Dial it Down
Every year, JMU's chapter of the American Advertising Federation (AAF) competes in the National Student Advertising Competition (NSAC) against other universities in our district (VA/NC/SC). The corporate client provides case files, brand guidelines, and campaign objectives, and it's up to us to craft a mind-blowing campaign.
The ask: Increase cold water washes with Tide laundry and build brand love and awareness amongst 18-35 year olds.
The execution: An omnichannel marketing campaign zeroed in on the simplicity of choosing to wash cold, with the slogan "Dial it Down" and offering the concept of laundry as a "timeout" from daily life.
The awesome result: Placed 3rd in our district and 9th in the nation.
My role: Marketing strategist, presenter
Research & insights
We were tasked with increasing loads of cold attributed to Tide, while simultaneously increasing brand love and consideration. Survey results revealed consumers’ current perception of Tide and cold-water washing.
Primary research revealed that our target audience strongly or somewhat agreed with the following:
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90.9% of respondents said they care about being sustainable and helping the environment
84.14% of respondents prefer brands that make an effort to promote good/act sustainably
76.7% of respondents said they purchase laundry products based on what they grew up using
72.25% of respondents said they are open to changing the way they do laundry.
Target audience
Followers
Ranging from 18-25 years old, these individuals are in a transitional phase and establishing their identities. They are starting to view sustainability as something they should participate in, not just a later problem. They have decided to be more sustainabile, but they lack the time and money to make a solid change. Recently independent, but still looking to the Frontrunners for guidance, they are deciding whether to leave behind the tried-and-true ways of doing laundry or make a change.
Frontrunners
Around 26-35 years old, these individuals have started to embrace an
eco-friendly lifestyle. They are now more able to make sacrifices with time and money to align with brands that emphasize sustainability. They're the leaders of the pack, ready to make a change in the way they do laundry and inspire the Followers to do the same.
Strategy & ads
Changing Perception
Oct 2024 - Jan 2025
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I. QR Codes/decals in streets and laundromats
II. "Laundromates" social media campaign
III. Social organic/Social sponsor ads
IV. Las Vegas Sphere Activation
1
Increase Unaided Consideration
Feb 2025 - May 2025
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I. TIDE timeouts
II. Laundromat Cafe/Chill out area
III. Cleaning Influencers/PR Packaging
IV. Updating Loads of Hope website to cold branding
Build Brand Equity & Love
June 2025 - Sept 2025
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I. Strawberry Milk Mob bathing suit
II. Carhartt collaboration
III. Newsletters at Laundromat cafes
We organized the "Dial it Down" campaign into 3 phases:
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2
3
Out of home
Digital
Snapchat
Experiential
March Madness
PR boxes sent to selected influencers
Tide x Strawberry Milk Mob collab
Swimsuit changes color in cold water
:30 TV spot
Final plansbook
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Tyler Esterly, Joy Mulzoff​, Brooke Arthur, Kayla Nassoiy, Annette Williams, Sophie Konopaske, Heather Opie, Tyler Tempe, Cailor MacIntyre, Kaleb Nute, Mia Von Eisenburg, Emery Hasenstab, Jake Fitzpatrick, Bryce Kelso, Kiara Cavero