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The ultimate amazon jungle challenge. In speedos.

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Publicis Mojo Brisbane recently launched a social media campaign for RID, the Australian insect repellent brand. The unique campaign takes the form of a digital competition called the 'RID Amazon DT Challenge', which seeks to reinvigorate the iconic brand by offering one lucky Facebooker the chance to visit the real Amazon jungle. The brand has been a predominant fixture in Australian households for more than 60 years, but years of declining sales have caused the brand to look to social media to tap into a new generation and inspire brand awareness in the nation's youth. The move seems to have worked, with the brand's Facebook page having increased its amount of 'likes' ten-fold.

RID has been a predominant fixture in Australian households for more than 60 years, but years of declining sales have caused them to look to social media to tap into a new generation

The campaign, which targets Australian families and outdoors enthusiasts, allows Facebook users the chance to nominate their friends for the challenge. The winner (recently announced as one Sean England) will be sent to the Amazon jungle wearing nothing more than a swimming costume (“DT” being Aussie slang for speedos) and a thick layer of RID, where he will undertake a variety of challenges that will test the efficiency of the product. The journey will last five days and will be documented by Justin Lyons, the filmmaker who was formerly the right-hand man of the late Steve Irwin. The challenge was promoted by a 38-second clip (below), which has gathered more than 40,000 views since it was uploaded in August. Lori Thomas, marketing manager at RID, said they needed an idea that was cost-effective, but would stand out. She said the believes the DT challenge has “Achieved the objective of modernising the brand and re-introducing it to a new generation.”

The RID Amazon DT Challenge

Alongside the social media push, Publicis Mojo also worked with Boom Video to recruit a team of influential internet figures to promote the campaign through their own channels. This team included “Luttsy,” the popular Australian breakfast radio host, who spread word of the campaign and the challenge through his Facebook page. Chris Reed, CEO of Black Marketing Asia, believes the challenge is a very clever idea, he said "RID is competing against a much bigger brand (market leader Aeroguard), so it is a smart way to increase the brand's visibility."

It's not a frivolous campaign to get the message across, but a very clever way to tie back into the core brand value." Chris Reed, CEO of Black Marketing Asia

Reed did also note, however, that the brand were missing a trick by focusing all their efforts on Facebook and neglecting more visual social media platforms such a Instagram, Tumblr and Twitter. Overall though, he thought “This is an area that other brands struggle with, but RID already has it there.” and that “It's not a frivolous campaign to get the message across, but a very clever way to tie back into the core brand value." The campaign will be finished with the launch of the documentary that will be available through Facebook and YouTube when Sean manages to finish (or more pertinently, if Sean manages to finish) his Amazon jungle challenge.

Official RID Website

Official Publicis Mojo Website

Benjamin Hiorns is a freelance writer and musician from Kidderminster in the UK who recently returned from Turkey where he was bitten so badly by midges he essentially became a human pincushion.

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