Category: Best Use of Native Advertising ($1 million - $2 million)
No one said it would be easy to talk The New York Times into covering the daily paper with native content. But Shell, in partnership with media agency MediaCom, is on a mission to get consumers to see it as a progressive energy-solutions company rather than an oil giant, and leaned on the reputation and credibility of the venerable newspaper to help sway minds.
Led by Larry Swyer, managing partner and group account director (Shell) and Geoff Campbell, partner and senior director of content, MediaCom worked hand-in-hand with the paper's in-house production unit, T Brand Studio, leveraging its storytelling expertise to create "Cities Energized: The Urban Transition," a print and online experience incorporating features such as augmented reality, documentary-style video and interactive data elements.
The print component included an eight-page section made of translucent vellum wrapped around the paper. Video content could be accessed by users holding a smartphone over native pages and using the Blippar app. Online elements bristled with multimedia bells and whistles that included infographics, parallax scrolling, data visualizations and documentary videos, including one that used a drone to tell the story of Detroit's efforts to get greener. That is ultimately Shell's message, too, as it strives to become a leader in sustainability.
All told, the effort generated 82 million impressions. Brand favorability, according to Millward Brown, surged from a negative score to a healthy positive (from -9.1 in the prior year to +23.5 during the campaign). Trustworthiness also improved (from -0.5 to +28.3). Meanwhile, a YouGov ranking of oil and gas brands found Shell atop the competition, specifically citing the Times effort as an influence.