Ah, the pre-name-change days. I was a creative director at Meta, working on Portal alongside our group creative director, Steph Silveira. Portal is the video calling device with loads of smart features that meant it was perfect for lively (read: chaotic) chats between grandparents and their grandkids. I collaborated with agency teams at AMV BBDO and VMLY&R on what you see below. Neil Clarke, Jay Phillips and Julia Merino at AMV worked on the TV and activation creative. While Doug Fridlund and Mikael Alcock at VMLY&R were responsible for the social films.
Social Films
Fart jokes aside, there’s a lot to be learned from grandparents and grandkids. Whether these lessons are coming from confidant or co-conspirator, these social films look at how that relationship can deepen with the freedom and ease of Portal.
Bournemouth Calling
We wanted to grab the attention of grandparents. Naturally, we headed to Bournemouth. And we covered the city with real messages from their grandkids all over the UK. So whether these grandparents were headed to water aerobics or boules—they got a personal invitation to a Portal call.
Hello Grandparents
But we didn’t stop at the personalised invitations. We also surprised these same grandparents with live Portal calls. To cover all the usual senior hangouts, we even converted a beach hut into a Portal call lounge. The effort reached 72% of grandparents in Bournemouth and fueled content that amplified the hyperlocal activation all over the UK.
Case Study
Christmas
No big, splashy one-off here. Instead, we stayed true to the “Share Something Real” campaign and extended it into the holiday season with the idea that Portal can keep that feeling of togetherness going.
Social Films
From knowing where the presents are stashed, to believing in your gingerbread house ambition, and how to make it as a tap-dancing elf—we dropped a few more invaluable life lessons shared between grandparents and grandkids.