As the NFL season kicked off, it was imperative Old Spice build a social presence that was relevant and engaging among the NFL audience as they watched the game. Old Spice needed to translate “Stay Unforsweatable” into the language of the internet in real-time and take advantage of how audiences consumed NFL content. Today, 85% of people are utilizing other devices while watching TV (eMarketer 2017) while 71% of NFL fans engage with mobile devices on NFL game days (eMarketer 2014).

Old Spice turned to social media to demonstrate how Von Miller could go above and beyond and “Stay Unforsweatable.” At the same time Von Miller was on the football field making big plays and supporting his team, he would be simultaneously celebrating them on social media. GIFs, the favorite language of the internet and how sports fans celebrate big moments, share reactions, or revisit highlights, became the obvious medium.

Old Spice created GIFs for each big-play moment, when people are most likely to turn their attention to Twitter. Whenever the Broncos had a big play such as a touchdown, field goal, safety, sack, or field-goal block, went to halftime, or won the game, Old Spice delivered a GIF of Von Miller celebrating along with the game hashtag and #VonGifs. The GIFs reinforced Von Miller’s nonstop hard work and the Hardest Working Collection as the most powerful Old Spice antiperspirant/deodorants and body washes in the world in an undeniably Old Spice tone.

To ensure the Von GIFs would be delivered at precisely the right moment, the campaign leveraged 4C Social Sync, which automatically detects and triggers social ads based on sporting moments and at any level of granularity, from the athlete to the game. The technology enabled the campaign to run throughout the NFL season from September to November.

Live Von Air achieved excellent results and demonstrated the power of creativity and technology to solve some of the brand’s greatest media challenges.

The campaign drove over 50MM impressions and achieved an engagement rate 11% above benchmark averages. Of those exposed to Live Von Air, there was a demonstrable sales lift to Old Spice. User sentiment among our target was overwhelmingly positive, as Broncos fans and news outlets frequently shared campaign creative.

Multiple celebrities and influencers including Jordin Sparks (American Idol), Annie Apple (NFL mom), Matt Prichard (KOAA journalist), Denver7 News, and Von himself engaged with the GIFs. Von GIFs also saw widespread use as a play-by-play language among Broncos fans and non-fans alike.

Live Von Air demonstrated the power to make a strong impact when creativity and technology complement one another.