X-UP CASE STUDY

THREE WEEKS TO OPRAH

TV spots, web, print, radio, events, outdoor

THE CHALLENGE

When we got the call, Bill and Melinda Gates were scheduled to appear on Oprah in 21 days. One full episode (and, as it happened, a second full episode) was to be dedicated to America’s failing education system. The Gates Foundation had a very clear statement of the problem to present, but they needed a call to action that would allow Oprah’s massive following to get involved.

We had three weeks to create a nationwide campaign that appeared to have enough momentum that Oprah felt comfortable asking her viewers to become a part of it.

Executive Creative Director: Michael Franzini

Creative Directors: Pat Hanlon & Geoff McGann

Within 10 days, we had created a brand: STAND UP. We procured the URL, built a web site, shot eight 30-second spots and created dozens of print ads. We presented all of this to Oprah’s team in Chicago and left behind a conference room filled with foam-core-mounted ads. Oprah later held one of them up on the air when she asked her viewers to become a part of STAND UP. The following is an overview of what we presented to Oprah.

Here’s 5 minutes cut-down from the two full episodes Oprah dedicated to STAND UP.

Working with the Gates Foundation, we cast Sacramento Mayor (and former NBA star) Kevin Johnson as the “voice of STAND UP” and wrote talking points for both him and Oprah.

Check out the interviews we shot in China (and the U.S.) starting at 03:39. Pretty shocking.