If you’re the kind of person who ever buys stuff, you’ll want to check out ShopAtHome.com. At any given time, the site features thousands of coupons, discounts and cash back offers, with deals at more than 50,000 stores. So not only can you save money on clothes, shoes, plane tickets, toys, computers, and more—you also get cash back on top of that.
Despite having a lot to offer, ShopAtHome.com had little brand awareness. They needed an original, distinctive brand personality that would put them on the map. So they asked Mortar to concept their holiday campaign.
The cash back aspect was what made their story interesting. Sure, giving gifts at the holidays is great. But let’s be honest: Everyone also likes getting a little something back for themselves. We had an opportunity to speak to mall-worn shoppers who were constantly getting burned during the holidays, paying full price for gifts and feeling like a dolt about it. And the idea of being selfish was real and honest—a sharp contrast from the usual ad clutter of picture-perfect moms and saccharine Christmas cheer.
But how could we promote the idea of being selfish without coming off as totally greedy? We mulled. We brainstormed. We wassailed. And then, in a quiet manger underneath the Bay Bridge, Yulie the Yuletide Log was born.
Meet Yulie. He’s excitable, a little bit nervous, and too shy to talk. And ever since Yulie discovered ShopAtHome.com, he’s become an online shopping nut. This holiday he’s been buying insane amounts of gifts for his friends—they have no idea why, but they’re not complaining. Little do they know for every gift Yulie buys, he saves huge and gets cash back. Thanks to ShopAtHome.com, Yulie won’t get burned every holiday: Instead, he’ll make bank.
To bring Yulie’s story to life, we polished our vocal chords and crafted a good old-fashioned jingle.
Our creative intent was to evoke the cozy, nostalgic feel of the Rankin/Bass stop-motion holiday classics, then contrast that with our modern, offbeat character. Since we were targeting a younger audience, we made Yulie’s character a bit absurd with a penchant for frantic, gif-like movements. Wrap it all up in a frighteningly catchy song, and you’ve got a Christmas nondenominational holiday miracle. By making Yulie the selfish, clever, slightly manipulative one, we can all live out those unbecoming-but-oh-so-human qualities through him.
Pre-roll video and banners are live on EllenTV.com, NBC.com, Hulu, People.com, RealSimple.com, and more. We’re halfway through the campaign, and results have been phenomenal. Click-through rate is 21% higher than the industry average. Cost-per-response is 10 times lower than the campaign goal. And brand awareness has grown dramatically, based on year-over-year Google searches for ShopAtHome.com branded terms. Which reminds us that the best part of making goals is meeting them. And exceeding them is icing on the fruitcake.
Our summer campaign for the Exploratorium is live, and it feels so good.
Using exhibits at the museum, we produced a series of short films that were shared on the Exploratorium’s social media pages (see the rest of the videos on their YouTube page).
And then we took over the entire city of San Francisco.
Mortar’s biggest ad of the year.
Our Thursday night campaign targeted young locals (and, we’re pleased to report, Thursday night attendance numbers have soared since the campaign’s launch.) The current summer campaign aims at the hordes of tourists trudging aimlessly toward Fisherman’s Wharf, because that’s all they’ve ever known. We’re here to let them know there’s more to San Francisco than whining sea lions and sourdough bread. Head down the road to Pier 15, and your brain just might get bigger.
Because the Exploratorium’s exhibits play with perception and encourage interaction, we created a campaign with plenty of “head-tilt” factor. The black and white photos, which came from the Exploratorium’s archive, all depict actual exhibits from the museum.
For Pandora radio, we wanted to make people stop and tilt their headphone-wearing heads. So we created anthem-like spots that glorify everything the Exploratorium…isn’t.
We’re sure there’s a place for non-curious people, too, but we couldn’t tell you where it is.
The above billboard was supposed to go up at the Pier 39 parking lot, but the Port of San Francisco requested that we move it to Union Square. (So now we’ll catch the tourists before they board their cable cars.)
And of course, the new work is expected to draw more locals to the museum, too. At 100,000 square feet, you literally discover something new every time you go. Curious? Well, we know a place.
Over the past few months, we’ve journeyed with the Exploratorium from the strategy phase to creative execution, and man-oh-man what a sweet ride it’s been. The people who work there are so flippin’ smart, we get butterflies when they speak. For those not privy, the Exploratorium is a museum unlike any other museum. Part science, part art, and centered around interactive exhibits, it’s a full-blown cognitive and sensory experience – no matter what age you are.
The museum recently relocated to Pier 15. Stunning architecture and avant-garde outdoor exhibits draw you before you even step inside.
As you might predict, the Exploratorium is a haven for families with kids. But on Thursday nights, the museum is open exclusively to adults 18 and over for $10-15, a discount off the regular $25. Basically, you pay less, you’re allowed to drink alcohol while touching everything in sight, and you don’t need to take down a mob of five-year-olds just to see the concave mirror exhibit. It’s clearly a win-win-win.
We knew the Exploratorium wanted to promote their Thursday night events. We also knew that their exhibits play with perception, presenting the world in ways you’ve never seen it before. So we created ads that do just the same. It was almost too easy. (Just kidding. Nothing we do is easy. Except Spoonrocket. That ish off the hook.)
The posters are currently up at Muni stops, BART stations, as well as thousands of local store and restaurant windows. Also running are the following radio spots on Pandora. We hear Yoda is a huge fan.
Exploratorium, “Perception Flipped #1”
Exploratorium, “Perception Flipped #2”
For the optimal viewing experience, continuously rotate your computer screen 180 degrees.
The next time your Thursday night plan involves Blokus and a 72-ounce Gatorade, haul your rear to Pier 15 instead and experience the transcendent wonder that is the Exploratorium. You really have to see it to understand it. And even then, mystery a still is it.
Yes, the rumors are true. We ARE working together. Can’t say much other than you can catch us every Thursday night at the museum. (Or is it a museum?) We’ll be launching two new campaigns soon. Watch this space.
Whether they’re delivering healthy babies, or making sick children strong again, Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford is darn good at what it does. Ironically, after becoming the go-to name in Silicon Valley for treating the most complex pediatric cases, people thought of delivering at Packard specifically for high-risk or special-needs pregnancies. But that’s cray-cray. First off, how your pregnancy goes is about as predictable as Colin Farrell in a singlet. So, isn’t it a good thing if your hospital is prepared for any circumstance – even if your pregnancy ends up going as smooth as Larry David’s head?
Second, while other hospitals make you comfortable and give you fuzzy slippers on The Big Day, Packard cares for you throughout your entire pregnancy, and beyond. They don’t just deliver your baby, they build a long-term partnership with you. After your little un’s out in the world, s/he can get spectacular pediatric care from Packard, too. And with Stanford University medical school being one of the top-ranked in the country, it’s awfully nice to know you’re in the hands of the best of the best.
What we mean is, delivering at Packard gives your lil’ one the strongest start possible. That became the anthem of our campaign, and we blanketed the San Francisco Peninsula with it.
You know what’s cute? Baby fists making hand gestures. You know what’s not cute? Getting a baby to make those gestures in a photo shoot.
Who says infants can’t double-fist?
Targeting pregnant or soon-to-be-preggers women presented an interesting challenge. (Hell, even some pregnant women don’t know they’re pregnant.) But thanks to our media team wrangling technology in the cleverest of ways, the ads are being served to Silicon Valley women visiting top pregnancy websites. Because if you live in Menlo Park and are reading about the Creighton Fertility System, you’re almost definitely our audience. (Or you’re a copywriter doing research who’s about to get bludgeoned over the head with retargeting ads. Le sigh.)
We’re talking thousands of websites, and 80 million impressions. Basically, if you’re in Silicon Valley and pregnant, or thinking about getting knocked up, there’s no way you’re not seeing these ads. We even did ads in Spanish. Top that, huevones.
The campaign is running through August. High-five our little/alarmingly large guy if you see him around.
