I.N.O.X. kick-off event in New York
Enigma the communication agency was approached by a famous Swiss brand to organize the kick-off event of one of its innovative products: the I.N.O.X. watch.
Ambition
For the launch of I.N.O.X. – a new Victorinox watch designed to celebrate the 130th anniversary of the brand – the ambition was to create a kick-off event based on brand storytelling.
The purpose was to move from product-oriented to brand-oriented communications. It was the perfect occasion for Enigma to increase the awareness around Victorinox watches in an innovative way.
Several steps needed to be taken before the kick-off event took place. First, the presentation of the new watch to the trade press at Baselworld 2014; followed up with an awareness strategy campaign, and then establish an emotional relationship with the I.N.O.X. watch.
Action
Victorinox recently entered a partnership with the most famous fire-fighting brigade in the world, the Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY).
The kick-off event
Enigma organized an event in New York City to unveil the I.N.O.X. watch to the general public. Bloggers were invited to discover the incredible resistance of the watch that passed 130 tests. In order to link the event with the company’s history, the set emphasized the partnership between Victorinox and the FDNY. The exclusive venue, SIR Stage 37 in New York Hell’s Kitchen, was transformed into a fire station, where ice, shock and truck resistance tests were conducted. The selected bloggers are influential in the menswear and luxury categories; they actively blog on social networks such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and contribute to publicizing what’s hot. The atmosphere of the event was specially created to highlight the extraordinary strength of the watch, which could be seen as a symbol of the brand.
The goal was to build a community of bloggers that creates buzz around the new watch and spreads word-of-mouth about Victorinox – an exemplary Swiss brand with global success. More than 2,000 influential bloggers were short-listed and invited to the event. Tickets were sold out within days, demand vastly surpassing supply.
Tests and storytelling
I.N.O.X. has passed several tests, such as water and heat resistance tests. More than just talk about resistance, we wanted to tell a story. The watch was boiled in a clear kettle, so that people could always see the watch.
To test shock resistance, we put the watch in a washing machine during the event. The test was thus connected to daily objects and was easier to describe, without being too technical. Another impressive test had the FDNY fire engine roll over the watch. The FDNY carries a strong reputation that generates lots of conversation. This test was more than just a simple pressure resistance test. It was telling the FDNY’s story, showing the partnership between the FDNY and Victorinox and their shared values (such as respect and courage).
Results
More than 250 of the most influential bloggers in the US attended the event, cumulating more than 29 million readers every month, 2.2 million Facebook fans and 1.2 million followers on Twitter.
Many tests were successfully conducted on the watch during the event.
You might be interested in how to use Storytelling in Presentations!
It’s Monday morning, and your colleague Jim is presenting a new project. Great. Oh no wait, he is taking out his laptop, plugging in an HDMI cable, and now he is ready to put all of you to sleep. Jim just destroyed an interesting topic with another boring Powerpoint. Just as he gets to slide 404, you fall asleep and start dreaming. What if there was something to get this situation less boring? Enter our new superhero: storytelling.
