How’d We Win an AMA MX Award? We Let the Stars Do the Talking

The American Marketing Association Marketing Excellence Awards celebrate work that “intersects imagination with impact.” As a data-driven marketing agency with the creative chops to back it up, that’s right where we live. We’re super proud of our win at the 34th annual MX Awards.

The Work:

Big challenges deserve big solutions, and this was a doozie. As part of our partnership with Starbucks®, we secured a digital out-of-home placement on the NASDAQ building in Times Square. It’s massive, powerful, and evocative. And because we chose a precise 24-hour time period, we were able to make a huge impact without breaking the bank. The problem? The billboard is speckled with the building’s windows.

Most advertisers who’ve used this placement in the past tried to mask the windows as best they could. Or ignored them and just carried on with design as usual. But we didn’t want to miss an opportunity to do something really cool, so we used the windows to our advantage. Made them a design element instead of a design blight.

This billboard was part of our overall launch campaign for the Starbucks® Rewards Visa® Card, a credit card that rewards its customers with golden Stars in place of points. So we took those Stars and created a Plinko-style animation with dozens of stars cascading down the billboard, falling, spinning, and ricocheting off windows until they reached the bottom. It was beautiful, it demonstrated the sheer volume of Stars a customer could earn, and it grabbed the attention of locals and tourists alike as they passed through one of the busiest places in the country.

The Win:

It seems the judges liked our solution as much as we did. A panel of pros from the AMA New York Capital Region Chapter chose it from among a record-breaking number of entries as their Best Single Unit Digital Advertisement Campaign of the Year. They described our work as a “bold and creative premise and execution.” We’re thrilled, and we can’t wait to keep coming up with creative solutions for the challenges that head our way. Now please excuse us while we give ourselves a pat on the back.

To learn more about how Havas Helia can bring its creative solutions and award-winning work to your business, email hello@havashelia.com.