Oakley Ramps Up Digital Campaign Ahead of Olympics
In the run-up to the upcoming Olympic Games, high-end sunglasses brand Oakley is set to replicate the marketing model of its existing You Vs social media campaign and extend it across multiple devices such as Apple's iPad, games consoles and web-connected TVs.
The You Vs campaign, which runs on Facebook, is centred on a branded video game in which players must compete against famous sportsmen. The overall winner then gets the chance to play against the sportsmen in real life. It has been Oakley's biggest digital investment in Europe to date, reaching into the six-figures.
Tom Cartmale, Oakley Marketing Director, explained that the Facebook platform is a more compelling place to advertise the video game than on a campaign website. "Unless a person is a brand fanatic they're unlikely to return frequently to the website to see what events are there. Social media channels are more effective for showcasing these kinds of events."
Speaking on the new plans for the campaign extension to additional devices, he commented: "Oakley isn't a sponsor of the Olympics which makes it slightly more restrictive in terms of how we can market, but we'll build on the You Vs social media, gaming and personalised video content model to promote our eyewear collection in 2012."