We leveraged three pivotal everyday teenage components: Peers, role models and technology, and provided teens assets to stay connected with friends online/offline through social media, playground currency and virtual worlds.

A partnership with Vanessa Hudgens (VH) from High School Musical – the teenage movie phenomena –generated excitement and secured the ultimate BTS reference. “Arrive Lounge” The engaging BTS bespoke microsite featured: VH behind-the-scenes footage, Sears-themed games, content, opt-in mobile offer alerts, downloads and tools (video/music mash-up, social network apps).Visitors registered for VIP access and a scavenger-type sweepstakes. Weekly emails/SMS contained clues with online/in-store Sears-exclusive items. When found, VIPs texted keywords for a chance to win a Vanessa concert at their school.Virtual Worlds “Arrive Lounge” within virtual worlds contained custom content, videos, freebies and games. In Sears’ virtual boutiques, avatars tried on clothes, attended parties/fashion events and entered catwalk contests.

MovieSears integration into MTV movie, “American Mall,” starring VH.

Teens arrived at school in style and our communication trends continued well past the BTS season, with online garnering: • 5.1 million Sears-themed games played across four properties;• 4.5 minutes of player/brand interaction per game;• 1 million YouTube views of video mash-ups, Sears commercials and related behind-the-scenes footage;• CTR outperformed benchmark 350%;• Standard units CTR 10 times the benchmark;• Virtual world:o 1.8 million store visits;o 3.5 million articles purchased/used;o 3.9 million event attendances; • An AdInsights study confirmed we connected with – and persuaded – teens:o “Sears is a store I would consider when shopping” up 7%; o “Intention to shop at Sears for back to school items” up 5%.