On November 27th, the 180,000 Instagram followers of @DailyHiveVancouver noticed something strange. The massively popular Instagram account for the local media publisher had been wiped clear of all content.
Fans reacted immediately. Calls and emails flooded in. Many worried that the account had been hacked or that the popular feed, known for its stunning Vancouver-centric lifestyle photography, had been wiped for good.
Total Instagram Blackout
A few hours after the initial activation, the motive was revealed. Six new posts appeared announcing a partnership between Daily Hive Vancouver and Nude Vodka Soda. To celebrate the launch of their most recent flavour, Nude was hosting a contest with a pretty luxurious prize: an all-expenses-paid trip to Whistler for four, including limo, hotel, dinner, spa trip and, naturally, a solid supply of Nude soda. Entrants merely had to tag the three friends they’d want to travel with.
Call us content geeks (we won’t be offended!), but we found a total Instagram blackout even more interesting than the prospect of a weekend away at BC’s most famous slopes.
Taking advantage of Instagram’s new archive feature, Daily Hive was able to temporarily hide all of their existing content to showcase their sponsored partnership and contest with Nude. Archiving images is an easily reversible way to totally disrupt your audience’s visual routine while scrolling through the feed. By allowing a brand the chance to be the only content visible on a digital platform, the publisher was able to entice consumers in a more focused way. It’s a bold statement, and one that certainly got a lot of attention.
The massively popular Instagram account for the local media publisher had been wiped clear of all content.
We immediately reached out to the creatives behind the blackout to learn more about what inspired the partnership, and how the chips all fell after Daily Hive’s content returned to its regular programming. Speaking to Alex Harvey, co-founder and managing director of Colony Digital, the in-house creative division of Daily Hive, we got a glimpse into how they pulled off the activation.
Nude Vodka Soda had approached the team at Colony for their marketing needs, knowing they wanted to do something that hadn’t been done before. They got what they hoped for with an Instagram blackout.
“It was almost a no-brainer in terms of marketing and the incredible impact we knew this kind of activation could have, in how it could disrupt the status quo of advertising,” said Harvey.
“In an agile space such as digital, it could be seen as pretty surprising that something as simple as disrupting a social media profile could cause so much stress and concern in the market. But it also revealed the attention and degree of connection followers have with Daily Hive through social media – and the responsibility we took on to deliver something great that provided their fans with real value.”
Behind the Partnership
A young Vancouver-based startup, Nude launched this year and set a new standard within the alcohol industry: an entirely sugar and sweetener-free alcoholic beverage with only 100 calories per can. Using triple distilled vodka, sparkling water and all-natural fruit extracts, Nude positions itself as a healthier, more natural product.
Daily Hive Vancouver’s audience is, like the majority young Vancouverites, focused on healthy living by day, and dining and exciting nightlife when the sun goes down. Their similar audiences made Nude and Daily Hive a perfect pair; this is incredibly important when a brand selects a media publisher for sponsored content but even more so with something as significant as a total advertising blackout.
The activation was commented on 5,704 times and garnered 8,456 likes.
“We had to ensure that Daily Hive’s own brand was honoured. They take extreme care in serving their social media followers with valuable content,” said Harvey. “In the end, we delivered something that worked for not just Nude Soda, but also for Daily Hive’s audience. It was entertaining, interesting – and the social media engagement that resulted was proof of that in both cases.”
With a 2.5% engagement rate, the response was benchmark-blowing compared to typical sponsored Instagram posts. The activation was commented on 5,704 times and garnered 8,456 likes. At the end of the campaign, Nude’s Instagram account had earned 2,500 new followers.
Nude Vodka had a vision of where they wanted to be, and we at Colony Digital helped accelerate the process, making Nude Vodka Soda #1 in the Canadian cooler category,” said Harvey.
What’s Next?
Sponsored content pushes your brand’s story in front of an existing audience in a relevant, engaging way. A social media blackout pushes the limits of what we typically consider sponsored content, but it certainly tells a story.
“The idea inspired us to reframe how we think about our Instagram advertising placements, and in this way, show that we stand behind the brands we help promote on the platform,” said Philippe Maurer, Head of Digital Strategy and Product at Daily Hive.
As for future Instagram partnerships with Daily Hive or other publishers, Harvey is quick to note that in order for these campaigns to be impactful, they have to be rare. “Think of it as a lightning strike in the middle of the night – much more effective and enticing than a redundant strobe light.”
(This article was originally published in our magazine – The Science of Storytelling Issue 3: Financial Services)
