Platinum Human Testing Facility

Background

In 2006 the Australian premium beer market was under attack from up-market imports and spirit mixers. On the back of its success with Tooheys Extra Dry, Lion Nathan hatched a plan to fight back. They unleashed Tooheys Extra Dry Platinum, with a wicked 6.5% alcohol, targeted at 18 to 24-year-old men and women who are single, ready to play and craving new experiences everyday. Lion Nathan needed to launch this new variant without cannibalising sales of the existing brand.

Idea

BMF’s creative leap was the idea that this beer was so scary that it was now being tested for human consumption. The Platinum Testing Facility was born. The campaign launched with posters on the street, university campuses, student notice boards and in pub toilets, asking for volunteers to participate in Human Testing. Calls for volunteers appeared in newspaper classifieds and even extended to the product itself, with details appearing on the underside of the bottle tops. Users took part via SMS and were directed to the website www.humantesting.com.au, where they could view a video of the Tooheys scientists at work and take part in various psychometric tests and games.

600,000 sample bags were distributed within men’s magazines, street press and by direct mail. People were asked to send in samples for testing, including toe nails, scabs, hair etc. Above all, they were asked to be creative. Hundreds of selected volunteers were then sent testing kits and online were able to perform personal DNA analysis by matching up their samples with their personal details.

Tooheys scientists also visited clubs and bars to perform on-site tests. Talking devices in urinals analysed people’s DNA in pubs. The campaign was also supported by late night TV ads and an underground viral exposed the testing facility as dubious, even dangerous. The release of an official eight-page report of the results and endorsing the product as safe to drink rounded up the campaign.

Results

In five months, there were 136,000 unique visitors to the website and more than 395,000 games played. The ‘testing facility’ has received a disgusting number of DNA bags, literally oozing with samples. Tooheys Extra Dry Platinum has grown from nowhere to become Australia’s seventh largest premium beer.

Target Audience

Urban cool consumers who would influence their friends and spread their discovery of Platinum via word-of-mouth.

Size

600,000 DNA sample bags were distributed through men’s magazines, street press and direct mail.

Our Thoughts

In Australia, BMF pipped M&C Saatchi to the title of ‘Agency of the Year 2006’ - principally because a lot of their work uses video in one form or another. Like this campaign, where the late-night TV spots are so-o-o tasteless, blokes will have loved them, in particular the ‘Scab’ commercial. Equally, in the pack, the ‘spit bombing’ piece is disgusting - unless you’re young, male and up for a laugh. For us, the core idea is pretty slender - Tooheys need human guinea-pigs to test their new Platinum lager - but the delivery mechanism - send us your DNA for analysis - is executed with such brio we’re sure the campaign will win major awards in 2007.