign.
2. Teaser Campaign:
Tease the campaign with a print ad recognizing the Wall Street Journal's Top 250.
Eye-catching out-of-home (OOH) ads in key media DMAs.
Social media promotion using concert posters idolizing Workday's audience.
3. Super Bowl Ad and Apology:
Utilize the Super Bowl, the biggest stage, for the campaign.
Deliver a message from rock stars asking the corporate world to stop using the term.
Post-Super Bowl, run a full-page print ad in the Wall Street Journal with an official apology to the rock star community.
4. Internal Amplification:
Organize promotional activities within Workday to amplify the rock star theme.
Commit to the theme with signature rock star flair.
Results:
Brand Impact:
Surpassed corporate communication goals and engaged internal and external communication channels.
Significant impacts on brand familiarity, opinion, and consideration to use Workday.
Campaign messaging outperformed legacy messaging.
Earned Media and Buzz:
Earned media efforts secured 4.35 billion+ media impressions.
On game day, organic social engagement reached 3.1 million+ engagements, 141 million+ impressions, and 10,000+ mentions.
Exceeded expectations for follower growth with 15,000 net-new followers and a 93.6% positive sentiment.
Digital Engagement:
Owned digital experience saw substantial engagement: YouTube views increased by 70%, and the Rockstar.com landing page achieved a 4.5x engagement increase.
Recognition:
Ranked in several industry-led and notable 'best of the Super Bowl' lists, including being noted as The Drum's "#1 Super Bowl Teaser" and The Drum's "Ad of the Day."
Conclusion:
Workday's "Rock Star" campaign successfully utilized the Super Bowl stage to create buzz, engage audiences, and exceed brand impact expectations. The incorporation of legendary rock stars and a strategic approach to both external and internal promotion resulted in a highly impactful and recognized campaign. The positive sentiment, increased engagement, and recognition in industry lists showcased the campaign's effectiveness in reaching a broader audience.