Launching the Christmas range
The brief
The PR brief from the client was quite clear: “create wide ranging interest in our brand and products in the run up to the festive period. Make our phones ring. Drive traffic to our website.”
Beam thinking
Beam developed a clear approach.
1: Be practical: Ensure that varying media deadlines are considered and met for Christmas inspired editorial opportunities. Work with the client's ability to launch a new product with a days notice.
2: Be creative: Think beyond the obvious routes and at all costs - avoid the PR world and his wife's approach to Christmas in July events.
3: Be on brand: Ensure that every element of the campaign is fun, irreverent, smart and knowing and
4: Be effective: Generate amazing results
The activity
A September launch event in central London - providing enough time for the national newspaper's weekend supplements and weekly titles to make their deadlines. The event showcased the very latest and greatest products from the Boysstuff Christmas range - with many “first time views” of new products.
The event’s theme was inspired by a selection of funfair products (including candy floss makers and candy grabbers) and then mixed with a good dose of Boysstuff brand values. Location - the nightclub Sin on Charing Cross Road, London. Saucy and smart promotions girls demonstrated the products. Guests were greeted by a huge black Boysstuff branded quad bike outside the club entrance, which was also seen by passing traffic. Cobra was secured as the booze sponsor. Four real life circus entertainers were added to the funfair atmosphere at the event: A gold stilt walker, a man in a box, a fortune teller and two life sized gorillas (and their keeper). Their interaction with the media, cheeky antics and eye catching costumes added to the tone of the event.
The event began at 2pm with a showcase opportunity for journalists to see all the latest products. From 5pm a more informal affair with drinks and a DJ. Over 120 journalists, bloggers and TV and radio researchers attended the event. From FHM to Zoo, Grazia to That’s Life, The Telegraph to The Sun, T3 to Stuff, XFm to Shiny Media.
Beam worked with Boysstuff’s supplier’s PR agencies to ensure consistent messaging of campaigns and secured attendance of the robot inventor Mark Tilden (in association with Leeds based PR agency, SoPR). A small film crew was also made available for bloggers to film interviews with the Boysstuff team and the latest and greatest products.
The results
The UK’s gadget bible, T3online, reported “This week, the best fun in town to be had was at the launch of the www.boysstuff.co.uk’s Xmas line-up...” Over 220 pieces of editorial coverage were achieved in the three month period (mid September - mid December). Over 120 journalists attended the event. Highlights include coverage on TV shows Fifth Gear, Sharon Osborne Show and BBC2’s Something for the Weekend.
Print coverage highlights included full page product focused coverage in The Sunday Times Style, T3 and The Telegraph. Online, Boysstuff enjoyed gadget dominance on leading sites and blogs. The exclusive interview with Robosapien inventor Mark Tilden and Tech Digest received 7,298 views on Youtube. Two six minute movies were posted on Videojug, exclusively to Boysstuff and entitled “Gift ideas: electronic gadgets for men” and “Gift ideas: Novelty gadgets”.
