The results are in for the second YouTube Works Award for the best Czech and Slovak video campaigns. This year, although completely virtual, was still emotional and authentic.
“During these uncertain times, all the brands had to demonstrate their great ability to be more flexible and innovative than ever before,” says Vanda Wolfová, Head of Agency at Google. Despite that — or precisely because of that — we wanted to celebrate and appreciate all the brilliant ideas behind the most effective and innovative YouTube campaigns in 2020.
We asked 11 marketing experts to help us find the most outstanding work. “We were surprised by the quality of the campaigns in this year's YouTube Works and I would like to thank all the agencies and clients for their contributions,” adds Wolfová.
🏆 GRAND PRIX & Best YouTube integration
Zlatý Bažant (Heineken) with Dentsu and MADE BY VACULIK
In 2016 Zlatý Bažant, Slovakia’s best-selling beer brand, introduced its iconic product in a retro theme using a recipe from 1973.Three years later when sales started to decline, the brewery introduced a brand awareness campaign that was inspired by the 70’s song Rasputin by Boney M — using a wide mix of YouTube formats. A mixture of humorous lyrics, a catchy melody and a groovy music video was the perfect recipe to make the song go viral. Users began searching for it and even uploading their own musical covers. This campaign was awarded for maximizing YouTube’s potential and significantly exceeding its business goals.
🏅 Best social impact through YouTube
IKEA with Triad Advertising, Bistro Films and Dentsu
In Czechia and Slovakia almost one in two women has experienced some form of domestic violence. And during a global pandemic, when our homes should be the safest place, the number of reported cases doubled — bringing to light that home isn’t a safe haven for everyone. IKEA created a tense, slow-burning horror video showing that domestic violence doesn’t have to be just physical. The campaign reached 2.5 million views in Czechia and 1.3 million in Slovakia, raising significant interest in this topic and increased awareness of the IKEA brand. The jury awarded the ad for successful integration of a social topic.
🏅 Best long-term use of YouTube
Maybelline New York (L'Oréal) with McCann, BnT and Wavemaker
In the past, Maybelline New York struggled to reach its Czech consumers because they felt the brand was “for someone other than them.” So the brand decided on a long-term solution that would be more effective than traditional advertising and would improve brand image. As a result, a YouTube series “Makeup in the city” was born to help young girls with makeup and inspiration. The concept also benefited from the partnership with TV show SuperStar, thanks to which one of the most popular videos was created. The winner of last year's TV series performed a step-by-step tutorial where a Maybelline ambassador had to follow along and create the final makeup look. The jury awarded the YouTube series based on its long-term consistency.
🏅 Best influencer collaboration
Tatra Banka with THIS IS LOCCO
In Slovakia, Tatra Banka is the most innovative digital brand in the banking sector, and every year it features a campaign targeting students who have not yet opened a bank account. Because Tatra Banka wanted to keep its leading position, it literally bet on the digital world. Thus Bejby Blue was born — a young digital artist made up of zeros and ones. She represented what the youth could achieve if they decide to use their online time in a meaningful way. This virtual influencer has become part of the culture of young people. Bejby Blue was streaming online games, performing in music videos, teaching people to live sustainably and even participated in media interviews. The campaign also exceeded its business acquisition goals in a very hard year — and was therefore awarded this title.
🏅 Best use of YouTube for performance marketing
Sportisimo with Bumerang.film
As one of the most important sports brands in Czechia, Sportisimo faces high competition. 2020 showed them that they were not fully prepared for the unexpected increase in e-commerce and their biggest challenge, the holiday season, was still to come. Their first YouTube videos for this campaign were created by trial and error. The campaign reached over 2.6 million YouTube users in total. It used ideal formats and best practices to achieve its goals, such as reach and performance, and for these reasons, was awarded this prize.
🏅 Best media strategy
IKEA with Dentsu and Kaspen/Jung von Matt
What can we all do to make our lifestyle more sustainable? IKEA asked itself this question and as a result, in 2020 it introduced a plant-based version of its iconic meatballs, which taste exactly the same as the original ones. The aim of the campaign was to increase product awareness and strengthen IKEA’s position as a sustainable brand. They created a series of clips using the phrase “you don’t know the difference, but nature does”. In Czechia, the campaign reached over 4.6 million viewers and in Slovakia, 2.3 million. The jury appreciated that IKEA used different formats for different target groups, and that they were not afraid to use YouTube as their main medium.
🎖 Jury’s prize for creative innovation
ŠKODA AUTO with Peppermint Digital and PHD
ŠKODA Auto was there since the beginning of Czech automotive history, 125 years ago. To celebrate the brand’s anniversary, ŠKODA has highlighted some of the milestones in its history. But how to relive history in a modern way? ŠKODA Auto launched a video series featuring past innovations that are still relevant today. The YouTube channel was the main platform for this exclusive content and in total, the campaign gained more than 9 million views. This work won a special jury award for combining interesting content with exemplary craftsmanship.
