W Network and YTV will kick off a three-phase campaign for Unilever’s Sunlight Multi-Action brand next week. PHD Canada arranged the contest, titled ‘Every Grass Stain Tells a Story,’ and the winner gets a $25,000 makeover for the outdoor space of their choice. The Corus Entertainment partnership reflects a strategy aimed at getting moms excited about the contest, whether they’re solo viewing on W or co-viewing with kids on YTV.
Unilever’s brand manager for Sunlight, Todd Allen, tells MiC this campaign is part of the marketer’s global ‘Dirt is Good’ strategy, which has evolved over the last five years. Allen says running the campaign through both nets made sense for the Sunlight Multi-Action product, which hit the market in August 2006. ‘Obviously they index high towards our core target, and with YTV there’s more of an angle for the kids too. Sunlight’s ‘Dirt is Good’ strategy is all about child development. It’s entrenched in child development and unleashing human potential. We give people the freedom to explore, discover, learn and in the process they get dirty, they don’t need to worry about it because Sunlight will get their clothes clean. This campaign is about delivering a better green space for your kids.’
The campaign kicks off March 12 with on-air spots asking viewers to submit stories explaining why their spaces are in need of transformation. Additional 10-second clips were created for on-air and online expandable leaderboards at WNetwork.com and YTV.com to push users to visit SunlightLaundry.ca.
Four semi-finalists will be profiled in 30-second spots, starting May 7 (with an additional 45-second profile spot airing in YTV’s ZAPX daypart), and viewers will be invited to vote for their favourite yard-deprived family. On June 18, the winner will be profiled in a 60-second vignette on both nets.
Building on the ‘dirt is good’ theme, YTV host Simon from ZAPX will also take a camera crew to the scene of the makeover to officially acquire a grass stain in the new outdoor space. That segment will also be used to show the before/after transformation to viewers.
