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Client: Nextel
Creative Agency: Tequila
Media Agency: mOne
Technology Vendor: Unicast

Timely and consistent with Nextel’s promotional involvement with the Nascar brand, this superstitial campaign created by mOne and Tequila does a great job of synergistically involving the consumer with both brands concurrently.  The interactivity within the ad also enables Nextel to demonstrate key product features and differentiators which helps drive qualified leads to their offline and online purchase channels.  Nextel was among the first in its category to put the online medium to work for its brand and continues to innovate and lead the market with quality and effective executions such as the ‘Paint Job' campaign.
--Allie Savarino, Senior Vice President, Unicast

NASCAR fans are extremely loyal to the racing teams they support. So when we introduced the Official NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Phones on NASCAR.com we wanted an idea that would let people get in close, look at all the details and realize that these phones were authentic in every way. Not just for people who love racing, but for people who like getting things done.
 
The bright green button encouraged timid users to start their experience. As the music kicks in, a generic Nextel body rolls forward on the assembly line where mechanical arms install Nextel¹s unique high performance benefits. Fully equipped, it then advances to the paint booth --when the haze clears it rolls off the line as the Official NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Phone
 
As exciting as that is, real fans know the Cup Series phone is like the pace car. What they really want is number and colors of their favorite racing teams. So they can scroll down select their favorite drivers and factory build the phones of their choice.
 
So far so good, they tell me the average industry click through rate for Telecom: is 1.76%. This unit is pulling: 6.45%
--John Bellina, Executive Creative Director, Tequila

Creative Showcase is meant to be a teaching tool and an inspiration for our readers. We comment only on creative that we really love. Our panelists discuss what makes it great, but if they feel there were missed opportunities that would have made it better, we invite them to mention those. And finally, we seek out a wide range of opinions that reflect the marketplace for the panel, in order to provide constructive, useable feedback for agencies, clients and others involved in these creative pieces.

The execution on this campaign is much easier to understand than their offline executions of bright yellow with bold statements. This execution is a fun, interactive way of designing your cell phone. The trend towards self-expression on cellphones is gaining steam and this could be a big hit, especially given the target audience of NASCAR fans and their desires to support their favorite racers. It's playful and the use of the audio mnemonic at the end (the Nextel cue) is excellent as well, sustaining a cohesive brand strategy. The link to "buy now" is also strong as it will drive impulse purchases for the product. Overall, this is an effective ad.
--Cory Treffiletti, VP Media & Client Services, Carat Interactive

I loved the Nextel ad. It starts out by effectively positioning the unique selling proposition of the Nextel product, and then it pays it off with a neat promotional extension (NASCAR team/driver faceplates). This is a great example of a major sponsor paying off their sponsorship investment with a promotion that will definitely sell phones. Nice work. My only niggle ... I just wish the first half of the commercial execution went a few seconds faster than presented.
--Neil Perry, Marketing Consultant

I like this a lot. It starts on the right note, by providing an easy-to-find "engage" button that starts the audio if I want it to. And it doesn't waste the message by trying to sell to non-Nextel users. If you have a Nextel phone and are a NASCAR fan, you'll respond. The manufacturing line idea works here because it fits the product, and the audio brings to mind the sounds of a pit crew working. And it's a very smart idea to let users pick a car number and preview what that phone will look like NASCAR. All in all, I wave no caution flags for this ad -- it's a winner.
--Lee Watters, Executive Editor