Like it or hate it, creative ads
like Progressive's long running campaign featuring fictional character Flo have
definitely stood out against countless boring ads that simply do not spark
interest among viewers. This marketing strategy
has been successfully used by several other companies including Kellogg's with
the Snap, Crackle, and Pop gnomes; the Geico gecko, and recently Iceland. Yes, the tiny country has become more than an
island. Clever marketers working with
the Icelandic Tourist Bureau helped give the island a personality and voice on
the internet or the "inter-nets" as the quirky country calls it. Iceland "speaks" in first person
via several social media sites as part of the campaign called "Iceland
wants to be your friend". According
to members of the Bureau "The big idea behind Iceland Wants to Be Your
Friend is that Iceland — a remote island in the middle of the Atlantic,
millions of years old, home to many humans, mountains, waterfalls and sheep —
has somehow discovered 'The Inter-nets' and how to use 'them' to talk to
people". Marketers have carefully
crafted the voice and personality of the island post by post and page by page
online. As one would expect from a very
old island out in the middle of the ocean, Iceland talks in a funny way and
does not always understand its human friends. Somehow, it manages to have a
presence on multiple sites including Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, Vimeo, Flickr,
Fourquare, and its blog.
Iceland does not just post interesting
updates on Facebook and Twitter. Much
more work has gone into paying attention to every detail and adding a subtle
but gratifying touch in countless places among their numerous sites that serve
to create a friendly online environment and engage viewers. Users are rewarded for exploring content on
the sites in clever ways that make the campaign even more interesting and
endearing while allowing users to have more personal interactions within the
campaign. Marketers have figured out a
way to make this campaign not only unlike the annoying, obtrusive ads we are so
used to, they have turned it into something that is fun to interact with. Users, drawn by the friendliness of the
campaign, will monitor updates from the island on their own just for fun.
Several pieces of this campaign work
together harmoniously to bring to life the remote island and create a
successful campaign. When users first
access the website, the island introduces itself in such a friendly and cordial
message that they feel obliged to read on.
This message is present on all of its sites as any good friendship
should begin with a friendly introduction. 
While Iceland's own status updates
are a very important part of its activity, it actually puts much more effort
into monitoring and replying to the roughly 40 to 70 items that its fans post
on its wall weekly. This participation
not only further engages users but also builds loyalty by demonstrating that
the "island" is cares about its fans, their thoughts, and activities
related to Iceland.
Just as much care is put into more
subtle elements of the project that are designed to reward interested
viewers. Campaign managers say that Iceland Wants to Be Your Friend is
unique in that it "relies on the element of surprise and hopefully even a
little joy for users whose curiosity is piqued enough for them to start digging
around in what seems to be a very simple concept, only to find that it's full
of nice surprises". For the brave
souls interested in the source code for the project's website, for example, a
cute message from Iceland is embedded in the long list of dull code. Unlike other promotions and ads, this
campaign is meant to be experienced through as "a series of individually
tailored personal interactions".
It's elements of humor, surprise, personality, and joy make this a trend
setting campaign that many other brands can learn from and regular users like
us can enjoy.
http://www.takktakk.com/presents/icelandwantstobeyourfriend/
http://www.marketingweek.co.uk/brand-characters-can-bring-home-the-bacon/3020330.article
-Ashlen McWhorter
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