Ad agency wins award for A. O. Smith solar water heater campaign in China
A. O. Smith and its advertising agency in China, Leo Burnett-Shanghai, recently created a unique way to bring the experience of solar hot water to potential customers in Shanghai—without anyone getting wet.
A. O. Smith’s marketing team in Nanjing and Leo Burnett teamed up to create “Sun Bathing,” a self-contained light-proof shower room with a shower nozzle fitted into the ceiling. Instead of water, however, rays of sunshine poured through the shower head, creating the sensation of taking a shower without getting wet.
“Sun Bathing” won a gold award in the temporary retail category at the recent Cannes Lions Press, Design, Radio, and Cyber ceremony.
The purpose of the innovative display was to guide potential customers to prefer “green” and energy-saving products, according to the marketing team. The eye-catching display also helped customers better understand the features of A. O. Smith’s pressurized solar water heater design. The team chose Shanghai because it is the heart of consumer interest in solar-powered products.
The display was an immediate hit with consumers, who published numerous comments and photos on social media in China. Leo Burnette Worldwide published avideo of the Sun Bathing experience on YouTube.
When the marketing team learned the campaign earned a gold award, it published its own video on YOUKU, the leading video website in China. A. O. Smith also published the news on Sohu and media 360, two of the leading web sites in China and shared the video with a number of microblog sites including Sina Weibo, Sohu Weibo, Tencent Weibo, and Renren.
More important, sales of solar water heaters in Shanghai increased 23 percent in the weeks following the campaign. A. O. Smith plans to roll out similar Sun Bathing experiences in Nanjing and other cities.