Mad Men sponsorship
Issue 21 | December 2011
Agency
DraftFCB Auckland
Creative Team
Executive Creative Director: James Mok ; Creative Director: Billy McQueen, Chris Schofield ; Creative Teams: Billy McQueen, Chris Schofield, Murray Watt, Steve McCabe, Kelly; Lovelock, Bobbi McKay, John Maxwell, Adam Taylor, Anthony Bell
Production Team
Directors: Jared Yearsley, Reuben Boyes, Blair Walker ; Producers: Casey King, Trelise Caughey ; Account Service: Katie Loverich
Date
27th Feb - 22 May 2011
Background
In New Zealand there is one agency that everyone has heard of. Sad thing is, it’s not Draftfcb. It’s Saatchi and Saatchi. The task was therefore raising the profile of a lesser-known ad agency, attracting potential clients and staff, while making the Draftfcb name more memorable and pronounceable.
Idea
They practiced what they'd been preaching - and made ads promoting themselves (not exactly radical, but no one else was doing it). In a ballsy move, they decided to sponsor Mad Men, the show about advertising - not just because it was relevant, but so their ads would screen when many of their prospective clients were watching. This eclectic mix of creative (and very non- Draftfcb) commercials showcased who they were and, just as importantly, what they are capable of. Viewers were then driven online to see some of their more serious case studies.
Results
In under a year, Draftfcb has gone from NZ's 5th largest agency to 3rd. They've become an automatic agency of choice for pitch lists. They've become the number 1 destination for industry graduates. And people aren't saying 'Draftfc-who?' when they tell them where they work.
Our Thoughts
Even though I’m possibly the only person in this industry who never got hooked on Mad Men, I totally understand the market landscape DraftFCB were competing in when they struck upon this idea. Usually ad agencies self-promote themselves with bad press ads or cheesy mail packs, so I can appreciate the media expense here. The relevance for targeting a show that is most likely viewed by potential clients makes the cost worthwhile if they attracted new business. And apparently they did.