The Strategy
Like many other young brands, Ice Breakers was finding the challenges of building awareness among the highly sought-after 16 to 24 year old demographic, with traditional media increasingly difficult. The Ice Breakers brand team realized that more than 21.2 million -- or 13 percent -- of all Internet users are between the ages of 18 and 24.  The Ice Breakers brand knew that in order to reach this illusive consumer it had to deliver its core audience a reason to talk about the brand in a conversation fueled digital medium. 
The Marketing Objectives were to create a program that:

1. Drives Ice Breakers Sours awareness among core target (16-24 year olds), specifically college bullseye audience
2. Uniquely leverages the powerful sponsorship of the MTV U Spring Break Cancun experience for the highly engaged on site consumers and “at home” audience
3. Use of broadcast, digital, word of mouth and social media to drive consumer engagement and data collection at www.WatchandWhoa.com.

The interactive strategy was created through a detailed online behavioral analysis that demonstrated a clear preference for rich video content that was incorporated into ad planning, promotions and partnerships that stood to reach the Ice Breakers core audience with unprecedented efficiency.

Knowing that the best time to fuel this demographic with a great stories that they would share with their friends Ice Breakers teamed up with MTVu’s
Spring Break Event in Cancun Mexico.   The partnership with MTV seemed to be a natural fit as this media partner had defined the Spring Break
experience for generations of college age Spring Breakers. Utilizing a media strategy that included a promotional television spot, Rich Media, Pre-roll
and super-distribution of branded content, Ice Breakers created a surge of online awareness that drove unprecedented number consumers to the WatchandWhoa.com website.

The Microsite - WatchandWhoa.com Microsite Watch and Whoa: Phase I Microsite Watch and Whoa: Microsite Phase II

At the Website the consumers that were still in school or at home joined Ice Breakers and four couples from the Ice Breakers Cancun event in a week of
fun filled branded challenges that took the form of a online reality show. Capitalizing on the targets need for their “15MB of Fame”, 85 couples auditioned
in a beach side open casting call and the creative and brand teams selected the final four that spent five fun filled days with a wandering camera crew
that captured their Whoa Moments.  At the end of the week consumers had three days to vote on the couple that delivered the best Whoa Moments
and that would appear in the Ice Breakers “Beach” commercial.

Ice Breakers Branded Content The Interviews: Ryan and Tina Ice Breakers Challenge : The Citirus Relay Ice Breakers Challenge : All Tied Up Ice Breakers Challenge : Making Connections Ice Breakers Challenge : Swimming With The Dolphins Ice Breakers Challenge : Sours Tours

Consumers voted and choose the lucky couple who starred in the Ice Breakers “Beach” commercial that was shot beach side on Sunday. While the Ice Breakers team was wrapping production in Cancun the TracyLocke digital content production teams began seeding the branded spring break content on appropriate consumer generated video web sites to draw consumer to form a Ice Breakers Tribe.

On April 15, in conjunction with the airing of the Ice Breakers Beach commercial WatchandWhoa.com released the Making of Whoa and new spring break video on the web site.

Online Media Phase I Banners Ads Phase II Ad Rich Media Pre-Roll The Interns Video Voted Best Whoa - Josh & Krista The Making of Whoa

Use of Media

• Website: www.watchandwhoa.com
• Banners: Standard units and Rich Media Expandable units
• Media Channels: Branded ICE BREAKERS Spring Break channel on iFilm
• Braded Content: Super distribution and seeding on YouTube, Atom Films, Yahoo and MySpace, FaceBook and the College Humor Network
• Social Media: MySpace Layouts available for download on microsite; Behind-the-Scenes footage seeded on Google, Yahoo and YouTube.
• Broadcast: Co branded promotional spot.  Final commercial currently airing on MTV and other major broadcast networks

The Results / ROI

The website and online media met the clients objectives and exceed the initial benchmarks for the sites visitors by using branded content as a teaser for consumers to come to the site and interact with its content and downloads. The promotional site has become a brand destination to Ice Breakers most loyal consumers.

• Drove awareness with new Ice Breakers Consumers
• Increased word of mouth with Branded Spring Break Content
• The super distribution of the branded content created loyal consumers who are creating Ice Breakers ads and testimonials though consumer generated content.