Havaianas celebrates 50th anniversary with promotional/experiental campaign via PLAY Communication, Sydney
Brand experience agency PLAY Communication has developed a campaign to celebrate Havaianas’ 50th anniversary.
The campaign, which is asking for consumers to help get the word ‘Havaianas’ in the dictionary, launched with a microsite earlier this month.
The site, www.ihav.com.au is the hub of a promotional competition where users have the chance to win fifty pairs of Havaianas. In order to be eligible to win, users must answer the question ‘What does Havaianas mean to you?’ by either uploading a photo, or typing their answer in 140 characters. The answers are then uploaded onto the site, and can then be shared onto social media platforms.
The second phase, an experiential component, launched at Customs House on Friday and will tour major cities nationally for the next month. The activation will feature giant letters spelling out ‘Havaianas,’ which will replicate the entrance to the brand’s Brazilian flagship store. Promotional staff will roam the site with iPads, encouraging passers by to show their support of the campaign.
“We really wanted to develop a campaign that showcased how Havaianas have become a staple in the Australian lifestyle,” says Shani Langi-Latukefu, managing director at PLAY. “Havaianas are an iconic brand that are synonymous with the Australian culture, and we felt that would really resonate with consumers, and encourage them to support the campaign.”
The campaign is the first that PLAY has executed for the brand.
7 Comments
Apparently, only nine actual brand names have made it officially into the Oxford English Dictionary:
Hoover
Xerox
Thermos
Prozac
Spandex
Jello
Tampax
Band-Aid
Viagra
Now, I can both spell and say “Jello” quite easily. “Havaianas”, not so much. “Shani Langi-Latukefu” has a better chance, IMO, so I’m campaigning for that instead.
How on earth does “what does Havaianas mean to you?” play a role in this? It sounds like they need help finishing their brand pyramid and thought they’d ask the general public.
Nice simple idea from a truth and a simple entry mechanism which shows because people are entering. I like it.
Beautiful, simple idea.
I don’t like it.
They’re called thongs, and we’re probably the only bloody place in the world that calls them that. Only wankers would say ‘Havaianas’ – it’s simply not true.
Please trademark lawyers, take my very valuable brand and make it generic.
I must be missing something here. The actual idea sounds interesting… Get the word ‘Havaianas’ in the dictionary. The video and mechanism doesnt work to the idea though. They should be sending a thousand pairs of thongs to the oxford dictionary offices or something… at least that would make a funnier video.