Lily from AT&T
Case Study

SUMMARY

Developed a brand-spokesperson to make diverse products more accessible directly to customers and the brand more human.

Challenge:

Deliver multiple complex messages

Historically, AT&T had supported three separate messages in mass media: network, plans, device. While network was the primary driver of switching carriers, plans maintained an important role in the purchase funnel, helping to make choices closer to purchase. And device, once more glamorous when carriers had exclusives, was often contractually obligated to receive support.

As media budgets tightened, there was a need to combine plans and devices to optimize the GRPs we had and keep network messaging in a strength position. The challenge was that at times, both plan messages and device messages could be complicated. A campaign that demonstrated one would naturally subjugate the other. A creative solution was needed.

The Approach

Guiding Fact #1

Need to establish a repeatable element, with brand cues, that would drive recall. AT&T was seen as very corporate so there was a need to create warmth.

Guiding Fact #2

Products were complicated, often with legal requirements making them unwieldy. There was no option to simplify the product so a way to present information simply was a mandatory.

Guiding Fact #3

Some relationships with equipment manufacturers came with additional strings attached. Flexibility was needed to allow for differentiating brands within our own brand work.

The Brief and Creative

THE BRIEF

You have a need, we have a product that meets that need.

THE CREATIVE

The freedom of such a broad brief with well-defined mandatories meant that the structure needed to be broad and extremely simple. The original “Lily” campaign was born but not by that name at first. The structure was intended to be clever salespeople, in a store set, solving customers’ wireless problems with confidence. The store employee made delivering marketing-speak feel as natural as it could. The light jokes that punctuated the spots were used to make viewers feel affinity for the brand.

AT&T struck gold in casting. Both agency and client knew there was something special about the talent. On set, the talent delivered the mandatory lines and added a charm no one had expected. When the first rough cuts were viewed, most approvers were spellbound. Before we had a week or two of data about the campaign in market, we had decided to use the talent again. After a few spots, she was named Lily. The campaign ran for about three years and numerous spots. All stakeholders were thrilled with the performance.

INVOLVEMENT The advertising team was responsible for:

Management of Production of all materials
Research for the brief
BBDO agency oversight
Selection and refinement of concepts
Sell-through at all levels of the organization
Partnership with media team on launch plans
Development of extensions across channels
Talent management and contracts
Television, Digital, Social, Sponsorships, Print, OOH
Events and activations featuring talent
Post-Launch campaign research and analysis
Optimization of materials in market

Accolades and Outcomes

AdWeek special cover feature
Consistent coverage of the talent and the campaign
Highest performing retail spots at that point in time on brand and message recall
Consistent recognition of the AT&T brand icon
Nearly 30+ spots produced and measured; nearly all performed above average over the run of the campaign
Satisfaction with OEM partners
Speed-to-market improved because the scripts had a formula and the talent added charm every time; turning around spots could be as little as two weeks from need identification to air