Although the audience were defined as ‘energy engaged’, qualitative research showed that they were still uneasy around the subject of ‘energy’, finding it too distant and complex to engage with.

They didn’t wake up in the morning thinking about ‘energy’!

Additional audience research showed us that:

• A range of evidence was important to drive brand reappraisal.

• Influencers and real life events had more impact with this audience than traditional advertising.

• The audience were more likely to engage with the topic of energy if they could see a positive impact on people’s lives.

With this understanding Shell and the cross-agency team developed ‘Best Day Of My Life’; a digital content and events programme, incorporating an array of energy innovations. We made the subject simple and relevant by:

• Showcasing bright energy ideas

• Showing these ideas in action

• Highlighting the human benefit of these ideas

To build anticipation, we pre-promoted teaser edits of the video online, targeting custom audience groups of EEMs who had previously engaged with Shell.

To drive immediate reach at launch, we implemented multiple digital takeovers with relevant brands including Tumblr, Buzzfeed, Snapchat and Twitter.

Shell’s artists assembled in Rio de Janeiro for a special live performance in an energy-poor favela, with Shell’s energy innovations placed throughout the favela, showcasing their real-world benefits.

The performance was promoted with build-up content on Periscope, and streamed globally via Facebook Live. Beyond Brazil, the video was placed in the real world via large-format Digital OOH in iconic locations, including Piccadilly Circus in London, and Times Square in New York.

Post launch, we distributed the music video across multiple digital platforms, retargeting engaged audiences with expandable video units, interactive videos and native articles with pop-science and tech publishers, providing deeper info behind the energy innovations.

The results were incredible.

Since launching in September 2016, Best Day Of My Life content has been viewed an astonishing 816m times. ?

Shell became the number one brand globally in the 2016 AdAge viral video charts, beating Nike’s Euro 2016 campaign and the highly-anticipated John Lewis Xmas ad (among others).

The video achieved more than 4.1m shares, making Shell the ninth most shared video brand in the world in 2016. This placed Shell alongside bullseye millennial brands such as Red Bull, Nike and Adidas in the top ten ‘most shared’ charts.

Working in close collaboration with Shell and their agency partners, we didn’t just create a media campaign; we delivered an unmissable, global entertainment event that made energy simple, relevant and exciting for a brand new audience.