Agency: Ryan Partnership (Chicago)
Schick and Edge, brands belonging to the Energizer family, were well represented by the Ryan Partnership (Chicago) in this channel-focused campaign. The campaign honed in on a well-known group of PlayStation 3 titles such as "inFAMOUS 2," "Killzone 3," and "Grand Tourismo 5" and went deep on integration by altering the packaging, signage, ads, and downloadable content -- which, truth be told, was a bit of a SNAFU on the agency's behalf. But by all other accounts it was successful and, I know first-hand, the VP of North American Marketing was pleased with the outcome. Where it fell short was in keeping the "instant win" platform-based: Only PlayStation 3 gamers could actually win something while the vast majority of the market was left untapped. Adding value to those consumers who aren't PS3 owners seems an obvious change that will enhance the overall strategy. However, to be fair, it's a common error in what would otherwise be a spotless campaign. The fact that it was so successful for two years speaks volumes.
What's next: Honestly, it feels a little like cutting off one's nose to spite the face here. The company dropped (or hasn't yet re-started) its gaming plans and passed the ball to the Women's brands, which are running with social gaming as the strategy -- it's not a bad strategy, to be sure. But to truly engage with the gaming demographic, a brand's strategy can't be: "We'll target them during this quarter, or for this trade show, and hope that that yields long-term success." Always remember: Persistence pays off.
