Outspent by other players in the market, we launched a refreshed brand identity and platform in 2017. Live Mutual is a rallying cry to inspire Americans to embrace interdependence and see how core it is to our humanity at a time when we are deeply divided.

The closing of a year is a natural time for reflection––giving us a moment to connect to the broader human story of which we are all a part. While the constant barrage of negative news coverage encourages us to focus on our differences, the truth is that it’s in our nature to look out for one another.

Instead of utilizing tried-and-true celebrities and influencers, we took a less conventional approach. We dug beyond the mainstream headlines uncovering countless uplifting stories that got lost in the noise and used them to change the social conversation about 2017––and lift people's spirits heading into the new year.

We sourced local news reports and uncovered uplifting stories that had been overshadowed by the year’s news stories to change the conversation about 2017. We partnered with CNN’s Great Big Story to produce short documentaries, wove the stories together with a year-in-review film set to the song “I’ll Stand by You,” and set social, print, and radio to drive to TheUnsung.com with branded content.

We also surrounded the moment with hard-working media including social, airport television and digital takeovers to contextualize the story around the holiday season.

For the campaign’s centerpiece, on New Year’s Eve, we owned the entire 11pm-12am broadcast on CNN, with a day filled with editorial integrations that culminated in a 2-minute live event in honor of our heroes, broadcast in the final minutes of the year––giving MassMutual the last word of 2017.

With its live ad, MassMutual captured the last mass tune-in opportunity available on broadcast, helping the brand boost awareness and familiarity. Positive responses proved we met our objective: “ad of the year,” “the most beautiful exit to 2017,” and “a beacon of hope into the new year.”

By the end of 2017, MassMutual’s brand awareness metrics doubled. Unsung delivered a 400% increase in website traffic, 43% lift in brand searches, and produced +12% lifts in positive sentiment on social––more than other marketing efforts for the brand in 2017. The campaign delivered 635MM total cross-channel impressions, 21MM video views, +170K engagements, and coverage by industry trade for becoming the first brand to leverage a cultural moment on New Year’s Eve for a live ad integration on CNN.