One thing I always look for in advertising is creativity and memorability. Over the summer, Time Out Shanghai ran a campaign that caught my eye. The campaign was called “The Stolen Phone Tour” and with the help of ad agency Energy BBDO Shanghai, they were able to create a fun and memorable campaign.
The Stolen Phone Tour
The campaign was simple and creative. They “lost” Time Out Shanghai‘s cell phone around busy spots in Shanghai and waited until some one “pinched” it. When they had a live participant, they texted “Are you stealing our phone?”…
…and then “Get in the London cab that just pulled up.” The participant was then taken on a wild ride throughout Shanghai. They visited amazing, but little known, places all around the city showcasing Time Out‘s knowledge of old and new Shanghai.
Stops included:
- Stop 1: A vintage film collector who shows movies in the back room of a local store
- Stop 2: UltraViolet, an unmarked restaurant where each course is served with customized wall projections, scents and soundtracks;
- Stop 3: The Peace Hotel Jazz Bar, where jazz music first came to Communist China, and where the same band (now in their 80’s) still play weekly
- Stop 4: Shouning Lu, a street food market favored by locals
- Stop 5: A private table at Bar Rouge, one of Shanghai’s most exclusive nightclubs along the Bund.
The video shows a group of people enjoy the ride and wanting to know more about Time Out Shanghai. This was a great concept that allowed Time Out to interact with potential readers on a personal level and create a memorable word of mouth campaign.
Would you tell your friends about this wild ride if it happened to you?
