Skype
Smile as you go
The challenge
Skype are known for 1-2-1 video calling but far fewer people know about Skype’s paid services – which included ‘pay as you go’ prepay cards. Skype were keen to raise awareness of its newly launched prepay cards. Skype’s prepay cards are physical cards sold at retailers that allow users to top up their Skype credit.
Imagination
Let’s face it. Prepay cards are fairly dull objects.
But what if they could be transformed into something a bit more conversational?
On that thought we built a fully integrated campaign blending physical and digital channels using street artists, interactive displays, blogger engagement, social widgets and compelling content.
Implementation
We partnered with renowned artist Mister Batlow to create a series of five 100 square feet painted murals and used calling cards as the canvas. The artwork took inspiration from Skype’s iconic emoticons. We then created an interactive wall at one of London’s key commuter hotspots outside Waterloo station consisting of five calling card murals layered one on top of each other. As each passer-by took their piece, the emoticon below was slowly revealed. Each layer featured an even bigger smile.
To spread the word further in social media, we took over Skype’s social channels for the day and even developed an interactive widget and distributed to UK-based bloggers. The widget appeared as a digital mural that bloggers could host in their side bar exclusively for their readers who could win Skype credit.
Impact
Our prepay card mural attracted 10,000 Londoners in a single day. 3,500 of those engaged took away a unique piece of the installation that could be used to call a friend or family member. The 1,400 conversations that the activation inspired in social media on the day represented 25x the average daily quotient of Skype / pre-pay card conversation and reached 2.1 million people online without any supporting media – successfully driving awareness among target UK consumers and making the humble calling card the talk of the town.