AccorHotels and Thinkerbell give one of Australia’s coldest towns a Wintervention
Winter sucks. It’s cold, it’s rainy and life slows down around you as people go into hibernation. So, on the eve of Winter, AccorHotels surprised some very deserving people with a once in a lifetime opportunity in an activation via Thinkerbell.
In an Aussie version of an Oprah Winfrey giveaway, AccorHotels surprised the whole town of Waratah, Tasmania. One of Australia’s coldest towns. Residents were expecting that only a few people who had registered would receive a Wintervention trip. As they gathered in front of the cameras, it was revealed that everyone would receive a weekend in the Gold Coast from AccorHotels – if they were prepared to leave immediately.
Flying on a private plane and checking-in to the Novotel Surfers Paradise was just the beginning for the people of Waratah. From sunset swims to roller coasters, jet boats and dolphin shows to indoor sky diving, the Waratahnians supercharged the first weekend of Winter.
Says Bridie Commerford, vice president, marketing, guest experience and communications pacific, Accor: “Exploring Australia is the best way to get out of a winter slump – from sport to shopping, bars to beaches, we have it all. We were delighted to surprise Waratah residents with such a unique opportunity. They soaked up the sun and enjoyed some fantastic activities on the Gold Coast, staying at Novotel Surfers Paradise.”
The activation kicks off the AccorHotels Wintervention campaign which will run across multiple channels until September.
Says Jim Ingram, chief creative tinker, Thinkerbell: “Pulling off a surprise party is pretty tricky, pulling off a surprise interstate holiday, for an entire town, on live breakfast TV is mind-bending and a testament to all involved. We’re incredibly proud to have delivered such a great experience for some very deserving Waratahnians.”
The idea has already reached over seventeen million in earned media.
Thinkerbell
Creative Tinker: Anna Yates
Creative Tinker: Tom Vizard
Lead Thinker PR: Tarah Miller
Production Tinker: Jess Evernden
Head of Production: Sam Cavanagh
Lead Thinker: Aden Eltchelebi
Chief Thinker: Adam Ferrier
Lead Creative Tinker: Tom Wenborn
Head Thinker PR: Cath King
Chief Creative Tinker: Jim Ingram
Production Company: Hooligan Collective
Director: Dylan Harrison
DOP: Jason White
Producer: Ash McLeod
AccorHotels
VP Marketing, Communications & Guest Experience: Bridie Commerford
Director AccorHotels, Economy & Midscale Brands: Kellie Parker
Brand Manager: Tim Gray
Assistant Brand Manager: Jess Roberts
Brand Executive: Anne Co
Communications Director: Ginni Post
Communications: Cynthia Dammerer
Guest Experience: Marion Hohnen and Kate Milross
Communications & Social Media Executive: Nick Aldrich
29 Comments
I like it. Wintervention is good language and this is a good example of how it comes to life.
Really? Just like the EOFY WHATEVER IT IS FOR OFFICE WORKS. Just feels like lazy.
Saw this live, great idea for a small town.
This agency clearly makes everything as an award submission. How do your clients feel you’re just trying to win something with their dollars?
You’re spot on. A lo-Fi video and a picture that looks like it’s part of a case study. These thwankers are just worried about one thing.
Once again, a whole lot of tinkering, not a lot of thinkering from Thickerbell.
This whole thing looks like a case study. Pretty obvious you’re not worried about making actual ads.
Love it. Great fun.
Loads of personality in 15 seconds.
Very helpful. Thanks for share with us.
I love these guys and their crazy kooky ad namez. Can’t wait to see what they come up with next, when Disney write them a cease and desist letter…
I can’t get over these guys what’s wrong with having a
Creative chairman
Chief creative officer
Executive creative director
Creative director
Art director
Copywriter.
I mean really. It is so much better.
Like this work by the way.
Winterventions is an idea from Special Group Sydney that Accor having been running for a few years.
@TRuth… that is disappointing to hear; up til then I thought they’d done well. So, full creds to the originators at Special Group Sydney. I hate a bad rip as much as I love a good portmanteau.
Wintervention has been there thing for years. But I can’t recall them doing something like this with it. I love it. Fun and great energy. I still don’t get the angst on this blog directed to everything except the work.
This isn’t original work. You know this, Thinkerbell. Also, stop using ‘Creative Tinker’. It’s not cool. I know you think it is, but it’s really not.
…. except when it’s me making them.
There can’t be that many people motivated enough to check up on this thread over a long weekend and keep on making commentary. I believe everyone reading this knows exactly who I am.
Seriously. Step back from the keyboard. Relax. Go for a walk.
Loved it, you found the people who could use a holiday and gave it to all of them, with a client who could host them all.
Simple creative that’s gotten results.
To the trolls – take a holiday you could use one.
First you pr your bad Dundee version.
Then you pr an extension of another agencies idea?
Can’t wait for “Thinkerbell launches Just Do It” for Nike.
Who the fuck cares if the line came from another agency. Seriously?
It’s half decent.
Got on breakie TV.
Got people talking.
Look, my point is this. If the creatives from competing agencies are going to shit on any idea that tries to somewhat do something out of the ordinary, these are the consequences:
How likely is your client to approve something out of the ordinary in the future, given they’re scared to approve anything incase it gets slagged already?
Slagging off work is not conducive to a better industry. Forums that allow that slagging off don’t create better work either.
Why can’t we get behind our creative ‘brothers and sisters’ and get back to inspiring each other to do great work?
I want the Aussie ad industry to be better so I don’t have to live under Brexit or Trump to do good work. True ScoMo isn’t much better, but we have nice beaches here.
But you spiteful little fuckers are ruining it for everyone, running clients scared to approve anything and giving suits all the creative power – by being such negative shits.
Let’s celebrate good or even just different work in our public forums so our clients see that people speak positively about it.
Then bitch about it in a bar, where it belongs.
Mmmkay?
PS: Good job, criticism above is unwarranted and comes from the wrong place. I’d award this if you enter, Effie’s or otherwise.
I think we probably want the same thing.
We do want advertising in Australia to be better.
But your (likely) biased defense of this work drags us backward. It isn’t the progress we’re looking for. It’s just petrol on the burning platform for change.
It’s not original. It’s not brave. It’s not even this agency’s idea.
I hope for the rest of the business that people like you don’t end up in a position like Effie’s judging where you get to peer review work.
You are evidently, the problem.
And…
You’re an idiot.
Anyone got a link to the work from Special? I’m interested to see the previous work and can’t find it.
Hi comments thread.
a) I wish people would put their names to comments
b) thanks to all those who like this idea – it took a a lot of sweat to make it happen. Moving this many people for weekend holiday is logistically challenging!
c) The ‘Wintervention’ platform was created by Special Group (an agency I love) several years ago. Our client wanted a PR generating idea – we did this off the Wintervention platform. This is the result.
We’re extremely proud of this work, it’s a nice feel good story for the brand and so far it’s working a treat.
@Adam Ferrier
Can I have a job?
New idea or not, it’s a nice little PR extension and made a bunch of people happy. That said, I would have thought moving 70 people for a holiday, especially given the connections of a massive international hotel chain would have been fairly easy to arrange? It’s literally what tour companies do every day for a living?
I love this idea. Simple big fun.
Honestly, the only thing not to like about this ad is the Gold Coast.
Lets face it – with this much abuse thrown around on the CB thread, you know you’ve done alright.
We agree. This was a cracker and great fun.
I don’t work for the agency in question and I’ve produced much, much better work than this consistently throughout my career.
My point is: Slagging off work that is difficult to pull off in a public forum spooks clients,
It’s stupid and doesn’t benefit anyone.