Sales of fizzy drinks were losing their bubble as public nagging about healthier choices began to win the argument. Tango had to fight back. “Save Tango from the do-gooders”, was the message. Could the tide be changed? Yes, when led by a tongue-in-cheek, integrated PR campaign that ignited a response from people who were fed up with being told what to do.Hijacking the news agenda wherever possible, gave the media masses of oxygen for the Save Tango campaign. Results exhumed from a survey of ‘great British things we’ve loved and lost’, reinforced with antics and irreverent stunts, created a wake of news the press could run with, story after story.

The buzz was amplified by an online siege; savetango.com website, Facebook campaigners, Twitters, Flickr and bloggers created a viral epidemic never seen before in the UK.Extra noise was generated with nationwide demonstrations including a parade of orange marchers hitting the streets of London, storming the Mayor’s live press conference.Targets were smashed: Sales of Tango increased by 30%; 20% increase in distribution; +40% purchase intent; total media value +£3m; 200m OTS; campaign recall was one third of all UK adults, 95% driven by PR. Tango was back.

From 24 November for two weeks, we sparked a “Save Tango” outcry, kicking off with a survey of British things we have loved and lost. Spokesperson Dom Joly milked the idea in press and radio interviews, and propelled the debate regionally. Day two saw Joly leading a Save Tango parade from London Bridge, enticing the public to join in, before storming the Mayor’s live press conference with the New Zealand premier. This is a brand born to be disruptive. Day three raised the stakes as the little orange man made every national tabloid and mid-market newspaper by door stepping Jonathan Ross, the king of un-PC, on his first public appearance after his BBC suspension. The campaign blossomed online after we seeded a blissfully silly promotional film about the plucky fizzy drink makers who wouldn’t go down without a fight. We set up a Save Tango website, a dedicated Facebook group and YouTube channel, and a Flickr page— which we fed with celebrity images as more were Tangoed. Opportunism (going for it after the news conference tipoff) kept the campaign fluid.

Where do we start? The campaign drove a real attitude shift towards the brand resulting in a 40% switch in purchase intent, 30% increase in sales and 20% increase in distribution. One in three UK adults was exposed to the campaign, 95% through PR alone. Coverage smashed all media targets, total media value +£3m with over 200m opportunities to see including more than 200 pieces of social media coverage totalling a return on investment of 18:1.The campaign captured the media’s imagination by bringing people some innocent fun at a time of doom and gloom. Save Tango took on a life of its own. You just couldn’t miss it.