This week at the MediaPost OMMA Awards in New York, Hanson Dodge Creative (HDC) and K-Swiss received one of three finalist trophies in the Integrated Online Campaign (Apparel/Fashion) category for “The Board” featuring international DJ and producer Diplo.
The Board is a multi-faceted social and digital campaign that used an “influence the influencers” approach to let entrepreneurial Millennials help reset the K-Swiss brand themselves as the new K-Swiss “Board of Directors.” At the heart of the campaign was a simple insight uncovered by K-Swiss — many Millennials aspire to be a new kind of superstar, an entrepreneur whose ideas and creativity set the trends that impact pop culture.
"The best campaigns are grounded in insight," said Sarah Van Elzen, Hanson Dodge Creative's Director of Social Media. "The Board was developed around a dream held by 80 percent of Millennials — that they want to be their own boss. After six months of campaign activation, I can proudly say that #TheBoard is the most engaged and motivated group of social influencers we've ever managed. #TheBoard campaign has been a pivotal point for K-Swiss as they strengthen their relationship with today's young consumer and it's incredibly exciting to see it pay off."
During a six-week application period in March and April of 2015, nearly 10,000 highly connected and socially active young entrepreneurs from over 115 countries applied to The Board and amplified K-Swiss’ message to their followers. From May through August, The Board chairman Diplo and a panel of industry experts led the 100 chosen applicants through a series of assignments, ranging from sneaker design to brand positioning, that would help shape the reinvention of the K-Swiss brand.
As the strategic design and technology partner, HDC brought the campaign to life with a multi-platform approach designed to appeal to the new K-Swiss target of trendsetting, entrepreneurial Millennials. Execution included developing a mobile-responsive application process and community microsite, launching direct-to-consumer engagement strategies across a wide range of social media and more.
As a result of HDC’s work in conjunction with K-Swiss and other partners, The Board was covered by scores of media, and received over 180,000,000 impressions in social and digital media. The campaign engaged more than 200,000 consumers, drove over 350,000 visits to The Board website and generated 40 percent social community engagement for K-Swiss. Visit ourkswiss.com to meet the members of The Board.
The two other OMMA Awards finalists in the Integrated Online Campaign (Apparel/Fashion) category were Trilia/Hill Holiday for Merrell and AwesomenessTV for Kohl’s. View the complete list of OMMA Awards finalists here.
About the OMMA Awards
The OMMA (Online Media, Marketing and Advertising) Awards were created in 2004 by MediaPost to honor agencies and advertisers that push the potential of digital advertising. For more than 10 years, they have recognized the best, most innovative campaigns in the industry.
About Hanson Dodge Creative
Hanson Dodge Creative (HDC) is a fully integrated, strategically driven agency — a mashup of designers, developers, writers, inventors, strategists, dreamers and analysts. We unleash the full power of our collective mind to inspire audiences and transform business. Our specialties are brand engagement, campaign development, technology solutions and digital commerce. Learn more at hansondodge.com.