Letting It Out, Olympics Style
I am officially a sucker for the Olympic Games. Just thinking about them brings back a lot of memories of my brother, sisters, parents and I feeling so proud of the athletes for their achievements, loving the behind-the-scenes profile/stories and then, dying to go out and do gymnastics, run the 440 or attempt to ski/skate as soon as possible.
With that in mind, it is no surprise that I am now a fan of the new trailer for the forthcoming Kleenex Let It Out Olympics movie. As far as marketing goes - I have monitored this storytelling campaign from the start, and often cite the overall Kleenex approach as a best practice case study for leveraging human connection and emotions.
But, the savvy marketing and customer connection never did end with the television ads. The accompanying site is rich with background on the filming of the commercials and the people who were in them. It also offers up a few ways visitors can participate in the conversation themselves (via words or video).
What the whole package demonstrates is a brand-customer interaction that is not centered on the brand itself, but on the conversations/living of life that happens around that brand. This case study also shows how women can be “marketed to” via methods that actually reach anyone with an emotional bone in their body. Let It Out is a great example of transparent marketing - with Kleenex being inspired and guided by the women it serves and better connecting with all customers in the process. (See my book - Don’t Think Pink to learn a little more about reaching women transparently.)
If this movie could inspire cynical old me to stop what I was working on and send the clip to friends/post it on my Facebook page, one can only imagine how the marketing lessons (and a few tears) therein might inspire you as well. (Seriously, I’d love to hear what some of you think about this movie/campaign too.)
Here’s to the awe-inspiring Olympic athletes worldwide! I can’t wait for August 8th.
