Product Demos, Taken to the Extreme / Orcon Broadband "Together Incredible"

The problem

Orcon was basically a nobody in a market dominated by giants like Vodafone and Telecom. It didn't have the budget for mass advertising. Even though it had fast broadband, it had no real place to "talk about" it.

The insight

So instead of talking about it, Orcon decided to show it — by pulling off a world-first technical feat using nothing but its own regular home internet connection. Apparently nobody but Iggy Pop was ever considered for the job. He was famous but not overused, and he was the perfect match: his punk DIY spirit lined up perfectly with broadband's "anyone can do it" feel.

The idea

Orcon ran an audition through Facebook and YouTube, and within ten days had received 200 video entries. The nine people chosen connected from their own homes across New Zealand, using nothing more than a MacBook Pro, Skype, and Ustream, to link up with Iggy Pop in a studio in Miami and record a song together under his guidance. No special lines, no backstage tricks — just ordinary home ADSL2+. That, in a nutshell, was the whole idea.

What happened

Produced by Special Group, the campaign won first place and a Gold Lion in the Direct category at Cannes Lions, as well as the Grand Prix. The judges called it "the best use of a celebrity we've ever seen." It also won the Grand Prix at Ad Stars and brought home three EFFIE awards.

Afterthought

Just imagining the moment someone pitched the CEO with "let's do this with Iggy Pop" gives me chills. The client who greenlit it deserves huge credit too — and so does the speed of it all, going from idea to broadcast in just eight weeks. Taking a genre as unglamorous as the "product demonstration" and pushing it this far, all the way to the top prize — that's just plain thrilling.

Awards

• Cannes Lions Grand Prix 2010

Featured in

• Alone, You Can't Reach ItAn ad that isn't finished until one more person shows up.

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