Live: The Tale of the Merrier Carrier

Overview

During the 2016 holiday season Cricket Wireless needed a way to break through the marketing noise and stand out in a competitive space. To drive brand awareness and consideration, Cricket Wireless developed a strategic disruption by producing a world record breaking 24-hour YouTube livestream packed with everything about the season that the brand's target audiences love the most!

Strategic Approach

Cricket Wireless used strategic programming and large-scale production to bring "The Tale of the Merrier Carrier" to life. The 24-hour livestream combined talent-driven entertainment and product-focused information to generate buzz, engage fans and reinforce the brand's positioning as the "Merrier Carrier" during the holiday season.

Each hour of programming was carefully planned and executed. Segments included: music and dance performances, holiday hacks, cooking demonstrations, games, giveaways, puppy cams, product demonstrations and more. Lifestyle content aligned with the interests and passion points of Cricket's target audience to drive brand consideration and advocacy. Promotional content showcased devices, features and holiday deals to drive awareness and sales.

A cast and crew of over 80 people (and 5 puppies) brought this live stream to life. Thirty-one influencers and entertainers were contracted to engage the audience throughout the event. Talent included: 4 hosts, 4 dancers, 3 lifestyle experts, 3 musicians, 1 magician, 1 baton twirler, 1 dancing scientist and more. Celebrity talent included actor/comedian Kel Mitchell and Lucha Underground Superstar Johnny Mundo. Behind the scenes, the production team included 30 agency staffers, 9 camera operators, 4 audio engineers, 3 art production assistants, 2 stage managers, 1 director and dozens more.

A multi-channel approach engaged fans across social touchpoints. The entire 24-hour production was broadcast via YouTube Live and select segments were simulcast via Facebook Live. Twitter was used to drive tune-in and Instagram Stories were used to share behind-the-scenes content throughout the event. Influencers also amplified the event via real-time content across Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. In addition targeted paid media was used to amplify the campaign, driving awareness and tune-in before, during and after the event.

Results

This record-breaking campaign earned a GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ title for Longest Non-TV Promotional/Advert Commercial while generating over 43.6 million impressions, earning over 1.1 million engagements and driving a 33% month-over-month increase in social share of voice.