#Study with Roland-Garros
BNP Paribas
Issue 38 | March 2016
Agency
Publicis Conseil
Creative Team
Agency Managers Cesar Croze Eric Forest Rodolphe Poprawa Strategic Planning Corinne Malsert Sacha Garel Margot Peyron Creative Directors Olivier Desmettre Fabrice Delacourt Creative Director Hervé Riffault Art Directors Loic Andria Josse Armanet Concept/Copywriters Loic Andria Josse Armanet
Production Team
Client Bertrand Cizeau Charlie Boillot Estelle Couty
Date
June 2015
Background
In France, certainly in the financial category, branded content was mostly short videos made by YouTubers, which everyone knew was just old-fashioned endorsement advertising with new faces.
BNP Paribas had never stepped away from traditional advertising before. However, the bank had sponsored the French Open at Roland-Garros for 40 years.
The challenge was to use their sponsorship in a new and intelligent way to engage with the youth market.
Idea
For young tennis fans, the problem with the French Open is that it was held at a time when they were all studying for their final school exams, a.k.a Bac.
BNP Paribas made it possible for students to both watch the tennis and prepare for their exams at the same time.
After all, teenagers have always been able to multitask to a remarkable degree.
With #ReviseavecRG, while the matches were being televised played, teachers provided online audio guides to the action but putting a relevant spin to their commentaries. Maths, philosophy, even history were topics all covered by the teacher-commentators so that entertainment from the courts could become useful in the examination room.
While watching the amazing shots of Wawrinka, students could understand Plato or the fall of the Berlin wall and if they had questions, they could ask them live.
Results
Digital PR and youth and tennis influencers helped drive awareness of the initiative. The official Roland Garros Twitter site got behind the idea, which was also featured on France 2 and LC1 TV stations.
In total, there were 20,000 unique visitors to the ReviseavecRG site and 35,000 page views.
Our Thoughts
Tennis is a bit of a theme in this issue with both BNZ and Tourism Victoria running campaigns around the Australian Open.
Students are incredibly important to all the banks. Get ‘em signed up and there’s every chance that you can keep them as customers for life. Mostly, the banks offer bribes but here’s BNP offering sympathy and understanding. This is a brand showing it has a lightness of touch, which its target audience would have enjoyed.
Useful, usable and delightful.