SW Network sends Tide & Comedy Central campaigns to Cannes Lions 2024

SW Network has submitted two campaigns for Cannes Lions 2024, one for Tide which was the topical campaign for Holi and the other was for Comedy Central by the name of Happier Twogether. These campaigns aim to bring people together through innovation for topical events. 

Tide vs. Holi Stains

The Tide Holi campaign was strategically crafted for the Indian market, timed to coincide with the Holi festival. During Holi, people participate in outdoor gatherings, throwing colours at each other, resulting in their clothes being covered in the colourful stains of the festivities.

The brief shared with the agency said: To create a visually impactful and culturally relevant outdoor advertisement showcasing Tide's stain-removal power so that people know that their Holi-stained clothes can be reused.

This campaign was conceived to leverage Tide's stain removal efficacy in a contextually relevant manner. The post-Holi celebration challenge of dealing with stubborn clothing stains aligns perfectly with Tide's core offering. These stubborn stains cause people to throw away their Holi clothes resulting in thousands of tonnes of waste reaching the landfills. Indians would throw them away because they didn't believe that these Holi stains could be cleaned again to be reused.

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To make people believe that these stained Holi clothes could be cleaned, the agency collected them from people, washed them with Tide, and put them on the billboard for the world to see. This helped establish a personal connection with consumers, addressing a common pain point during this festive period.

Raghav Bagai, Co-founder, SW Network says, “The timing was crucial, capitalizing on heightened consumer engagement and brand visibility during the festive season. Doing an innovative billboard also cemented brand love for Tide over the competitors.”

Overall, the Tide Holi campaign was purposefully created to leverage the cultural significance of Holi, address specific consumer needs, and align with market conditions centered on sustainability and cultural resonance. By integrating these elements thoughtfully, the campaign ensures relevance and impact within the dynamic Indian cultural landscape.

The campaign will compete in Cannes Lion - Outdoor under the Social Behaviour & Cultural Insight category for the Culture & Context section.

The campaign garnered a reach of more than five million with over 151 thousand in engagement. The billboard received organic mentions from 100+ media houses and was shared by Indian celebrities and applauded across mediums, driving over 1.4 million in earned media.

The brand observed 98% positive sentiments and saw an increased brand love over its immediate competition. After the campaign, a survey revealed that people were more open to reusing their clothes.

Comedy Central - Happier Twogether

The campaign conceptualised and executed by the agency was tailor-made for Valentine's Day and launched on February 13, 2024. The aim was to bring couples closer with an innovative film format. 

It unfolds across two smartphones, requiring them to be stacked together to complete the film. The rom-com is about a guy on the fourth floor and a girl on the third floor, played out on dual screens that appear seamlessly connected when stacked.

Comedy Central's unique approach transforms smartphone screens from distractions into instruments of shared joy. By encouraging couples to stack their phones, the agency aimed to encourage real connections and shared experiences.

Bagai shared, “SW Network shot the film with a special dual-cinematography technique, ensuring that the narrative seamlessly unfolds across two screens and appears cohesive when the phones are stacked.”

To enhance the viewing experience, it implemented split sound engineering, enabling music and dialogue to disperse from each phone without distortion. To address potential timing discrepancies when syncing videos, it incorporated an NFC feature that automatically aligns audio-visual playback when activated. This ensured the film played simultaneously, without any interruptions. 

The campaign will compete in Cannes Lion - Films under the Online & Viral Film category for the Innovation in Film section.

The campaign’s brief aimed to rekindle meaningful connections between couples through a unique and innovative approach. By leveraging technology creatively, Comedy Central not only promotes its brand but also underscores the importance of using devices to enhance, rather than replace, human connections.”

This resonated deeply with the audience resulting in, over one million lovebirds coming together, more than 50 million in reach and around a million in engagement.

On the use of technology and the future of advertising, Bagai mentions, “Creativity knows no boundaries, sky isn’t the limit, and it goes even beyond that. From drone shows to taking over skyscrapers to limitless possibilities with CGI, we are seeing innovation in new forms and formats every day.”

Bagai adds, “We are happy to ride this wave of creativity and continue to push ourselves and achieve beyond what is possible today. Indian brands and agencies are doing exemplary work and the world is taking notice.”