Some planning at work: this time a new brand spot for Jämtkraft, a Swedish energy company.
Background
Jämtkraft is different to other energy companies. The people that work there are actually really nice people, not greedy men in suits. The company gives a lot back to the local communities such as building arenas and sponsoring many different local sports teams. In customer satisfaction ratings (NKI), Jämtkraft scores higher than any power company in Sweden.
Jämtkraft is currently the fifth largest player in the Swedish energy market. For a long time it has been focused on its local market, but the time has come to grow nationally. This is the first national brand awareness campaign.
Insights
1. People switch energy supplier based either on price or brand familiarity. Prices are impossible to guarantee because these are determined by spot-prices. Brand is therefore the only thing will set a power company apart.
2. The world of big energy companies is a masculine world – mostly concerned about grand visions and future technology. But ordinary people care more their family than these things.
Strategy
1. Be the small power company that’s more human.
2. Appeal to both men and women, not just men.
Concept
Give people something important to think about: how electricity affect our lives.
Thought
The most important energy comes from people, not an electrical cord.
Short versions of the ad: 1, 2.
Client: Jämtkraft
Campaign: Sverigekampanjen
Agency: Jung von Matt Stockholm
Production company: Flodellfilm
March 2nd, 2009 at 17:16
I really like it, it applies to the product, but not in a stereotypical way. However, couldn’t Jämtkraft be associated with power blackouts, rather than a solid supplier of electricity?
Come on, this thought must have come up!
March 2nd, 2009 at 20:34
I know what you mean, but I don’t think there’s a risk that people will decode it that way. The advertiser is a power company. The power shortage thus becomes a contradiction. At least in theory.
March 3rd, 2009 at 20:35
Leon: I decoded it that way when I saw it on TV (and I am not stupid.)
March 9th, 2009 at 07:28
The storytelling is awfully insightful yet very true and thus mindful. I agree that people could decode the message incorrectly, but when “ordinary” people read or in this case watch ads, I don’t think they analyse them as in-depthly as we [ad-people] do. Great execution; it made me smile and realise that I spend to much time commenting on blogs and too little appreciating my friends company.
March 9th, 2009 at 09:55
It’s ok if you comment on my blog instead of hanging out with your friends…
You have a good point in that normal people and ad-people see ads differently – something that’s often forgotten in our line of business.
April 23rd, 2009 at 18:05
bravo! i think that took courage for the client to buy-off on the rug-pull at the end. if we were to kill an idea simply based on the fear that some[one] could have decoded this the wrong way we’d be left with nothing but ads with call-to-action 800# and URLs.
they took a chance and the execution played out very well. nice work, Leon.