Samsung remaps The Matrix

How to “wow” jaded electronics consumers? This year, Samsung Electronics took the top Reggie award from the Promotion Marketing Association for a campaign that combined product placement and other tactics that leveraged a tie-in with the action blockbuster The Matrix: Reloaded.

The film trilogy has cultivated an ultracool image that is enhanced by its very limited use of promotional partners. At the same time, Samsung’s DigitAll Matrix campaign was the manufacturer’s first global promotion/ad campaign linked to a big Hollywood film. The match worked thanks to the intersection of technology with style — traits shared by the film and the manufacturer.

Samsung created a Matrix-themed wireless telephone used by the lead characters (with prominent logo exposure). The custom phone is also used in the Enter the Matrix video game.

Samsung’s TV spots mirrored the look of the movie, and borrowed talent from the film. Assistant director James McTeigue shot the TV spots, and featured five different products. Campaigns in global markets included media, online banner ads, FSIs; links to Samsung’s online microsite, in-store displays, banners and signage, wireless marketing tie-ins (Samsung Fun Club), p.r. and guerrilla marketing. Marketing materials were created in 30-plus languages; global media/promotional spending reached $100 million.

Super Reggie Winner

Samsung Electronics DigitAll Matrix
Client: Samsung
Agency: Norm Marshall & Associates
Promotion Partners: Cheil
Communications, FCB

Winners by category

National Consumer Promotion
(Budget: $5,000,000-plus)

Gold: AT&T Wireless American Idol
Client: AT&T Wireless
Agency: Einson Freeman
Partner: OgilvyOne

Silver: Pods Unite
Client: Volkswagen of America, Inc.
Agency: Arnold Brand Promotions
Partner: Apple

Bronze: Pepsi Play For A Billion
Client: Pepsi-Cola
Agency: Tracy Locke Partnership

Bronze: Rugrats Go Wild Movie
Client: Nickelodeon; Agency: In-house
Partners: Burger King, Blockbuster, Quaker Oats, Kid Cuisine, Embassy Suites, Skippy Peanut Butter

Honorable Mention: Pure Luck! Get Spotted Drinking Aquafina & Win!
Client: Pepsi-Cola
Agency: Tracy Locke/Euro RSCG Impact
Partner: The WB Network

National Consumer Promotion
(Budget: $1,000,000 to $5,000,000)

Gold: The AXE House Party
Client: Unilever AXE
Agency: GMR Marketing
Partners: Edelman Worldwide, BBH
Advertising, Mindshare

Silver: Marshmallow Peeps Celebration Tour 2003
Client: Just Born, Inc.
Agency: Marketing Werks, Inc.
Partners: ePR, Kaleidoscope Marketing
Group, Prototype Source

Bronze: Angels In Action
Client: Georgia Pacific’s Angel Soft
Agency: DVC Worldwide

Honorable Mention: All My Children’s Search for the Sexiest Man In America
Client: ABC Daytime; Agency: ABC Integrated Marketing & Promotion

Honorable Mention: Ice Java Launch
Client: Nestlé USA
Agency: Publicis Dialog
Partner: Makai Events

National Consumer Promotion
(Budget: under $1,000,000)

Gold: Hungry-Man’s King Sized Adventure
Client: Pinnacle Foods Corp.
Agency: Kobin Enteprises, Ltd.
Partner: Sony Pictures Television

Gold: Ruffles “Would You Name Your Baby Horton?” Search
Client: Frito-Lay
Agency: Marketing Resources, Inc. and Ketchum Entertainment Marketing

Bronze: Clean Getaway
Client: Court TV; Agency: In-house
Partner: Loews

Honorable Mention: Heineken “Hoax”
Client: Heineken USA
Agency: Modem Media

Honorable Mention: The New Face of Oxy
Client: Glaxo Smith Kline
Agency: DVC Worldwide

Local, Regional or Target Market Promotion (Budget over $1,000,000)

Gold: Phaeton Test Drives at W Hotels
Client: Volkswagen of America, Inc.
Agency: Arnold Brand Promotions
Partner: W Hotels

Silver: VERB. It’s What You Do
Client: Centers for Disease Control & Prevention
Agency: Frankel
Partner: Publicis Dialog, Saatchi & Saatchi, A Partnership, G&G Advertising, Garcia 360, PFI Marketing

Bronze: AMD Area-64 Promotion
Client: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
Agency: Momentum North America

Honorable Mention: Be A Prom Star
Client: Gingiss Formalwear
Agency: Frankel

Honorable Mention: song in the city
Client: Song
Agency: LIME Public Relations + Promotion

Local, Regional or Target Market Promotion (Budget under $1,000,000)

Gold: HSBC BankCab
Client: HSBC Bank USA
Agency: Renegade Marketing Group
Partner: M Booth & Associates

Silver: Vertical Fashion Show
Client: Marshall Fields
Agency: GMR Marketing

Bronze: Reel Moms
Client: Loews Cineplex Entertainment
Agency: Ad Store, D.L. Blackman, Allied Advertising
Partners: Urbanbaby.com, Child Magazine

Honorable Mention: Wrigley Field Talking Billboard
Client: Miller Brewing Company
Agency: Zipatoni

Honorable Mention: Sandman Holiday
Client: The Gambrinus Co.
Agency: The Richards Group
Partners: Creative Link, Procermex

Multi-Partner Promotion

Gold: Clean Getaway
Client: Court TV; Agency: In-house
Partner: Loews

Silver: SI’s Fresh Faces Model Search
Client: Sports Illustrated; Agency: In-house Promotion Partners: Nissan, Nautica, W Hotels, NEXT Model Management, AVP

Bronze: Galyan’s 4 Adventure Tour Presented by Subaru
Client: Galyan’s and Suburu of America
Agency: International Outdoor Group
Partners: Bushnell, Cascade Design, Gatorade, Johnson Outdoor, Jansport, Marmot, Motorola, Merrell, Princeton Tec, Salomon, Smith, Suunto, The North Face, Thales Navigation, Thorlos, Watermark and W.L. Gore

Honorable Mention: song in the city
Client: Song
Agency: LIME Public Relations + Promotion

Honorable Mention: MI-5 Spies and Lies
Client: A&E Network
Agency: Civic Entertainment Group

Business-to-Business Promotion

Gold: The Program Exchange Delivers
Client: The Program Exchange
Agency: B.R. Zoom

Silver: HTH Hardware Loyalty Program
Client: Arch Chemicals
Agency: Harwood Marketing Group

Bronze: Oxygen’s “It’s All About Isaac”
Client: Oxygen
Agency: The GEM Group

Honorable Mention: Scratch The Surface, Start The Buzz: The Fuse Upfront
Client: Fuse; Agency: In-house
Partners: Anatomy Media, C2 Creative, Heavy, Inc., Psyop, Inc.

Honorable Mention: The Investigation Channel Challenge
Client: Court TV; Agency: In-house
Partner: The Michael Alan Group

Multicultural/Ethnic Promotion

Gold: Pepsi Black History Month Program
Client: Pepsi-Cola
Agency: Tracy Locke Partnership

Silver: Awareness Is Love
Client: Procter & Gamble
Agency: PowerPact

Bronze: Dora’s Search for the City of Lost Toys
Client: Nickelodeon; Agency: In-house
Partners: Clear Channel Entertainment, Crest, Teddy Grahams, Pampers, Bounty, Mervyns, Chuck E Cheese

Honorable Mention: Tecate Long Beach Grand Prix
Client: Labatt USA
Agency: DVC Worldwide

Honorable Mention: ElectricMOYO
Client: Nissan North America
Agency: True Agency
Partner: GTM…It Means A Lot

International/Global Promotion

Gold: Samsung Electronics Digitall Matrix
Client: Samsung
Agency: Norm Marshall & Associates
Partners: Scheil Communications, FCB

Silver: PEDIGREE Paws to Recognize
Client: Masterfoods
Agency: Ryan Partnership

Bronze: Heineken’s “Get Connected”
Client: Heineken International
Agency: Norm Marshall & Associates
Partners: Ryan Partnership, Publicis

Honorable Mention: Name Your Plane
Client: Boeing Commercial Airplane
Agency: Seismicom

Honorable Mention: Football “OK Corral”
Client: Pepsi Co International — Beverages
Agency: Tracy Locke Partnership
Partner: BBDO

New Media Promotion

Gold: The Axe House Party (see above)
Client: Unilever AXE
Agency: GMR Marketing
Partners: Edelman WW, BBH, Mindshare

Silver: AMD Area-64 Promotion
Client: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
Agency: Momentum North America

Bronze: The Investigation Channel Challenge
Client: Court TV; Agency: In-house
Partner: The Michael Alan Group

Honorable Mention: Subwaykids.com
Client: Subway Restaurants
Agency: b. little & co.
Partner: Launchbox, Kids’ WB, Cartoon Network

Honorable Mention: Morning Numbers
Client: Asahi Soft Drinks Co, Ltd.
Agency: Dentsu, Inc.

Cause/Community Outreach Promotion

Gold: Dr. Seuss’ The Cat in the Hat Challenge
Client: First Book; Agency: In-house

Silver: Teacherpalooza
Client: Washington Mutual
Agency: OPTS Events
Partners: Sedgewick Road, Tajima Creative

Bronze: Designer SquarePants
Client: Nickelodeon
Agency: In-house

Honorable Mention: Forensics In The Classroom
Client: Court TV; Agency: In-house
Promotion Partners: Topics Education Group, AAFS, NSTA

Honorable Mention: “Dying For A Smoke?”
Client: The Illinois Dept. of Public Health
Agency: UPSHOT Marketing
Partner: Golin Harris

Event Marketing

Gold: song in the city
Client: Song
Agency: LIME Public Relations + Promotion

Silver: Vertical Fashion Show
Client: Marshall Fields
Agency: GMR Marketing

Bronze: Let’s Just Play
Client: Nickelodeon; Agency: In-house

Honorable Mention: LEGO “What Will You Make?” Tour 2003
Client: LEGO Systems, Inc.
Agency: Marketing Werks, Inc.
Partners: Ruder Finn, Switzer PR

Honorable Mention: Concert for Schools
Client: AOL
Agency: Momentum North America
Partners: Infinity Radio, The New York Post, Civic Entertainment Group, Event Resources New York, Freud Communications, Interpublic Sports and Entertainment Group, PMK

Account-Specific Promotion

Gold: Fisher-Price Stars on Broadway
Client: Fisher-Price
Agency: Eric Mower & Associates
Partner: Toys ‘R’ Us

Silver: PEDIGREE Paws to Recognize
Client: Masterfoods
Agency: Ryan Partnership

Bronze: Linda LoCal: Diet Detective
Client: Court TV; Agency: In-house
Partner: Kellogg’s Special K

Honorable Mention: Sara Lee’s Perfect Fit Tour
Client: Sara Lee Branded Apparrel
Agency: The Guild Group

Honorable Mention: Wal-Mart’s Dove Month
Client: Unilever HPC
Agency: Marketing Drive Worldwide