Page 50 - AdNews May-June 2020

Creative Review
WENDY’S
Creative Agency: VMLY&R
TM: Any idea that begins with “let’s do something in Fortnite” immediately feels as played out as any idea that starts with “let’s partner with Uber”. So kudos to Wendy’s for finding an “in” that actually made sense to the game’s audience, and literally costs them nothing (Fortnite is free-to-play).
MB: What could be better than
a brand creating a lot of noise about itself, through a medium
it didn’t have to pay for, while making a point or selling a benefit about its product at the same
time? I think winning a Grand Prix and eight Cannes Lions answers this question nicely. This is a very opportunistic, insightful and fresh idea (excuse the pun). Well done to the creatives, who deep down are massive gaming nerds. Respect!
ES: What the hell, Wendy’s? Killing virtual freezers? You animals. This isn’t just smart. This is stupid-crazy smart on multiple levels. Love the integration. Love the “why”. Love the ROI – 119 per cent increase
in mentions. Critique: Did it sell more burgers?
V ENERGY & TKT SYDNEY
Creative Agency:
Clemenger BBDO Sydney
TM: 2017 feels like a million years ago right now, and having an example this old shows how hard it is to get the gaming/brand synergy right. This idea got it right by actually giving their audience something to play with
in game, rather than just treating gaming like another channel to insert an ad into.
MB: This integration into Fallout’s gaming platform is
a clever piece of marketing.
I loved the implication that
V helps make Fallout a “bit better”. It’s not a huge over promise, but instead a means to take something that is already great and improve it ever so slightly. They listened to what their gamers wanted and incorporated them into their responses, giving them even more kudos in the gaming community. I’m not even
a gamer, but I thought this was very... (insert Gen Z term of radness here).
ES: Wanna know where advertising is going? This is where. Not complicated, really, just ensure your advertising
is sharing value – always! Information, entertainment, or in this case, a game modification. Critique: not enough violence (yeah, right).