Challenge

In 2012, Nokia will launch new smartphones on the Windows phone operating system. Before then, it needs to sell any remaining stock. This includes 1.4 million handsets in 3 stores throughout the UK.

Insight

Shoppers often choose a phone based on the recommendations of the staff at phone stores. Unfortunately, staff at 3 currently push Apple iPhone first, Blackberry second, HTC Android third and Nokia last.

Solution

Turn 3 staff into brand advocates - and get them to sell Nokia phones for us.

We transformed apathy into excitement with Nokia's first social campaign for 3 staff. Called 'Inside & Out', it's fronted by two charismatic Finnish design experts. Emmi - a techspert who educates staff on the tech 'Inside'. And Fredrik - a product design guru who knows everything about the phone's 'Outside'.

We launched our campaign with branded gifts that we knew the 3 store staff would love - sweets and coffee mugs. We also generated excitement and gave them a reason to get to know Nokia better with the chance to win £1,000 for a staff night out. All 3 staff had to do was use the first monthly newsletter we'd sent them to answer a few simple questions about Nokia phones. Or, if they preferred, they could friend Emmi and Fredrik in Facebook and get the answers direct.

I anticipated the success of the campaign and so when I cast Emmi and Fredrik I ensured that they could carry a convincing Finnish accent and that they were adept enough to learn all the necessary features of key Nokia phones.

A Creative Director on this project from start to finish, I made the campaign work against the odds and built in extendibility. The budget was very restricted so I was forced to come up with the concept with little or no writer to help - and present it to the client myself. I chose the photographer, and then cast the two characters in a single day. I also directed the shoot in an East London studio.

I added value for the client by ensuring there was a costume change midway through the shoot. This created enough collateral from the single day's photoshoot to last the whole communications work for the next six months. I also oversaw all design and art work and endeavoured to come in on budget.