PR > Sectors
fischerAppelt, Hamburg / ARD AKTUELL / 2015
Overview
Credits
CampaignDescription
Germany’s biggest and most popular news show, the “Tagesschau”, reinvented itself last year - with the most modern news studio in the world. We were asked to turn possible resentment into anticipation and get people excited about this change, even before the announcement was made. For this, we used the most unattainable media placement in German Public Television: the moderation notes used in the show itself which millions of people see every night. On them we kicked off a countdown for the final ten broadcasts from the old studio. This quickly gained a lot of momentum, making newspapers, TV shows and audiences on social platforms discuss possible meanings. Accompanying viral trailers revealed little by little more information about what was about to happen. Stirring curiosity and pushing our buzz in the news. And on premiere night the Tagesschau had a market share of a whopping 40%.
ClientBriefOrObjective
To use this relaunch to modernize the brand. While avoiding criticism.
To create nationally acceptance for the new studio and its involved investments.
To turn possible resentments into anticipation.
Effectiveness
500,000 views, thousands of likes and shares of the teaser trailer.
Media mentions in practically all leading German news media: Spiegel Online, BILD, TV Total, Welt, Süddeutsche, T-Online, …
Media mentions in almost all specialist media: Horizont, Meedia, kress, w&v, …
On the night of the premiere the “Tagesschau” attained a market share of almost 40%.
Execution
First we started out with a viral video posted on Tagesschau’s (very large) Facebook channel. It was a “supercut” consisting of material from the last couple of decades of the show and poking fun at prejudices about the “Tagesschau”. Announcing nebulous “changes to come”.
Then we hit the road and used the most unattainable media placement in German Public Television*: the moderation notes used in the show itself which millions of people see every night. On them we kicked of a countdown for the final ten broadcasts from the old studio. This gained quickly a lot of momentum, making people on social platforms and other media (such as Europe’s biggest newspaper BILD and Germany’s largest Night show “TV Total”) discuss possible meanings. With continuing trailers we revealed more details. And finally a press conference announced the new studio.
*In Public TV there is no advertising allowed after 8 p.m.
Relevancy
Germany’s biggest and most popular news show, the “Tagesschau”, has reinvented itself last year. With the most modern news studio in the world. The challenge: Germany’s Public Television is always under critical observation – how do they handle TV licence money? – and audiences never like to change their existing viewing habits. So when the time came for the announcement, we were asked to create an accompanying, prolific communication campaign.
Strategy
It was clear that we needed a communication that was bold and quick and focused on targeting media influencers and opinion leaders by surprise. We wanted them to give the new studio a chance and avoid a “media about media debate”. So, we took the lead and started the campaign even BEFORE the announcement was made. Instead of just issuing a press release about the new studio with facts and figures, we set out to get more than acceptance: we wanted excitement. Our weapon was something no one would have expected from the square “Tagesschau”: Humor.
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