We leveraged three pivotal everyday teenage components: peers, role models and technology, and provided teens assets to stay connected with friends online/offline through social media, playground currency and virtual worlds.A partnership with Vanessa Hudgens (VH) from High School Musical – the teenage movie phenomena –generated excitement and secured the ultimate BTS reference. “Arrive Lounge”: The engaging BTS bespoke microsite featured: VH behind-the-scenes footage, Sears-themed games, content, opt-in mobile offer alerts, downloads and tools (video/music mash-up, social network apps).Visitors registered for VIP access and a scavenger-type sweepstakes. Weekly emails/SMS contained clues with online/in-store Sears-exclusive items. When found, VIPs texted keywords for a chance to win a Vanessa concert at their school.Virtual Worlds: “Arrive Lounge” within virtual worlds contained custom content, videos, freebies and games. In Sears’ virtual boutiques, avatars tried on clothes, attended parties/fashion events and entered catwalk contests.Movie:Sears integration into MTV movie, “American Mall,” starring VH.

Teens arrived at school in style and our communication trends continued well past the BTS season, with online garnering: • 5.1million Sears-themed games played • 4.5 minutes of player/brand interaction per game• 1 million YouTube views• CTR outperformed benchmark 350%• Standard units CTR 10 times the benchmark• Virtual world - 1.8 million store visits - 3.5 million articles purchased/used - 3.9 million event attendances • An AdInsights study confirmed we connected with – and persuaded – teens - “Sears is a store I would consider when shopping” up 7% - “Intention to shop at Sears for back to school items” up 5%