Summer 2021 has been an interesting one for the British public. With a Covid foreign travel ban, most of the British people resorted to one in four key holiday destinations across the country, leading to a series of traffic jams all over the United Kingdom.
Knowing this, GPS navigation software app Waze wished to offer people an alternative to their stock GPS apps (Apple Maps/Google Maps), by demonstrating that Waze could keep you out of a jam with its iconic real-time reports. So, the brand partnered with agency Other to launch a real ‘Traffic Jam,' made from roadside berries, plucked from Britain’s jammiest roads; like the M1.
Today we are getting Behind the Idea following a lovely chat with Production Lead Metz Bryan-Fasano and her team at Other.London.
What was the brief?
Client brief: Launch and raise awareness of Waze in the UK this summer.
Agency brief: Use this summer’s hot topic of staycation mania to slingshot Waze into the hearts and minds of UK drivers as the ultimate companion for the road.
How did the initial pitch/brainstorming phase go?
The main part of the pitch was all about chemistry. Waze wanted an agency that were culturally tapped into UK road culture, but who possessed the energy and drive (pun intended) to push them and the brand to be as fun and adventurous as possible. Once we got through on the chemistry we answered an exam question versus 1x other agency, which is where the idea of tackling staycation anxiety through a bottled up ‘Traffic Jam’ was conceived.
Tell us more about the concept. How did it come to life, and why was it the right choice?
I think the context was super important with this one. The summer of 2021 saw the largest ever migration of drivers on UK roads. A Covid foreign travel ban meant that 60% of the entire UK took a road trip to one of only four holiday destinations: The Lake District, Cornwall, Devon or Norfolk.
Yet when it came to the journey, most drivers were massively apathetic to the idea of switching from the sat nav already built into their phone, like Google or Apple Maps…
We needed to jolt people out of their apathy towards switching, whilst demonstrating that Waze could keep you out of a jam with their community of over three million drivers reporting road issues in real-time. So, we launched a real ‘Traffic Jam’, made from roadside berries, plucked from Britain’s jammiest roads; like the M1.
The jam allowed Waze to talk about the UK’s biggest pain point over the summer in a way that gave the brand disproportionate PR. Traffic Jam PR packs got into the hands of MistaJam on Radio 1, Boy George and Sam Thompson from Made in Chelsea. We even partnered with Uber Eats to include Traffic Jam in food orders during the campaign and are making limited edition Traffic Jam Doughnuts with a very well-loved sweets brand that we will announce soon, that will be served across service stations.
With over 3 million UK drivers reporting road issues in real-time, the only jam Wazers found themselves getting stuck into was the type you can spread on toast.
What was the production process like? What was the biggest challenge?
Producing, not only a campaign but also a food product was really exciting. The Jam was the star of the show so we were very particular about its every detail as well as how it would come to life in each touchpoint.
We had just over a month from our live date to pull everything together which required creating our jam, and the logistics surrounding working with the manufacturer, creating the packaging, as well as producing OOH, short films, radio, working with Twisted Food on the details surrounding the e-comm and influencer involvement, and an exciting brand partnership. Pulling that off in the timeframe was our biggest challenge.
Ensuring no stone was left unturned, from the red on the jam jar lid, to crafting our assets, required a lot of focus and patience to stay balanced while pulling ourselves in so many different directions.
What is one funny or notable thing that happened during the production of the campaign?
Aside from the never-ending jam puns, we found ourselves in very intense conversations about, jam colour, seeds, jars, and I probably have spent more time dissecting gingham than I ever thought possible. Many times we had to stop and say – can you believe this is our real job!
What’s the main message of the campaign and why does it matter?
With Summer 2021 having the largest migration of drivers on UK roads, we wanted to demonstrate that Waze could keep you out of a jam with their community of over three million drivers.
What is one unique aspect of the campaign?
Whilst Traffic Jam might seem like a joke, it’s very purposeful in its role. Not only is it a confident and elegant way of showing that Waze have traffic jams sorted for us all, it’s also a super fun and delightful mechanic that effortlessly transcends media channels. It works brilliantly as an engaging visual on a poster, but it’s then a great piece of content to give influencers, chefs and journalists. It’s also a great way of sparking partnerships too (as you’ll see soon when traffic jam makes it way into a nation’s favourite dessert brand!)
How long did it take from inception to delivery?
This was a pitch idea and the official green light was end of May, with a live date of 12 July – so it was a very intense 6 – 7 weeks! We have also continued to put more into it and refresh creative even after we have gone live – we can’t help ourselves!
What do you hope it achieves for the brand?
Unfair awareness is the ultimate goal. As in, for us to smash any expectations from the paid for media, due to Traffic jam’s ability to cross channels and create earned fame for the brand.
We also hope to see a surge in downloads of the Waze app here in the UK.
Credit list for the campaign?
Other Co-Founders:
Paulo Salomao, Business Lead
Kyle Harman-Turner, ECD
Sarah Oberman, Strategy Lead
Metz Bryan-Fasano, Production Lead
Rob Ryan August 13th, 2021, in the afternoon
To be honest… Traffic jams are SO jarring!