GRAMERCY PARK KICKS DIGITAL GOALS FOR RAC INSURANCE

Perth based digital marketing & media consultancy Gramercy Park recently launched an innovative integrated direct-response campaign for its client RAC Insurance.

Using both offline and digital communication disciplines, the campaigns lead element was an ‘adver-game’ called FrontYardFooty.com.au

The concept and strategic communications architecture for the FrontYardFooty.com.au campaign was developed by Gramercy Park’s Managing Director Simon te Brinke, in conjunction with RAC Insurance Marketing Manager, Nicole Bour.

The adver-game production was completed by Visual Jazz, an award-winning digital agency based in Melbourne. Visual Jazz recently won the IAB (Internet Advertising Bureau) “Best of Show Award�” for their gaming and campaign work with the Australian Defence Force at the 2008 IAB Australia Interactive Advertising Awards.

Media planning and placement was developed and implemented by Maxus Perth and offline creative featuring elements of the digital creative was developed by The Brand Agency.

Custom designed, and built specifically for the RAC, the online game allowed the RAC Insurance brand to use a new method of ‘engagement-based’ communication to differentiate itself from its competitors. In addition, RAC sought to investigate and develop more innovative and creative ways to communicate with younger potential insurance customers in the 18-35 year old bracket.

“Today’s younger consumers are more likely to favour brands that engage them, that allow participation and then reward those consumers for their participation in the marketing effort.” said Bour. “FrontYardFooty.com.au uses a trajectory style game play whereby the player is encouraged to kick a football as far as possible along a typical WA streetscape, which consists of iconic West Australian fauna and flora.”

The game encourages repeat play with the player that kicks the longest kick each day being awarded the daily ‘Golden Boot’ Footy award.

In addition to the daily ‘Golden Boot’ prize, each player that registers a kick in the competition is encouraged to get an RAC Insurance quote, thus registering the player for the chance to win the major prize draw of an all expenses paid Trip for 2 to the 2008 AFL Grand Final in Melbourne.

te Brinke said FrontYardFooty.com.au has delivered extremely positive results since its launch in WA on May 1, 2008.

“In just under 8 weeks [since launch], FrontYardFooty.com.au has attracted over 23,000 visitors, and has delivered some 820,000 page views. What is also encouraging is high repeat visitation – half of all visitors like the game that much they are coming back to play again. Best of all, each visitor is spending an average of over 18 minutes playing the game whilst engaging with the RAC Insurance brand online. This length of time is encouragingly very high for an adver-game of this type. This amasses to over 7,000 hours of consumer engagement and interaction with the RAC Insurance brand in the first 6 weeks.”

Whilst the vast majority of site visits derives from local Western Australians, te Brinke said the game has also attracted players from some 74 other countries and territories around the world.  

In addition to a display media campaign on thewest.com.au, perthnow.com.au and Hotmail, the game has also been promoted via seeding in popular AFL forums and social networking sites such as Facebook and loconut.com.au.

FrontYardFooty.com.au will continue to run until the end of July 2008

Campaign Credits

Game Design & Build: Visual Jazz, Melbourne (Damien Hughes, Chris Condon)