REGGIE Awards: Excellence in Activation

Unilever Kroger Scents of Confidence

Marketer: Unilever
Agency: Arc Worldwide
Reggie Categories: Age-Targeted Marketing (BRONZE); Shopper Marketing, Retailer-Specific or Omnichannel Marketing (GOLD)

Today’s tweens are increasingly exploring their gender identity outside of traditional norms. Yet this aspect of their personality is rarely (if ever) recognized by mass deodorant brands, which are typically labeled either “for men” or “for women” and are almost entirely oriented toward adults.

In order to boost sales of its deodorant brands and grow overall category sales at Kroger, Unilever set out to build a relationship with tween parents by providing the necessary resources to facilitate their tween’s “first deodorant moment.” At every touchpoint in its “Scents of Confidence” omnichannel campaign, parents were encouraged to shop according to their tweens’ personality and passions — not their gender.

The program featured a multi-page, dynamic experience on Kroger.com and social ads via Facebook and Instagram. Video content tapped into the peers of “Puberty-Puzzled Parents” — i.e., Kroger influencers with teens and tweens who are navigating this life stage. Unilever also sponsored the Kids Zone at Kroger’s Wellness Festival to provide an immersive experience for parents and tweens that helped shoppers confidently explore Unilever brands in real time.

Scents of Confidence saw a 24% penetration lift for household trial of Unilever deodorant and captured repeat purchase of 26% of those new households. The gender-neutral marketing approach helped grow sales by 20% year-over-year, with top brands experiencing significant sales lifts during activation, including Dove (11%), Degree (11%) and Axe (7%).

From Chaos to Confidence

Marketer: Whirlpool
Agency: Digitas
Reggie Category: Digital, Social or Mobile Marketing (BRONZE)

Appliance shopping is a chaotic experience that is often made more challenging by information overload. To turn that chaos into confidence, Whirlpool curated a bespoke digital shopping experience that mapped shoppers’ needs to the right appliance through the brand’s first-ever Pinterest virtual showroom.

Using 360-degree camera technology, Whirl-pool created a photorealistic virtual showroom in which shoppers could see how appliances fit into different spaces in their kitchens and interact with hotspots that showed detailed videos and imagery replicating a physical store. To bring in the right shoppers, Whirlpool used custom interactive PinX units designed with messaging that spoke to the unique needs of specific audiences.

In an appliance category where shoppers are overwhelmed with options, research has shown that guidance drives consideration and purchase intent. By meeting shoppers where they were on their journeys (i.e., researching on Pinterest) and giving them an improved 3D virtual shopping experience, Whirlpool was able to move to the top of the consideration list among Millennial in-market shoppers.

As a result, sales revenue from Pinterest grew 773% (totaling $5.2 million), boosting return on ad spend (ROAS) and increasing consideration by 4% with a key audience for business growth.

H-E-B Texas Barber Bracket

Marketer: Unilever
Agencies: Arc Worldwide and Publicis Hawkeye
Reggie Category: Local, Regional or Market Specific Marketing (BRONZE)

Looking to inspire its target audience of “disheveled dudes” to recommit to the level of personal grooming habits they had prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Unilever leveraged the insight that college basketball players put great trust in their barbers to have them groomed and ready for the big NCAA Tournament in March.

Recognizing H-E-B’s commitment to local communities, Unilever created the Texas Barber Bracket — a gamified men’s grooming experience that put NCAA fans in the barber chair for a grooming consultation during a traveling tailgate with a custom-designed Airstream trailer.

During the NCAA Tournament, Unilever hosted pop-up events at four H-E-B locations featuring the “Final Four” barbers from our bracket. Shoppers were rewarded with free haircuts, received personalized recommendations on products, watched games on livestreams, and spun a prize wheel for gift cards, products and tickets to the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight games. The Barber Bracket launched via a microsite highlighting 16 up-and-coming Texas barbers and a way for shoppers to vote for their favorites.

The Texas Barber Bracket more than doubled anticipated sales results with an 11.8% sales lift versus the 10 weeks prior to the promotion. The program also brought entirely new users into the category, as 18.6% of shoppers who redeemed offers had not purchased men’s grooming products at H-E-B in the previous 52 weeks.

Walmart Land

Marketer: Walmart
Agency: Publicis NY
Reggie Category: Metaverse Marketing & Beyond (BRONZE)

Walmart has high favorable ratings with Gen Z shoppers, but the relationship has been largely transactional and based on a promise of quality goods at a low cost. To deepen Gen Z’s brand love with Walmart, the retailer met the audience where they were — hanging out in the metaverse — through an experiential platform called Walmart Land.

With a first-of-its-kind, programmable and continually evolving experience, Walmart Land changed the way young adults experienced the brand, delivering a new path for discovering everything they love — from learning to deejay and exploring fashion trends to meditating and finding their new binge-worthy show on Netflix trivia.

Roblox influencers were deployed to introduce Walmart Land to their fanbase. These gaming gurus streamed on their social accounts and teased free avatar accessories, giving them access to exclusive virtual merchandise upon completion of secret tasks. The program’s reach was amplified through a partnership with the popular Roblox game “Livetopia.” Walmart dropped a series of “hype” videos targeting young adult gamers with YouTube pre-rolls that offered a high-energy preview of Walmart Land, while companion banners linked to Walmart Land’s Roblox homepage.

Within the first two weeks, Walmart Land saw 4.9 million visitors. As of Jan. 31, 2023, Walmart Land stood at 12.3 million total visitors.

Hershey’s Celebrate SHE at Walmart

Marketer: The Hershey Co.
Agency: TPN
Reggie Category: Multicultural or Lifestyle Segment Marketing (BRONZE)

Hershey has long recognized the contributions of women and owes much of its success to women in senior leadership positions. Thus, the company wanted to go beyond traditional tactics in an exclusive Walmart program to celebrate this segment of the population during Women’s History Month in March 2023.

Hershey’s Celebrate SHE program focused on breakthrough POS tactics in Walmart stores. The company reimagined its iconic logo and collaborated with Walmart on a limited-edition 12-pack of HerSHEy bars that “Celebrate She.” The bars also featured messages of admiration and inspiration, using words like “brave,” “ambitious” and “strong.” Hershey and Walmart also used the bars to celebrate women and girls by encouraging gifting. The campaign urged all stakeholders, including Walmart employees, to “Share one. Inspire all” and to post their commendations on social media with #CelebrateShe and #WalmartHerSHEy.

U.S. Olympic gold medalist and women’s collegiate coach Jordyn Wieber created posts for the program and urged women to speak up. Hershey sponsored the nonprofit organization Girls on the Run, which grows girls’ confidence and self-esteem through physical activity and by hosting a luncheon in Bentonville, Arkansas.

The program’s sales were more than twice what Hershey had anticipated. Growth of the Hershey’s Milk regular count and 12-pack rose by 12.8%, accounting for 26% of the growth of the total Hershey franchise take-home and instant-consumable sales growth.

Sour Patch Kids Fruit Fight at Circle K

Marketer: Mondelez International
Agency: Phoenix Creative Co.
Reggie Category: New Product or Service Launch (BRONZE)

Millennial and Gen Z shoppers are notoriously elusive, spending a considerable amount of time in their cars, on their phones and on the go. And they’re always looking for something new.

Thus, Circle K and Mondelez International teamed up on a program to captivate these shared customer groups by giving them a sweet summertime diversion in the form of new grape and peach flavors of Sour Patch Kids candies, along with a new limited-edition strawberry-and-watermelon-flavored Froster fountain drink at Circle K stores. Streaming radio spots, targeted digital activations and paid social media were deployed to get customers excited about trying the new fruit flavors before they headed to Circle K. GSTV media at Circle K gas pumps reminded shoppers of the new Froster and bundled snack solution.

In stores, the program caught shopper attention with candy-aisle signage and displays around the Froster machine. A bundle offer and promo incentivized purchase of the candy and Froster pairing. At registers, LIFT screen digital engagements drove impulse purchases.

The campaign blew away projections with a 177.48% year-over-year increase in category sales during the campaign period. The program drove a massive lift in Sour Patch Kids brand sales with a 95% lift versus the prior period and 340,000 incremental display units sold.

Walgreens Untold Beauty

Marketer: Unilever
Agency: Arc Worldwide
Reggie Categories: Shopper Marketing, Retailer-Specific or Omnichannel Marketing (SILVER); GEM Award - 2023 Special Category (BRONZE)

Two words sum up Unilever’s challenge with multicultural shoppers at Walgreens: just browsing. Data showed that while culturally diverse shoppers made 22 trips to Walgreens each year, they only purchased beauty and personal care products on four of those occasions, leaving other retailers to capture the majority of their spending.

Unilever created Untold Beauty to amplify multicultural voices and beauty stories that have historically gone unheard. In the process, it sought to change perceptions of Walgreens from just another store to a vital partner in multicultural shoppers’ personal care regimens and an extension of their beauty community.

Throughout the program, Walgreens’ beauty consultants engaged with shoppers on the unique benefits of the products. In-store interviews with the consultants/ambassadors were featured in a social campaign, while micro influencers’ voices and curated collections of must-have products were displayed on the Unilever brand shop page at Walgreens.com/UntoldBeauty.

On-site and off-site Walgreens media drove additional awareness and traffic to the e-commerce environment. Influencers’ beauty collections were scannable at shelf via a QR code that led to the brand shop page on Walgreens.com.

This Is How Live Commerce is Driving Business Growth for The Fresh Market

Marketer/Agency: The Fresh Market
Reggie Category: Experiential Marketing - Virtual Events (BRONZE)

Looking to expand beyond its traditional older demographic, specialty retail chain The Fresh Market partnered with Firework, a live commerce and shoppable video platform, on a series of livestream events to attract next-generation customers to its brand.

Firework’s shoppable livestream platform allowed participants not only to buy products that they saw on the videos, but also to interact and engage through polls and a live chat. The first livestream featured a celebrity chef as part of a showcase of the store and its unique products. In the second livestream, micro-influencers guided viewers through the entire shopping experience. The Fresh Market hosted a Thanksgiving cooking demonstration using a lifestyle expert and TV personality in its third and final livestream.

Throughout the Firework partnership, The Fresh Market curated 30-second short-form videos and incorporated them on the retailer’s website and in emails. Social media (paid and organic Facebook and Instagram posts) and paid media in the form of video ads supported the program.

Results outperformed expectations on several fronts. The campaign generated some 500 pieces of earned media with a combined value of $8.5 million. Engagement rates were 15 times higher than industry averages. All told, The Fresh Market gained more than $500,000 in combined e-commerce sales and more than 2 million views for its livestream events.

The World’s Stinkiest Sock

Marketer: Reckitt
Agency: McCann
Reggie Category: Experiential Marketing - Live Events or Installations (BRONZE)

Most people don’t realize that laundry detergent only covers up the smell of stinky socks without killing the odor-causing bacteria. Lysol Laundry Sanitizer (LLS) teamed up with the Boston Red Sox and conducted a pop-up cleaning event with the players at Fenway Park, where visitors could experience the before-and-after performance of LLS on some of the truly stinkiest socks.

Build for Better

Marketer: Kellogg’s
Agency: Haygarth, a division of Tracy-Locke
Reggie Category: Gaming or Esports Marketing (BRONZE)

Nearly two-thirds (65%) of multicultural Millennial parents say their kids influence the brands they purchase. Kellogg tapped into the gaming and “make a better world” passions of these kids with a Minecraft esports partnership that included special packaging, custom retailer activations, a cause-related in-game playground feature and YouTube video integrations with popular Minecraft influencer MrBeast.

Xbox + OPI Spring Collection

Marketer: Microsoft Xbox
Agencies: Tripleclix and Wella Company
Reggie Categories: Gaming or Esports Marketing (GOLD); Partnership Marketing (SILVER)

Looking to make inroads with the underserved female gaming population, Xbox partnered with the OPI nail polish brand to create the first-ever Xbox-inspired palette for spring 2022. The Xbox + OPI collection, which debuted exclusively at Ulta Beauty, was backed by an integrated campaign that included co-branded in-store displays and a sweepstakes with a chance to win a color-matched Xbox Wireless Controller.

Pilk and Cookies – A ‘Dirty Soda’ Twist on a Holiday Tradition

Marketer: PepsiCo
Agency: PepsiCo’s In-House Content Studio
Reggie Category: Holiday or Seasonal Marketing (SILVER)

Looking to spur unabashed enjoyment of its cola products during the holiday season, PepsiCo teamed up with Lindsay Lohan on a viral #PilkandCookies holiday challenge and an ad campaign with robust PR and paid media support. Social channels buzzed when spots featured Lohan and Santa Claus embracing the TikTok craze of combining milk and Pepsi into a “dirty soda” to wash down some cookies.

Shaving Skincare for Anyone & Anywhere

Marketer: eos Products
Agency: Collab and Mischief @ No Fixed Address
Reggie Category: Influencer Marketing (BRONZE)

Known for its blunt talk in a polite category, women’s skincare brand eos wanted to further destigmatize women’s shaving habits with the “Shaving Skincare for Anyone & Anywhere” campaign for eos Shea Better Shave Cream. Outdoor ads in high traffic metro areas were followed by TikTok videos featuring 11 diverse creators shaving their “unconventional” body parts and sharing testimonial experiences.

#DetoxYourFeed

Marketer: Dove
Agency: Edelman
Reggie Category: National Consumer Brand Activation (BRONZE)

Dove’s #DetoxYourFeed platform gave permission to young girls and teens to unfollow social media accounts that promoted toxic ideas about beauty and led to feelings of low self-worth. Dove amplified its message through a partnership with actress Gabrielle Union and daughter Zaya Wade, and by working with influencers to share personal experiences and create educational branded content.

Corona Cincogram: Sparking Celebrations While Spiking Sales

Marketer: Constellation Brands
Agency: Upshot
Reggie Category: Promotion Marketing (SILVER)

The Corona Cincogram campaign embraced the spontaneous nature of Cinco de Mayo celebrations by making last-minute party preparations a snap. Accessible via retail QR codes and social/digital media, the Cincogram was hosted on Corona’s website and featured a digital pinata that consumers could crack open for a chance to win rides and food delivery from Uber and UberEats.

Ragu Cook Like a Mother

Marketer: Mizkan
Agency: Digitas
Reggie Category: Rebranding, Repositioning or Reintroducing Brand Marketing (SILVER)

Facing declining share and household penetration, Ragu decided to modernize the brand’s Italian mother heritage and created the “Cook Like a Mother” campaign as a rally cry to home cooks to fight the pandemic-induced burnout and get meals done. Emotional storytelling messages were leveraged across connected TV and streaming video, as well as social media, audio and print.

Michelob Guy

Marketer: Michelob Ultra
Agency: Wieden + Kennedy
Reggie Category: Digital, Social or Mobile Marketing (SILVER); Small Budget Brand Activation Marketing - Budget less than $500,000 (BRONZE)

When the image of a man (Mark Radetic) standing behind Tiger Woods holding a can of Michelob Ultra at the 2022 PGA Championship went viral, the brand immediately sprang into action. Michelob Ultra immortalized Mark as the “Michelob Guy” with his own commercial, custom merchandise and Ultra-sponsored appearances at the next PGA Tour stop, thus leveraging the viral moment with zero production or media support.