This personalised element of the Christmas campaign helped people to get what they really wanted for Christmas by targeting their loved ones with not-so-subtle pointers about the tech they would love, versus the presents they really didn’t.

People could submit the tech gift they wanted, from a KitchenAid to a pair of Beats headphones, on a bespoke webpage, along with who they wanted to buy it for them. Most importantly they could say where that person would likely be each day, such as the streets on their daily commute or the station they went to every day.

We then picked a number of entries from around the country and put their personalised hints in places the recipient couldn’t help but notice. Using our tongue-in-cheek tone of voice that also defined the TV campaign, we crafted lines that nudged the intended recipient towards the right gift.

There were over 3000 bespoke ‘hints’ across the six week campaign, covering over 500 sites across static, digital and ambient outdoor sites – from hand painted murals to digital 6 sheets, even an ad van. We also targeted shoppers on radio, with bespoke shouts to people we knew would be listening.

Without the data, there was no creative idea. Having helped people navigate our range and find the product they want, we then gave them our media and helped them to make it as obvious as possible to their loved ones what that product was. Without the data it would have been pretence, and wouldn’t have had the same impact or engagement that came with people seeing their authentic hints out and about.

What was ambitious about using data in this way was that it took traditional broadcast channels such as out-of-home and radio, that are normally used to talk to a mass audience all at once. And it turned the channel on its head, using the data to speak to individuals on a personalised level, with the added impact of that hint creatively dramatizing to a wider audience the utility of Currys PC World – helping you get the right product for you. Only by using authentic data could we truly demonstrate this.

As a part of the wider Christmas campaign, the work helped to drive prompted impressions of Currys PC World as a place that helps you choose the perfect gifts that your loved ones really want at Christmas. It also scored above the norm for persuasion scores on the ‘Talk about with friends’ metric.

54% of those that saw the personalised advert were more likely to purchase a product as a result, according to Clear Channel. And Millward Brown tracking revealed that products featured in the personalised ad grew to ‘1st place I would consider buying’ metrics (+60% gaming consoles and +57% blenders).

There were just under 6,000 entries to the campaign, with 3,130 personalised messages delivered, and £171k worth of added value delivered on the out-of-home.

It received wide spread coverage in the trade press and consumer titles, and Tom Kerr, business director at Posterscope was quoted as saying “It’s been great to work with Currys PC World on the world’s first contextually relevant, mass personalisation campaign. This is a fantastic example of how out-of-home advertising can create relevance by location.”

On social, positive sentiment increased (Twitter +60%, Facebook +17%) with the out-of-home attributed as a key driver.

The Drop a Hint campaign was the world’s first contextually relevant, mass personalisation campaign that used broadcast media. Not only did we find out what people did and didn’t want to receive as Christmas presents, but also about who they wanted to buy it for them, and where that person might be throughout the day. We then used that data to target the recipient with tongue-in-cheek hints, making sure everyone had a Happy Christmas.

We drove awareness of the campaign through PR and on the brand’s social channels. Members of the public could go onto the hub on the Currys PC World website and fill in their details: their ideal tech presents, a present they definitely didn’t want, the person who needed the hint, and where we could reach that person with a hint.

With that information we could then create highly targeted executions that spoke precisely to a primary audience of one. Some posters even targeted people on their exact location, following people from morning until night, with tailored messages. Some nudged shoppers along, while others went heavier handed with their hinting.

Once we had the data, we could get even more creative. Local artists created hand painted murals to deliver the hints. An ad-van used geo-location technology to update the hint it displayed depending on location, so it was always targeting someone nearby. In radio we used Jeff Goldblum, who was starring in our Spare the Act broadcast campaign, to voice a number of targeted radio executions, telling particular commuters what their loved ones really wanted for Christmas.

The Currys PC World Christmas campaign dramatized how if you came to the retailer, nobody would have to pretend to like their presents, because we could help you find products everyone would truly love. We had found that 66% of Brits receive unwanted Christmas gifts – but are often too polite to admit that, or to say what they really do want. With media agency Blue 449, we came to a brief aimed at helping customers avoid the awkward situations and fake smiles come Christmas morning. We wanted to put our high impact media channels, such as out-of-home and radio, in the hands of the public, giving them a platform to tell their loved ones what they really did – and didn’t – want for Christmas. The objective was to use data creatively to further demonstrate how we can help to make sure you get the tech products that are