Hemingway Status Hijacker

Background

Membership of the Ernest Hemingway Foundation of Oak Park had fallen off, particularly among young people. Sadly, the name “Ernest Hemingway” no longer held the same clout for young people, who were unaware of Hemingway’s literary genius, as well as his notorious adventures. The Foundation needed a way to refresh interest and garner attention for one of history’s greatest writers within a target audience that lacked awareness and interest.

Idea

To reach a younger audience, Ogilvy Chicago went straight to the one source where this audience was already engaging – social media. Creating the Hemingway Status Hijacker, this Facebook app “hijacked” people’s timelines for 24 hours, replacing their usual boring posts with Hemingway’s adventures, which were automatically posted on their walls throughout the day as status updates, photos, and check-ins.

The app made it appear as if they were hanging out with one of history’s most iconic adventurers – whether it was bull fighting in Pamplona or shark hunting in Cuba. The app encouraged Facebook users to live vicariously through Hemingway and, in the process, learn about his story in a modern, fun, and surprising way.

Microsite: http://hemingwayhijacker.com/ 

Results

In just one week, the likes on the Hemingway Foundation Facebook page increased by 45%, with the largest increase between the aged 25-34 demographic. Total reach for the Foundation for one week increased by 7200%, with the largest increase between the aged 25-34 demographic. The first week averaged more than 2300 daily posts, with over 6000 posts made in that week. The Hijacker received numerous press mentions from a wide range of industries, from literary to the business world, and awareness increased beyond all expectations. 

Our Thoughts

Of all the Facebook ‘takeovers’, the one which made the most impression on me was Polish agency San Marko, who created profiles for two young Poles, whose experiences in the Warsaw Rising were lived out in real time seventy years later.

It was brilliant. Now this is similar, but different in that it made us laugh out loud at Directory.

The art of online communications is finding the right time and the right place for people to notice you. What is good about this is the sense of surprise you would experience, as a fairly dull friend’s day became startlingly interesting. But also the fact that it unfolds in real time across a 24-hour day.

I try to explain to marketers that traditional advertising exists in a vacuum. When you watch a commercial, within itself it is attached to no particular time. The best online communications exists in the immediate present. It is happening NOW and prompts the response, ‘Is this for real?’ in a way a TV spot simply cannot.