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WARC STRATEGY TOOLKIT: MODULE 6 – BUILDING A CAMPAIGN

In previous sections we have looked at the process

of devising the brand’s strategy. This section of
the Strategy Toolkit looks at the nuts and bolts of
bringing that strategy to life, with guidance on some
of the most common stages of campaign development.
WARC STRATEGY TOOLKIT: MODULE 6 – BUILDING A CAMPAIGN

It is important to be clear on what a campaign is supposed to achieve. Campaign

strategy should flow from the bigger-picture business and marketing strategies.
Drawing these together, and producing achievable and measurable objectives,
is a key skill for a strategist.

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WARC STRATEGY TOOLKIT: MODULE 6 – BUILDING A CAMPAIGN

Reading 6.1.1: Creative Commitment: a new metric to

predict campaign performance and counter short-term
thinking, Stephen Whiteside, WARC Event Reports, 2020

Research across 4,863 case studies along with creativity, to increase

by James Hurman and Peter Field campaign success.
revealed that there are three
campaign variables that align Key takeaways
consistently with effectiveness.
These are media spend, campaign • The best chance of being highly
duration and the number of media effective comes from choosing a
channels used. Analysis of these very creative idea, then giving it as
impact drivers forms the basis of the much media spend, duration in-
Creative Commitment metric, which market and different media
can be a predictor of campaign channels as possible.
success while still in the planning
stages. Even with a low budget, • These drivers are linked to mental
campaign duration and media- availability, a pre-requisite for
channel usage are two key levers, penetration growth.

SOURCE: IPA Effectiveness Award Entries, 2012-2019, James Hurman and Peter Field,
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WARC STRATEGY TOOLKIT: MODULE 6 – BUILDING A CAMPAIGN

Reading 6.1.2: Mythbuster: Shatter some pipe dreams,

Les Binet and Sarah Carter, Admap, 2012

The harsh reality is that it's In this opinion piece, the authors
critique the unrealistic approaches
• Best practice is to identify exactly
what business results you want,

quite rare for brands to make to objective setting that all too often
dominate marketing plans, and
and exactly what you need people
to think, feel and do in order to

big gains in market share or argue for defining objectives that

are “Specific, Measurable,
deliver those results.

penetration. Yet, when did Achievable, Realistic and Timed.”

you last see a brand plan that Key takeaways

didn't state this as an aim? • A brand's stated objectives are

often totally unrealistic. The harsh
reality is that it's quite rare for
brands to make big gains in
Les Binet and Sarah Carter, 2012 market share or penetration.

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WARC STRATEGY TOOLKIT: MODULE 6 – BUILDING A CAMPAIGN

Reading 6.1.3: How to develop a creative strategy,

Merry Baskin, WARC Best Practice, 2017

Although this best practice paper a series of interlinked questions,

is very much focused on creative where one builds upon another.
strategy, many of the principles
discussed are relevant to strategic • Essentially, Brand Onions, Brand
thinking more generally. The author Keys, Brand Pyramids, Brand
outlines the main steps in Funnels and the like are all doing
developing strategy (including the pretty much the same thing:
difference between business making coherent links between
objectives, marketing objectives customer and brand, category
and communication objectives) and and business.
provides a simple list of
tools and techniques. • Strategic thinking techniques,
such as benefit laddering and
Key takeaways mind maps, are great ways of
stretching your mind and getting
• Planning creative strategy is you out of a rut.
essentially asking and answering

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WARC STRATEGY TOOLKIT: MODULE 6 – BUILDING A CAMPAIGN

Reading 6.1.4: Building ‘crisis ready’ client–agency

relationships during COVID-19, Sam Hawkey, WARC
Exclusive, 2020

The volatility of the COVID-19 • Agencies need to have the power

pandemic has forced client–agency to provide proof-based stories
relationships to change up for clients to make decisions.
processes, communicate clearly,
and move quickly under pressure. • To get to the best creative
solution, every required part of
Key takeaways the team – from strategy to media
– should be working on the brief
• Agencies must commit to posing or business problem from the
difficult questions, having get-go.
awkward discussions, and
challenging every brief for the
betterment of the brand, the work
and, ultimately, the relationship.

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WARC STRATEGY TOOLKIT: MODULE 6 – BUILDING A CAMPAIGN

Here you will find papers on how to write a creative brief, and (just as important)
how to brief it successfully. Briefing is something of an art in itself.

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WARC STRATEGY TOOLKIT: MODULE 6 – BUILDING A CAMPAIGN

Reading 6.2.1: How to write a creative agency brief,

Merry Baskin and Kate Waters, WARC Best Practice, 2017

Distilling the communications commercial context; an

strategy into a brief is an art; it illuminating definition of, or
should be concise, clear, consistent insight into, the target audience;
and creative. This best practice the key proposition or message;
paper describes seven core recommended media to
components of a brief, and offers complement the strategy;
a series of tips on how to write relevant brand values and any
high-quality briefs. other relevant background;
as well as measurement criteria
Key takeaways and methods.

• A good creative brief should be

concise, clear, consistent and
creative.

• Briefs should include: the

business background and

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WARC STRATEGY TOOLKIT: MODULE 6 – BUILDING A CAMPAIGN

Reading 6.2.2: How to write an inspiring creative brief,

David Barker, Admap, 2001

Here is a creative's view on brief-

writing. There is no single 'right' • Too many briefs contain long
approach to creative briefs, just as lists of objectives and attempt
there is no single 'right' creative brief to reconcile the divergent views
form shared by all agencies. But of too many people; but in
there are plenty of wrong communications, if you try to do
approaches. David Barker, a too much, you achieve nothing.
creative, explains what he wants to
help him deliver his best work, both • The brief is only a means to an
from the written creative brief and end. So if it calls for an ad to
from the briefing itself. dramatically increase awareness
of your watch brand, do not get
Key takeaways upset if the answer is not an ad.

• The first requirement is to say

what you expect to happen as
a result of the ad.

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WARC STRATEGY TOOLKIT: MODULE 6 – BUILDING A CAMPAIGN

Reading 6.2.3: Three key steps to briefing creatives,

Nick Southgate, WARC Best Practice, 2009

A different perspective on creative • Media planners should be able to

briefs, this time from a planner. Nick make 'creative' recommendations
Southgate explores traditional and about media selection while
alternative approaches to briefs and backing them up with hard media
provides a long list of references for facts.
further reading.

Key takeaways

• The traditional model of creative

briefing is under pressure.

• The advertising agency planner's

role has changed from being the
generator of the brief to the
guardian of the process that will
see the traditional elements of
the brief realised.
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WARC STRATEGY TOOLKIT: MODULE 6 – BUILDING A CAMPAIGN

Video 6.2.1: Secrets of a great creative brief,

(Video length – 1.55 minutes)

Oliver Egan, Mick McCabe and

Yusuf Chuku, members of the
4A's Strategy Committee,
discuss what makes a good
brief – and what makes a bad
brief.

Secrets of a great creative brief

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WARC STRATEGY TOOLKIT: MODULE 6 – BUILDING A CAMPAIGN

Reading 6.2.4: Five steps to a great creative brief,

Urey Onuoha, ANA, 2018

This article sets out five universal understand the need it is helping
steps that can help marketers and to fill.
agencies get the most out of their • Creative briefs require a lot
creative briefs. of information but remain as
focused as possible on the
Key takeaways specific business objective.

• A brief should be a collaborative • Training can help make sure

effort between the client and the the process runs smoothly.
agency planner or researcher,
which the agency can then refine. • Marketers should consider the
brief's delivery as carefully as
• Every creative brief requires they do the content.
some basic details to be
considered comprehensive
enough for the agency to truly

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WARC STRATEGY TOOLKIT: MODULE 6 – BUILDING A CAMPAIGN

The relationship between strategists and creatives can be uneasy. Here you
will find papers on how to approach early-stage creative, how to make clients
feel part of the process, and the use of creative development research to
help the process along.

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WARC STRATEGY TOOLKIT: MODULE 6 – BUILDING A CAMPAIGN

10 questions to ask at creative presentations

Reading 6.3.1: How to evaluate creative work, What IS the idea?

Merry Baskin, WARC Best Practice, 2016
What sparked off the idea?

What other ideas did you have?

Once you have some creative Why was this one your preferred idea?
ideas to play with, how should you • Deconstruct communications
evaluate them? This best practice concepts into their constituent Why do you think it’s an appropriate idea?
piece lays out how you should parts. Whatever media or
approach ideas, and how to give discipline you are operating in, What is the one thing that makes it a memorable idea?
constructive feedback. It includes there are usually three elements
10 critical questions to ask at the to disentangle: the strategy or
creative presentation to help you proposition; the creative idea; What are the problems with the idea?
understand the idea. and the executional elements.
What are the risks?
Key takeaways
How will the idea move across channels?
• It is important to re-read the brief
before reviewing the creative. What would you do with another week?
Remember what the advertising
is supposed to achieve.
SOURCE: How to evaluate creative work, Merry Baskin, 2016

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 WARC STRATEGY TOOLKIT: MODULE 6 – BUILDING A CAMPAIGN

Video 6.1: When do you know you’ve got a hit?

(Video length – 1:32 minutes)

Oliver Egan and Yusuf Chuku of

the 4A's Strategy Committee
talk about how to tell whether
or not a campaign strategy will
be a success.

When do you know you’ve got a hit?

© Copyright WARC 2021. All

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WARC reserved.
All rights reserved.
WARC STRATEGY TOOLKIT: MODULE 6 – BUILDING A CAMPAIGN

Reading 6.3.2: Creative work sessions,

Merry Baskin, WARC Best Practice, 2013

By including your client in the They have since been adopted

creative development process, you elsewhere.
encourage a sense of ownership. • The idea is not to present finished
This breaks down the barriers concepts but to discuss work-in-
between 'us' and 'them' and makes it progress.
more likely that the answer will be
'yes'. Merry Baskin's best practice • It is important clients understand
piece gives hints and tips for the difference between the
running an effective 'creative work strategy, the idea and any
session' between agency and client. executional elements. There are
time and cost implications to the
Key takeaways feedback they give and the
changes they suggest.
• 'Creative work sessions', where
agency and client sit down early
in the creative development
process, have been a feature of
US advertising since the 1980s.
© Copyright WARC 2021. All rights reserved.
WARC STRATEGY TOOLKIT: MODULE 6 – BUILDING A CAMPAIGN

Reading 6.3.3: Breakthrough creativity: a blend of

art and science, Philip Gladman and Andrew Melsom,
Market Leader, 2005

This paper looks at the varying when they work together.

priorities of different stakeholders in Corporate 'bigness' is bad for the
campaign development. It reports creation of advertising and both
on analysis commissioned by sides need to work on bringing
Diageo into how its marketers and science and art together in small,
agencies approach the creation of but effective, teams.
advertising. Client and agency
manifestos proved to be markedly • The attitude of the client can be
different, thus emphasising the key to whether agency personnel
importance of the briefing process, will go 'the extra mile' to crack
co-invention and recognition of a brief.
good ideas in inspiring creativity.
The Leo Burnett John West Salmon TV ad caused
Key takeaways people to stop whatever they were doing when it
• Big agencies and big clients can
appeared on television for the first time.
compound each other's negatives

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WARC STRATEGY TOOLKIT: MODULE 6 – BUILDING A CAMPAIGN

Reading 6.3.4: Creative development research,

Merry Baskin, WARC Best Practice, 2010

The role of creative development

research is to make brands' Key takeaways
communication ideas more
effective. • Have a clear idea of how the
communication is going to work,
There are several areas to consider how audiences are meant to
when embarking upon creative respond or engage, and which
development research: what are integral aspects of the idea are
your expectations from the study? sacred and which are up for
Who is the client? What method is negotiation. This will make for
best? And who are you going to much more constructive and
hire? While many things in media diagnostic debriefs.
and marketing comms have
changed, the key tenets of creative • The internal politics of the agency
development research are as valid and the client–agency
as ever, though some techniques relationship are a consideration.
used in groups have changed.

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WARC STRATEGY TOOLKIT: MODULE 6 – BUILDING A CAMPAIGN

Pre-testing (testing an ad prior to launch) is a controversial topic on the

agency side. But lots of clients rely on pre-testing of one form or another.
Here you will find papers on the pros and cons of pre-testing, some pitfalls
to watch out for, and the growing impact of neuroscience and 'emotional'
measurement on pre-testing techniques.

© Copyright WARC 2021. All rights reserved.

WARC STRATEGY TOOLKIT: MODULE 6 – BUILDING A CAMPAIGN

Video 6.4.1: Using pre-testing

(Video length – 3:22 minutes)

Should we still be using pre-

testing? Here are the views
from three members of the 4As
Strategy Committee. These
planners show enthusiasm for
testing with small-scale
experiments in market, now it’s
‘never been quicker or cheaper
Using pretesting to fail’.

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WARC STRATEGY TOOLKIT: MODULE 6 – BUILDING A CAMPAIGN

Reading 6.4.2: Pre-testing: The agony of choice,

Tim Broadbent, Admap, 1997

What advertisers need is new

Quantitative pre-testing of ads is Key takeaway
widely used by big-spending clients research thinking to break out of
before a campaign is launched. But
it is a controversial subject in
• This paper highlighted the issue
that traditional pre-testing
sterile 50-year-old debates about
creative agencies. metrics such as recall and
persuasion are poor indicators of
advertising in general, and to
This classic paper reviews its history
(from a US and UK perspective), and
an ad's capacity to build a brand
in the long term.
focus on making this ad for this
argues that pre-testing methods are brand for this advertiser in this
simply not nuanced enough to pick
up how an ad will perform. market and at this time better
than it would otherwise be.
Tim Broadbent, 1997

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WARC STRATEGY TOOLKIT: MODULE 6 – BUILDING A CAMPAIGN

Reading 6.4.3: How to use copy testing or pre-testing,

Daren Poole, WARC Best Practice, June 2016

This paper argues that tried and true works in the real world.
copy testing still offers crucial • Effective copy testing relies
guidance if it is done right. The key upon practitioners making good
is to know which levels of testing to decisions in seven key areas –
use and when. The potential for from having a clear brief and
copy testing today is exponentially determining the right materials, to
greater than it has ever been – with a knowing exactly what is relevant
range of automated and self-service to measure and benchmarking
solutions, for example, it is now performance.
possible to test entire campaigns as
opposed to single TV executions.

Key takeaways

• Criticisms of copy testing tend

to claim that it either impedes
creativity or is incapable of
reflecting the way advertising

© Copyright WARC 2021. All rights reserved.

WARC STRATEGY TOOLKIT: MODULE 6 – BUILDING A CAMPAIGN

Reading 6.4.4: Marketing from the heart for growth,

John Kearon, Market Leader, 2017

More intuitive approaches to pre- Key takeaways

testing which capture emotional
response are emerging. For • Building on Binet and Field's work,
example, in this paper behavioural John Kearon argues that long-
agency System1 outlines a pre- term profit requires excess heart
testing methodology which and voice from brands. He
combines measuring the emotional suggests a 'share of voice to
strength of ads and share of voice brand share growth' model as an
to predict long-term growth. It alternative to ROI.
measures emotional response to
advertising, based on the seven • Brands should create a long-
basic emotions everyone expresses running, heartfelt campaign, test
in the same way with their face, and early and often, and commit to a
the intensity of those emotions. 10% ESOV to maximise long-term
brand profitability.

SOURCE: System1Research

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WARC STRATEGY TOOLKIT: MODULE 6 – BUILDING A CAMPAIGN

Reading 6.4.5: The Feldwick Factor: Is creative and

planner intuition a better predictor of effectiveness
than pre-testing?, Paul Feldwick, Admap, 2011

Despite the issues with pre-testing, should involve data (qualitative

there is little consensus over and quantitative), well grounded
alternative methods of pre- theoretical perspectives,
campaign evaluation. But testing is observation, experiment, hunch
required. In this piece, Paul Feldwick and, above all, dialogue and
argues against a reliance on learning.
'intuition’.

Key takeaways

• Dialogue between campaign

stakeholders is crucial. Research
should inform that dialogue,
but not replace it.

• The process of judgement

© Copyright WARC 2021. All rights reserved.

WARC STRATEGY TOOLKIT: MODULE 6 – BUILDING A CAMPAIGN

Reading 6.4.6: How to use neuroscience to improve your

advertising, Heather Andrew, WARC Best Practice, 2018

This article talks about the Key takeaways

application of neuroscience as a
testing method. • Memory encoding is a key
metric because it correlates with
By focusing on the subconscious decision making and purchase
drivers of behaviour, neuroscience intent and, as a result, is a strong
offers a way of understanding the indicator of advertising
link between creative and the effectiveness.
ultimate effectiveness of a
campaign. With biometric or brain- • Understanding brain response on
imaging methods, it can reveal a second-by-second basis helps
details of engagement, emotional in optimising creative executions
response and memory encoding but also in mitigating the potential
that consumers are not consciously effects of conceptual closure,
aware of which but can impact which can lead to poor brand
future actions and decisions. linkage and, ultimately, ineffective
messaging.
WARC STRATEGY TOOLKIT: MODULE 6 – BUILDING A CAMPAIGN

Reading 6.4.7: Applying neuroscience techniques to

improve ad creative, Emily Barley, WARC Exclusive, 2019

This article explains – via six methodologies – EEG, eye-

examples – how neuroscience tracking, facial coding and self-
research tools can be used to report – to pinpoint small Multiple Skin
analyse and improve the moments as potential problems sensors to conductance Expressed Visual focus Voice
effectiveness of TV ads. that can be optimised. measure and heart rate emotions on content of the
motivation, to capture (positive, consumer
Key takeaways • Neuroscience techniques make memory and emotional negative,
it clear where different kinds attention journey neutral)
• Neuroscientific ad research can of brain processing are in
provide granular diagnostics, competition and guide the brand
at the second-by-second level, on how to eliminate that
so you can isolate and identify competition by removing an
differences, which means small element.
changes to copy can have a
really big impact.

• It requires a combination of
SOURCE: Applying neuroscience techniques to improve ad creative, Emily Barley, WARC Exclusive
2019 © Copyright WARC 2021. All rights reserved.
WARC STRATEGY TOOLKIT: MODULE 6 – BUILDING A CAMPAIGN

Communications planning is a discipline in its own right, and consideration of

media and touchpoints is crucial when developing the campaign strategy.
The papers in this section provide a starting point to channel thinking.

© Copyright WARC 2021. All rights reserved.

WARC STRATEGY TOOLKIT: MODULE 6 – BUILDING A CAMPAIGN

Video 6.5.1: Media and the strategic process

(Video length – 5:17 minutes)

When should media thinking

be brought into the strategic
process? In this video, members
of the 4As Strategy Committee
offer their thoughts on the
issue.

Media and the strategic process

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WARC STRATEGY TOOLKIT: MODULE 6 – BUILDING A CAMPAIGN

Reading 6.5.2: WARC Briefing: Channel Planning,

WARC, 2010

The importance of Media planning is, of course, a

collaboration among agencies discipline in itself. But the ever-
growing variety of media options
Key takeaways

to deliver true channel open to advertisers is bringing

media thinking back to the heart of
• A good communications
channel planner will need a deep
planning cannot be creative strategy. Considering
where a message will appear, and
understanding of the role and
applications of all channels,
overestimated. In the channel how a consumer will experience it,
is arguably as important as the
with an ability to understand how
to use data to support channel
planning age, some clients feel message itself. selection.

that they are double paying This briefing paper provides a

history of channel planning, outlines
• Multi-agency teams can find it
difficult to work across disciplines
multiple agencies for aspects the challenges to bringing creative
and media strategy together, and
to aggregate the information,
insight and data required to
of strategy. suggests some further reading on
the subject.
create consistent campaigns and
provide the optimal combinations
of channel choices.
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WARC STRATEGY TOOLKIT: MODULE 6 – BUILDING A CAMPAIGN

Reading 6.5.3: How to develop an effective multichannel

advertising strategy, Sue Elms, WARC Best Practice, 2017

This paper explains how brands • Consider what the media will
can approach channel planning in contribute to engaging and
today’s complex media landscape. reaching the target audience, how
It suggests any strategy should much will need to be spent for it
be centred on the ‘receiving’ to be effective and how the media
consumer, their real media lives, and contributes to the advertising,
advertising receptivity. both in isolation
and in the mix.
Key takeaways
• Strategies need to maintain
• Strategies should consider any clarity around the task and target
media context through which the audience in relation to brand
target audience can be reached growth and be media-neutral in
and find the best route for the opportunity evaluation.
most compelling content.

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WARC STRATEGY TOOLKIT: MODULE 6 – BUILDING A CAMPAIGN

Reading 6.5.4: How do I integrate media most effectively?,

WARC Evidence, 2018

Media integration has become • The favourite model of integration

increasingly important as the media involves orchestration of a big
landscape has become more brand idea that all stakeholders
fragmented. This report advises can buy into and all channel
marketers on how to integrate not experts can activate.
only their paid media but also their
owned and earned media. • Use of complementary media
together, such as mobile and
Key takeaways outdoor or TV and online, leads to
a ‘kicker effect.’
• Despite challenges in achieving
them, multichannel integrated
campaigns are more effective
than single-channel campaigns.

SOURCE: Advertising across Platforms: Conditions for Multimedia Campaigns - A Method

for Determining Optimal Media Investment and Creative Strategies across Platforms,
Jasper Snyder and Manuel Garcia-Garcia, Journal of Advertising Research, Vol. 56, No.4,
© Copyright WARC 2021. All rights reserved.
2016
WARC STRATEGY TOOLKIT: MODULE 6 – BUILDING A CAMPAIGN

Reading 6.5.5: Media Planning Toolkit: Communications

planning, Tony Regan, WARC Best Practice, 2014

Communications planning is a fast- • Communications planners are

moving area. This best practice identifying places and roles for
piece provides a snapshot report new, non-advertising content –
on a changing discipline, listing whether in partnership with media
nine considerations for channel owners or with social platforms,
strategists, flagging issues that by outsourcing production or,
are still relevant today. increasingly, with in-house
creative resources and teams.
Key takeaways

• Linear campaign development

processes are being replaced by
loose structures and fluid, cyclical
processes. When these work well,
they allow for better collaboration
and greater use of data.

© Copyright WARC 2021. All rights reserved.

WARC STRATEGY TOOLKIT: MODULE 6 – BUILDING A CAMPAIGN

Communications planning is a discipline in its own right and consideration of media

and touchpoints is crucial when developing the campaign strategy. The papers in
this section provide a starting point to channel thinking.

© Copyright WARC 2021. All rights reserved.

WARC STRATEGY TOOLKIT: MODULE 6 – BUILDING A CAMPAIGN

Case study 6.1: NHS England: We are the NHS, IPA

Effectiveness Awards, 2020
(AJF Partnership, Australian Effie Awards, 2014)

This nursing recruitment campaign and the nation at large, to top up

for the UK National Health Service, reserves of goodwill and re-ignite
shows how a series of clear pride in a national institution ('we're
objectives were set at the beginning always here, we're always there’).
to retain, return and recruit nurses.
The case study shows how the • The NHS launched an emotive
campaign performed against each broadcast – across TV, cinema,
of its objectives in detail. audio and OOH – featuring real
nurses in real moments.
Whilst ostensibly for nursing
recruitment, the campaign sought to • During the campaign, nurses in
reach the existing, overextended service increased by 14,982 and
workforce, acknowledging their nursing applications increased by
importance ('we're mending lives'); 11%, saving the NHS £246.2
political influencers; to underline the million in freelance costs.
scale of budget challenges ('11
million emergency calls per year');

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WARC STRATEGY TOOLKIT: MODULE 6 – BUILDING A CAMPAIGN

Case study 6.2: Sport England: This Girl Can - Giving

judgement the finger (& inspiring millions of women to
get active), FCB Inferno, IPA Effectiveness Awards, 2018

This case study is the story of how • A clear set of objectives,

a well-defined and insightful brief universal consumer insight and
enabled a government agency to focused strategic thinking were
create a campaign which delivered critical springboards in
mass, sustained behaviour change developing the campaign.
among its target audience. Sport
England wanted to reduce the • However, a succinct manifesto
gender gap, by getting more women was used rather than a traditional
aged 14–40 into sport and keeping creative brief.
them playing. It uncovered the
universal barrier holding women • Over two million women became
back (fear of judgement) and more active as a direct result of
created This Girl Can – a campaign the campaign, with nearly
to celebrate the triumph of attitude 250,000 becoming regularly
over society's judgement. active.

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WARC STRATEGY TOOLKIT: MODULE 6 – BUILDING A CAMPAIGN

Case study 6.3: The AA: Sparkplugs to Singalongs,

MRS Research Awards, 2018

Creative development research instinctive, emotional responses,

played a very important role in this avoid ‘distinction bias’ and
award-winning and commercially acknowledged the participants’
effective case study from British real advertising context.
motoring association the AA.
• This approach was key to the
Research had revealed the need to Singing Baby route flourishing
create an emotional brand-building and gave the team confidence to
campaign and uncovered the walk away from hardwired
direction of focusing on the feeling category conventions.
members would get when their cars
were fixed, instead of focusing on • The AA's campaign over-
fixing cars. This required a research delivered on every measure,
approach that would allow emotion reversing the decline in
to thrive as they took three creative membership and market share,
routes to qualitative research. and putting the brand into
• Research was designed to elicit revenue growth.

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WARC STRATEGY TOOLKIT: MODULE 6 – BUILDING A CAMPAIGN

Case study 6.4: Tourism Australia – Dundee:

The Son Of A Legend Returns Home, Droga 5, Cannes
Creative Effectiveness Lions, 2019

This case study is an example

of multichannel planning and • Social conversations and PR
integration. Tourism Australia used coverage made it the most-
paid, owned and earned channels discussed brand prior to the
equally in a campaign that delivered game, and it became the most
a very strong ROI. It created a spoof viewed, searched and shared
Hollywood-style promotional campaign of Super Bowl 2018.
campaign for a new Crocodile
Dundee film. While the official movie • Post-game, people who had
trailer aired during the Super Bowl, it interacted with the content were
was surrounded by carefully- programmatically retargeted with
orchestrated digital and social conversion assets tailored to
content before and after the game. their interests, significantly
driving intermediate metrics
and bookings.

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WARC STRATEGY TOOLKIT: MODULE 6 – BUILDING A CAMPAIGN

Case study 6.5: Passat Alltrack 4Motion: The No Show

Room, PHD Media and Nord DDB, WARC Media Awards,
2020

In this untraditional campaign, smart • The hunt was launched via TV and
media thinking was an integral part clues to the car's location were
of the creative process. Car placed in areas such as search
manufacturer Volkswagen used a ads, OOH, Google Business page
multichannel campaign based on a recession, YouTube and print,
scavenger hunt to grow for a three-week duration.
consideration and sales of its winter
range of cars and, in particular, its • Campaign awareness was raised
Passat Alltrack model in Sweden. as the target group was looking
In recognition of the fact that its actively for all assets in the media
target audience enjoyed a mix campaign.
challenge, VW created a multimedia
'scavenger hunt' with a Passat • The campaign led to increases in
Alltrack placed in a remote VW's preference, engagement
location as its prize. and brand consideration scores.

© Copyright WARC 2021. All rights reserved.

WARC STRATEGY TOOLKIT: MODULE 6 – BUILDING A CAMPAIGN

Advice on embedding the ideas in this section into your everyday role.
When setting Briefs for creative Pre-testing is a Media thinking is now
objectives, teams should be controversial topic, an integral part of
it is important to start concise, clear, but some testing is campaign
with realistic business consistent and usually needed. It is development.
objectives, then to creative. They should worth understanding Communication
work out what you be clear about the emerging methods of planning may result
need people to think, desired end result of pre-testing which in opportunities for
feel and do to deliver communications, but may offer an non-advertising
those results. not list too many alternative. content.
Remember it is rare objectives or be too
for brands to make prescriptive about
big gains in market how a campaign
share or penetration. might achieve its
results.
WARC STRATEGY TOOLKIT: MODULE 6 – BUILDING A CAMPAIGN

Review your approach ensure the testing matches the

Consider what extra steps your objectives set for the campaign?
department can take to improve the • Do you agree with criticisms
briefing process and to encourage of pre-testing? Is it better or
creative and effective work. worse than relying on intuition?

Review your organisation’s • What is the strategist's role in this

policy on pre-testing of process, and how should
communications concepts. Does it a strategist respond to a poor
use qual or quant techniques? What test result?
Test the thinking is the thinking behind it – is it about
Review five recent award-winning ads. protocol, control, consistency, or If you are doing this section as part
Identify and examine what you think philosophy/ of a group, present your slides to
the brief behind them might have belief system? each other and debate the question.
been.
How would you defend or champion
Based on the award-winning this policy to a sceptical creative
campaigns, develop a set of criteria director?
you would use to judge creative work. How would you challenge it?
What questions should you ask when
work is presented to you? Compare Develop your point-of-view
your questions with those proposed Develop a short slide deck
by Merry Baskin crystallising your thinking on the
following statement: "Too much
testing kills creativity".
Use the following questions
to guide you:

• What is the purpose of testing

creative work? How can you
WARC STRATEGY TOOLKIT

Evaluating success The role of the strategist Consumer behaviour

How marketing works Analysing the brand Generating insight

WARC STRATEGY TOOLKIT

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