Häagen-dazs viral video helps honey bees cause

Case Study Häagen-Dazs Viral Video Helps Honey Bees Cause Client: Agencies: Campaign: Video Specs: Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream on behalf of the Häagen-Dazs brand Goodby, Silverstein & Partners (Creative), Feed Company (Video Seeding & Outreach) Häagen-Dazs Loves Honey Bees Campaign Executive Producer - James Horner Creative Director - Jeff Goodby Production Company - Bob Industries Music - EliasArts 2 weeks (July 15, 2008 - August 1, 2008)

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Background Marketing centered around social causes is nothing new: 25 years ago, American Express launched the first "cause marketing" campaign for the Statue of Liberty restoration project - and saw their applications jump 45%. Moreover, consumers have a strong emotional connection to brands that are linked to a political, social, orenvironmental cause, with more than 7 in 10 admitting they have purchased a brand because it supports a cause they believe in.1 Still, companies must be careful to choose a cause that is integrally linked to their products and/or services so as not to risk an accusation of using the latest "cause of the day" to increase profits. The Häagen-Dazs Brand & Honey Bees One cause that came to light in late2006 is that of the disappearing honey bees. Millions of worker bees began to mysteriously disappear from their hives in a poorly misunderstood phenomenon known as Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). 2 Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream, the maker of Häagen-Dazs ice cream, adopted the issue - the first time it has ever lent support to a cause - because of its direct impact on its product: 30 of the 73Häagen-Dazs flavors (including the immensely popular Strawberry, Vanilla Swiss Almond, and Banana Split) contain ingredients pollinated by honey bees. The company embarked on a number of bee-related philanthropic initiatives, including the donation of a portion of the proceeds from sales of their new Vanilla Honey Bee ice cream and all bee-dependent flavors to support CCD research at Penn State and UC Davis.Products that rely on the bees were labeled "honeybee-dependent" and tagged with an HDlovesHB icon. Program Strategy: Online, Viral, Engagement The complete campaign spearheaded by Goodby, Silverstein & Partners included a variety of mediums and creative assets: TV ads, "Plant this page, Save a bee" flower-seed paper print ads, an interactive website3, documentary/art project sponsorships, and aweb video called "Bee-Boy Dance Crew," featuring a hip-hop interpretation of the "dance" a bee performs for its hive mates describing in detail the location of a newly discovered source of nectar.
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According to a 2007 PR Week / Barkley Cause Survey. Total bee colony losses from Sept. '07 to '08 stand at 36%, representing nearly a 14% increase in total losses compared to last year, accordingto the Apiary Inspectors of America (AIA) and USDA-ARS Beltsville Honey Bess Lab (via a PBS Nature interview with beekeeper Dennis Van Engelsdorp. 3 http://www.helpthehoneybees.com

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The video's relevance to a major cause and unquestionably youthful style had the ability to speak to a young audience - the very group that would be most likely to be inspired to spread awareness of the beescause through word of mouth. But what would be the best medium to reach this highly engaged demographic? The Internet, being also relatively low cost, but with a high potential return, was chosen for several reasons: • American youth (18-24) are using the Internet as a primary source of news, peer-to-peer communication, and as a form of entertainment .4 Video is especially prominent: comScore datashow that 7 in 10 internet users view online video, with the18-34 age group watching nearly 5 hours per month.5 • Technology has become a key tool for education and support of social and environmental issues.6 • The sharable, social platforms of the Internet (e.g., blogs, online networks, forums) are an ideal tool for spreading awareness of cause-oriented campaigns. Dreyer’s, the maker of...