Message in a bottle XXL
Solo (Ringnes)
Issue 30 | March 2014
Agency
Try/Apt
Creative Team
Art Directors Martin R. Thorsen Karin Lund Dennis To¨nnkvist Copywriters Øystein Halvorsen, Bjørnar Buxrud Project managers Cecilie Thue Monica Rosengren Account managers Linda Kling Eivind Moe
Production Team
Production Bottle Hydrolift Eker Design Film Anti Media Camera Making view Batteries Solar Panels Sunwind Web developers Knut Ska°la Pa°l Smitt-Amundsen Thomas Sømoen Design Richard Rosenlund Thomas Bra°then
Other Credits
PR Niche AS Media agency OMD
Date
March to October 2013
Background
Solo has been sold in Norway since 1934 and is considered something of a national soft drink. People love the taste and for many Norwegians it is the best soft drink in the world. However, as competition has increased from the big global brands, Solo has begun to look a little outdated.
The aim was to do something that would breathe new life into the old brand and make Norwegians feel proud again of their favourite soft drink.
Since Norway has a history of exploration, it was time for a new expedition.
Idea
With a global population of seven billion, which among them should be invited to taste Solo? The idea was to let fate decide. Or, to be more precise, the ocean currents. A message was put in a bottle. It turned out to be the largest message in a bottle ever. It was filled with a case of Solo and a letter promising more Solo to the finder. Then, on March 13th, it was dropped into the sea at the spot in Tenerife where Columbus first set out all those centuries ago.
Now people were invited to guess where it would turn up with the chance to win one Solo for every nautical mile it had travelled.
Results
By the time the bottle arrived at Los Roques in Venezuela 170 days after being launched, over 100,000 visitors from 158 countries had viewed the webpage. Target group preference is now 63%, up from 58%. For the first time in years Solo is now ahead of Fanta in the category "Orange soft drink".
Our Thoughts
This is just bonkers brilliant. When you read the marketing problem, the creative solution is just right in everyway...engaging, entertaining, relevant, innovative and successful. It’s a big stunt (although I hope the person who won the 4,157 bottles of Solo appreciated their prize!) using what I think must be the oldest postal system in the world, the currents of the sea and a message in a bottle.