Tuesday, May 05 2009
63% of participants watched entire four-part series
NEW YORK -- Branded Evolution, a digital agency specializing in online branded entertainment, today announced "The Black
Band Project," an integrated marketing campaign launched with leading cigar manufacturer
Camacho Cigars, exceeded its sign-up goals by more than 500 percent.
"For an industry that does not take well to technology, the campaign outperformed our most optimistic goals for traffic and conversion," said Dylan Austin, Camacho's director of marketing. "This success was due in large part to an engaging series of episodic content that drove 63 percent of initial viewers to watch the entire four-part web series."
Camacho first conceived the concept for "The Black Band Project" in late 2008 and Branded Evolution was hired to develop, produce and distribute the online content. PlaceVine, a web-based brand integration service that connects marketers to top branded entertainment opportunities, facilitated the connection between the two companies.
The campaign objectives for Camacho included the creation of an engaging, opt-in viral marketing campaign, a successful permission-marketing opportunity that would double their age-verified electronic and home mailing lists, and an outlet to sample newly released products. A four-part web-series was created without mention of Camacho until the final "reveal" episode. The viewers followed the satirical Independent Cigar Review Bureau, a fictional agency, whose sole purpose was to educate the world about cigar selection, as they used humorous, guerilla-style tactics to enlighten three characters that represented the most common cigar misconceptions.
"We wanted to create content that would not only entertain viewers, but would also make them feel as if they were actually a part of 'The Black Band Project' and compel them to watch the entire series," says Gino Tomac, Branded Evolution's creative director who co-wrote and co-produced "The Black Band Project" with HLG Films, the producers of the critically acclaimed web series Break a Leg.
The distribution strategy was conceived to reach the everyday, adult cigar smoker. "Our plan utilized the power of Tremor Media's targeted reach and in-banner video ad technology, coupled with a social media angle targeting cigar-industry influencers and aficionados. This pushed the campaign to appropriate outlets, allowing it to take on a life of its own in front of our ideal audience," explains Dave Ford, managing partner of Branded Evolution.
From day one, the campaign captivated the cigar industry and generated sweeping buzz across the country, with thousands of cigar enthusiasts discussing who was behind "The Black Band Project" on social media outlets, including Twitter, Facebook, and cigar-industry message boards and blogs.
To view the video case study and all "The Black Band Project" episodes please visit: www.blackbandproject.com.
