Leading energy company EDF Energy is the UK’s largest producer of low-carbon nuclear energy. To celebrate being the official electricity supplier to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, its team of agencies delivered a campaign centred on the idea of displaying the world’s first social media-powered lightshow on the EDF Energy London Eye. The lightshow captured the ‘Energy of the Nation’ by turning the London Eye into a giant barometer of emotion every night to show how positive the nation’s tweets about the Games had been that day.

This ground-breaking engagement campaign was far more than just a publicity stunt: it turned a social media-shy energy brand into a consumer, Twitter and media darling. EDF Energy outclassed other Olympic sponsors in terms of editorial coverage – and it’s incredibly rare for any brand to get a PR-related mention on the 10pm news in the UK.

Despite competing with the likes of Coca-Cola and Adidas, EDF Energy came second only to McDonald’s in terms of social media impact.

Brand, Sustainability and External Communications Director Andrew Brown said: ‘This bold, innovative campaign resulted in impressive media coverage and unprecedented positive consumer conversation. As well as helping EDF Energy to be ranked as the number one domestic sponsor associated with London 2012, it drove true integration internally. We are proud to have been part of such a fantastic feel better Games.’

-Place EDF Energy at the heart of London 2012

-Drive awareness of EDF Energy’s London Eye and London 2012 sponsorships

-Create a brand touch point to bring ‘Feel Better Energy’ to life

-Deliver quality national editorial and wide-reaching online consumer conversation

An extensive six-month planning process ensured plans were aligned. The PR agency interrogated data and assets to create compelling daily media content, maximising access to spokespeople it had recruited - Olympic legend Daley Thompson, TV personality Claudia Winkleman, and Team GB ambassadors.

The campaign aimed to reach anyone who wanted to be part of the conversation around the Olympics.

Output/Awareness:

-EDF Energy was the No.1 domestic sponsor of the Games by awareness (Source: IPSOS)

-49% of visitors to Mission Control felt more positive about EDF Energy; 79% knew EDF Energy was a Games sponsor; 84% knew EDF Energy sponsors the London Eye (Source: DC Storm)

Knowledge/Consideration

-Twitter reach was 13.6 million; 97% of Twitter coverage was positive (Source: Precise and MPG Media )

-369 pieces of print/online coverage; 2hrs 28mins of global broadcast; total reach 260 million (Source: Precise)

-Coverage was 93% positive and 99% branded

-49% included EDF Energy in the headline/top third (vs Adidas 32%; BMW 20%)

Action/Business impact

-16,595 visitors to Mission Control

-46,474 views of live streamed lightshow (Source: DC Storm, Daily Mail, MPG Media)

-10,000+ social shares (Source: MPG Media)

-23,621 digital hub visitors

-Facebook fans increased by 379%; Twitter followers by 222% (Source: MPG Media)

-AVE of almost £2.1m (Source: Kantarmedia)

The campaign was a high-adrenaline rollercoaster, from 5am VT approvals to all-weekend sell-ins. The PR agency told the story, celebrating not only the exuberance of the British public, but the world’s first social media-driven lightshow with national, technology and influencer media – driving conversations with consumers via social media.

The agency embarked on an international media and blogger/influencer campaign. A media day with the MIT ‘boffins’ was held, and a Hub within Mission Control allowed London Eye visitors to see behind the technology at work.

On launch day, the agency delivered a truly unique moment: the first light show driven by Twitter sentiment illuminating the EDF Energy London Eye.

A daily calendar of stories and infographics maintained media and social media momentum. The light show continued to reflect the public’s jubilation at Team GB’s success, and Daley Thompson took part in a huge coup: an ITN News at Ten interview.

In 2010, EDF Energy became the partner of the London Eye, with the iconic landmark renamed the EDF Energy London Eye. Energy of the Nation was an opportunity to bring the brand’s new positioning – ‘Feel Better Energy’ – to life. The company asked its agency teams to create a truly special and original campaign that explicitly linked the positioning to its London 2012 sponsorship.

As the games approached, the challenge was to cut through increasingly pessimistic public opinion and an overwhelmingly crowded media landscape, to place EDF Energy at the heart of London 2012.

EDF Energy’s experiential agency suggested illuminating the EDF London Eye to show how Brits were feeling about the Olympics/Paralympics, working with a sentiment analysis expert and MIT graduates to develop the methodology. The UK’s feelings were expressed every night of the Olympics on the London Eye by turning it into a giant barometer of emotion. The data fed into a spectacular nightly lightshow powered by low-carbon electricity.

The PR agency took the experiential idea and exploded it into a fully-integrated engagement campaign. Driving talkability and consumer engagement by creating multiple touch-points and compelling media milestones throughout the activation period, they developed a strong, evolving story that the media could not ignore.

Harnessing the nation’s emotions and leveraging the key assets of all campaign elements, this powerful PR amplification mobilised strategic communications, consumer PR, social media, issues preparedness and media relations to put EDF Energy at the heart of the Games.