The wet ‘n wild Barclaycard Water Slide campaign by Dare Digital UK (creative) and Walker Media UK (media) was recently nominated for an Eyeblaster Award. This is the first in a series of interviews with nominees for a behind-the-scenes look at some of the best campaigns from 2009.

Eyeblaster: What was the brief for the campaign?

Dare Digital: The context: Barclaycard launched an epic TV ad to signal a step change for the brand. They wanted to challenge the conventions of financial advertising in order to drive brand reappraisal and nudge consideration. Likewise, digital needed to behave in a fresh and innovative way to engage a younger, more tech and marketing savvy audience and make the most of the buzz from the ATL comms. To positively impact the brand’s health we wanted reach delivered in an engaging way, rather than disruptive advertising.

Eyeblaster: How did you come up with the idea for the game?

Dare Digital: The waterslide campaign was such a fun idea we felt the audience would respond well to a more engaging and interactive concept. We remembered a computer puzzle game from childhood where you took the role of a plumber trying to join up pipe pieces before a gushing stream of water can overwhelm him. This style of simple game play became the perfect vehicle in which to set the waterslide in.

Eyeblaster: What was the cross-channel strategy and impact of the campaign?
Dare Digital: The cross-channel strategy was to work each channel to its strengths to deepen engagement with the brand and build awareness through seeding. The TV created awareness and brand affinity whilst the HPTO game extended the TV idea and rewarded users for getting involved. The campaign was joined up both thematically and visually by the most distinct element: the waterslide.

Some noteworthy results of the online campaign:

• 13.7m impressions
• 4.6m Unique users
• Total Interaction rate was 58%
• Average dwell time was 58 seconds – far greater than typical banner advertising

Eyeblaster: What was the client’s response to the final product?
Dare Digital: They loved using a game to create real impact and felt inspired by the creative opportunity the media channel offered and its potential to challenge what financial advertising conventionally means.
They were excited to see how bespoke digital advertising (rather than doctoring TV assets) could create really compelling communications that build upon the TV’s effect.  Seeing digital play an important role rather than supporting has definitely encouraged them to place involvement and innovation at the heart of all the briefs.

Congratulations again to Dare Digital and Walker Media for dreaming up and executing such an engaging campaign.