In order to make an impact in a cluttered retail market, we knew we had to stand out from traditionally frantic “deals-and-prices” advertising. We knew that most shoppers weren’t driven by price alone; in fact, Black Friday has become a holiday ritual that's as much about the competitive spirit of finding a great deal as the deal itself. Instead of reciting a price list, we engaged shoppers with a story that came to center around a single character: an overachieving overachiever who “owned” Black Friday and made the week prior to the sale a manic countdown to total retail domination.

With over two million YouTube views, the number two spot on AdAge.com’s viral chart, and several fan spoofs, this polarising character started a conversation that exceeded all expectations. Fans expressed their love through social media: Twitter conversations with the character, video spoofs, SIM avatars, and Facebook fan pages (18 pages with 6,000+ fans). Some shoppers even dressed up as her on Black Friday.