Everyone’s a Meteorologist
The Weather Channel
Issue 32 | September 2014
Agency
BBDO New York
Creative Team
Chief Creative Officers David Lubars Greg Hahn Executive Creative Director Tom Markham Creative Directors Peter Albores Hunter Fine Art Director Courtney Inge Copywriters Lucas Owens Rich Fiset Director of Integrated Production David Rolfe Senior Integrated Producers Katie Krueger Neely Lisk
Production Team
Production Company Caviar Content
Other Credits
Account Team Francine Li Jordan Kyle
Date
April 2014
Background
When The Weather Channel launched their new app, they wanted to break into the coveted list of Top 10 apps in the world. And without a media budget, they had to be unconventional.
Idea
To demonstrate the complete and in-depth weather information now available in The Weather Channel's new app, an experience was created that proved the new app could turn
anyone into a meteorologist. Using the app as a teleprompter, participants were able to forecast the current and future weather data, radar, airport conditions and weather related news. After recording their newscast video, participants were able to view and share it on their social media outlets.
Results
As a consequence of the buzz that was generated, the Weather Channel took just five days to become one of the Top 10 iOS apps in the world.
Our Thoughts
If you have ever wondered about the power of social media, this campaign gives you a good idea of it. A bunch of people were invited to step off the street into a video box and try their hands at being weather forecasters. Then they did the rest. They uploaded their videos, told their friends, shared what they could and within a week the app had been downloaded hundreds of thousands of times. No celebrity endorsement, no big idea ad no gargantuan budget.
For me, further proof that BBDO New York is one of the most leading-edge agencies in the world, constantly experimenting with new ways to crack communications problems.