NIVEA FOR MEN’S EHG:

An online promotion for NIVEA’s EHG launch, supported by radio, print and PR, the Up4Anything web site positioned NIVEA FOR MEN’s Energizing Hydro Gel as a product for young, active males with an unabashed lust for life. The Up4Anything concept/contest promoted an active lifestyle and the rejuvenating lotion as an inseparable combination, and offered an innovative, experiential grand prize to the winner.

Along with detailed product info, the site presented the contest, the components of the multifaceted grand prize, a humorous full-motion video interactive “test” to determine if the participant was in fact up for anything, and a repository of user-ratable contest entries. As support, a rotation of web banners, e-mails, search keywords and offline media all came together to form a fully realized, integrated campaign promoting the contest, as well as directing viewers to the site.

Despite the steep learning curve of this new product, brand awareness, perception and likeability goals were achieved.

Starwood Real Estate Group:

RDA’s versatile, multi-function Starwood Real Estate Group web site targets investors and hotel developers. The site highlights the style, breadth and diversity of Starwood’s eight brands; the scale, innovation and technological savvy of the Starwood family as a whole; and a personal touch unique to the Starwood experience.

For investors looking to spend a lot to gain even more, the Real Estate Group site conveys the Starwood family feel while assuring developers that centralized marketing, cross-brand technology and revenue services all combine to provide a safe and intelligent investment.

The most evident point of distinctiveness is the site’s personal guide, a full-motion video hostess who establishes a “hospitality” connection between the developers and the Starwood brands. The (user controllable) personal guide directs visitors through the site’s extensive information and adds a touch of human friendliness and personality.

The site structures each brand’s vast assets and information arsenal into stunning galleries, development opportunities, support and service explanations, and centralized operations. Offering immediate answers to developers’ every question, the site conveys a strong technological know-how by intuitively cross-linking information and steering users as they explore by service or by brand.

NIVEA FOR MEN “Splinter Cell”:

The conceptual overlap between Ubisoft’s über-gritty Splinter Cell videogame series and NIVEA FOR MEN’s metrosexual-friendly shaving lotion is not exactly a natural one. Precisely because of this, and to prove to the hard-to-reach gaming community that NIVEA “gets” them, RDA implemented an combination in-game and standalone online web game that transcended anything resembling simple, traditional product placement.

It began with the conspicuous placement of what appeared to be a garden-variety NIVEA FOR MEN “The Good Side” shave lotion billboard within the Splinter Cell: Double Agent in-game environment. Soon the gamer realized that a cyber-graffiti artist added his own personal tag to the ad. Upon closer inspection, the gamer discovered an “Easter egg” — hidden content within the game that offered access to a parallel online universe where they encountered new missions, novel clues and a slew of new assassins comparable to those in the original videogame. In-depth pre- and post-game research determined conclusively that gamers genuinely appreciated NIVEA adding to and improving their gaming experience, resulting in increased likeability of the Brand and intent to purchase.

NIVEA Touches NY:

With the implementation of the NIVEA Touches New York web site, RDA transformed a one-location PR event into a unique, real-life journey of the senses that effectively expanded the appeal and impact of the event internationally.

“Go ahead and touch,” the NIVEA exhibit beckoned while offering unique, first-hand experiences all based on the element of touch. RDA’s parallel universe web site allowed users to enter an inviting three-dimensional cyberspace to experience “firsthand” all of the tactile exhibits, including a Thumbprint Theater, a mouse-activated thermo-chromatic wall, and a preview of many two- and three-dimensional exhibits at the actual event. By simulating many fascinating “touch” experiences, the web site offered viewers much more than a creative invitation to the real-world New York event; it acted as an immersive, multi-sensory experience in its own right.

Civilization IV: CivAnon:

Twelve Steps to Recovery … and Advertising Success. When 2K Games came to RDA to discuss advertising its new game, Civilization IV, to a young gaming audience, RDA proposed a viral campaign that would be as addictive and fun as the game itself. Entitled CivAnon, a fictitious non-profit organization web site to treat Civilization-playing addicts, the site is complete with a fake behavioral psychologist, addict stories, support blogs and much more. www.CivAnon.org was first introduced in a commercial shown at the E3 gaming conference in Los Angeles. Within two days, the site was being discussed in blogs as far away as Germany and Japan.

Even though the site launched in 2005, the average daily page views remain high with total hits registering to date at over 27 million (27,515,491).

The site design of CivAnon was intentionally created to appear as though it were developed by a non-profit organization. This fake realism has stirred fans of the game and site to refer to the psychologist as if he was a real person.

aloft hotels:

With W Hotels, Starwood Hotels and Resorts rewrote all the rules and created not only a new style of hotel, but a whole new genre. With aloft they’ve done it again, this time re-imagining the classic American “On the Road” tradition, albeit on a much higher plane. A hotel so far above anything in its class it has been aptly named: aloft.

What if there were an alternative to the usual staid, static, status quo hotel? A hotel that’s not only functional, but also fresh, fun and fulfilling? A hotel that, like W, recognizes that travelers want more from their hotel experience than just a place to sleep? They want a social environment, a place to relax and meet others. They want energy and ambiance. A world that is lively, not lonely. On this vision, aloft delivers.

The objective of the web site was to bring to life this new concept, visualizing how this new brand of hotels would carry the DNA of W into loft-style guestrooms — bright, airy environments with 9-foot ceilings and giant windows with high-tech offices and entertainment centers.

Created with very preliminary drawings, RDA’s task was to convey the look and feel of the hotel, which was accomplished via an innovative navigation system that allowed visitors to explore the hotel in more depth (via close-ups) and then automatically make their way back to the lobby.

W South Beach:

RDA handles W Residences across the country, so we developed an online template system for prospective owners to be shown what their unit might look like well in advance of construction. W South Beach is one of W Hotel’s new Residences, a concept whereby customers can purchase a condominium unit in a property designed and operated by W Hotels. The 3D immersive environment allows visitors to tour the (virtual) apartment, zoom to the exterior, enter bed- and bathrooms, watch CADCAM videos on the unit’s flat screen TV, pick up the property brochure from the coffee table and, of course, view floor plans of available units. The success of these and other RDA marketing efforts for the W Residences is reflected in the high volume of sales for W and in the increased assignments for the Agency.

W the Card:

Created as a virtual world lounge (www.whotels.com/wthecard) for the Very, Very Important Persons among W Hotels’ guests, this combined 3D/video site offers visitors an immersive look at the many benefits of being a W the Card holder. Whether it’s special offers from the many W Partners, exclusive previews or downloads of new releases from W-featured recording artists, or a calendar of events taking place at Ws across the country, this site conveys the essence of the W lifestyle. But as advanced as it is in design, its ultra-simple content management system allows non-technical users at W to easily upload new information regularly.

Sony BBSC:

RDA’s redesign of Sony’s Broadcast & Business web site organized hundreds of SKUs and dozens of diverse market segments into a cohesive, easy-to-navigate resource, while still giving each Sony Market Segment a unique and proprietary look and feel. The site design’s primary objective is to provide the fastest and surest way for visitors to locate a product and obtain key technical information. Secondary objectives of the site are to provide promotional opportunities for various product groups on an equal basis, as well as a means to call out important new product innovations. Part of the challenge of developing this site redesign was seamlessly integrating with Sony’s extensive asset management system, while creating a fresh, up-to-date look and feel.

NIVEA Sun-Kissed:

The Sun-Kissed product minisite, developed to introduce NIVEA body’s latest product, Sun-Kissed Firming Moisturizer, features an "RDA-discovered" new music artist. Serving as a hub for all online marketing efforts, the goal of this site was to generate excitement surrounding the product launch as well as convey the key benefits of the product to differentiate it from its competitors. In an effort to enhance the emotional appeal and impact of the Brand’s communication, “enjoy the beauty of human connections,” the Flash-based site featured the hit single “Love Show” by up-and-coming recording artist, Skye. Users could download the hit single for free on the minisite, as well as access a coupon offer and send an e-card.