DDB Worldwide has unveiled an evolved brand promise, brought to life by an ‘unexpected’ billboard at a sheep farm in Garston, New Zealand.
Carrying the message ‘Unexpected Works’, alongside the address www.unexpectedworks.com, the billboards aim to direct viewers to DDB’s visually refreshed homepage.
But with as few as 100 people in Garston (and 40,000 sheep), DDB will be hoping that its latest effort grabs the internet’s attention as it likely won’t grab much from the locals.
“While the campaign may seem like an antithetical way to launch a new brand positioning … it recognises creativity is the most powerful when it’s unexpected,” DDB said in a statement.
DDB Worldwide has a history of tapping into the unexpected, dating back to Volkswagen ‘Lemon’, through to contemporary interpretations in campaigns like Foxtel’s ‘Grave of Thrones’, Red Cross’ ‘Burnt Christmas Tree’, and Volkswagen’s ‘World’s Smallest Dealership’.
“The formula for creating breakthrough creative work that drives business results is timeless,” DDB Worldwide chief creative officer Ari Weiss said.
“It’s how we bring that formula to life that changes on a daily basis. We’re not reinventing the wheel here. We’re simply putting more focused language around a truth that anyone who has ever worked at DDB can feel in their bones: Unexpected Works.”
DDB Worldwide CEO Marty O’Halloran added: “All of us are emerging from this pandemic fundamentally changed.
“We took this opportunity to evolve the DDB Network and refine what makes us special, relevant and successful in this new world. Unexpected Works is our commitment to doing the best work of our lives and I’m confident it will carry us into the future while staying committed to our legacy. I’m excited to see our network come together to bring Unexpected Works to life.”
“DDB Australia loves the new proposition – we’ve always believed that Unexpected Works,” DDB Australia CEO Andrew Little said.
“Whether it’s a graveyard in Centennial Park for Foxtel, the World’s Smallest Dealership delivering big results for Volkswagen, or a sign change from McDonald’s to Macca’s, we’re confident that unexpected work leads to unexpected growth.”
The proposition was revealed at DDB’s first-ever all-staff conference, held virtually for its 10,000 employees around the world.
