The goal was to make Tide relevant to young adults. Younger consumers tend to perceive Tide as a brand their mother used rather than a brand they themselves can relate to. We needed to invent an alternative way of communicating to this group. To speak with them on their own terms and engage them in a way not possible in mass media. The program focused specifically in the city of San Francisco where 1.5 million adults aged 18-34 live. We used the contest as a platform for supporting Tide Tablets. This is the detergent form that speaks best to a younger, more urban sensibility. Tide partnered with House & Garden Magazine to create the “Tide Window Art Contest” in San Francisco. The program, which ran for 2 weeks in January 2002, involved 12 vintage clothing stores in the Haight-Ashbury district. Each store created a window display featuring Tide Rapid Action Tablets and the yellow and orange Tide bulls-eye. The windows were judged by House & Garden’s design editor for creativity and visual impact. The 3 winning stores received a modest cash prize. All participating stores received free boxes of Tide Tablets to display and offer as samples to customers. The contest was promoted via Tide “Shopping Maps” distributed to participating stores and area hotels.Total value of the “Tide Window Art Contest” far exceeded the nominal cost of prize money ($3,000). 3,000,000 estimated pedestrian and vehicular impressions3,000 targeted samples distributed2,000 Tide “Shopping Maps” 60,000 impressions via PR coverage (online and print)The “Tide Window Art Contest” was a major success from a brand communication standpoint. Sales performance of Tablets in the San Francisco market will be tracked in the coming months to quantify business impact. The program will be expanded into new cities next year where new generations will rediscover Tide as a hip, urban brand with an innovative form specifically for them. The Tide Pop Art Contest was an innovative media program that ran in January ’02 promoting Tide laundry detergent in the city of San Francisco. The Saatchi & Saatchi New York media team created the idea for the program and, with assistance from marketing partner House & Garden Magazine, managed all aspects of implementation. The primary challenge was to create a medium that had not previously existed. With much legwork and persistence, we recruited the top vintage clothing stores in San Francisco to participate in the contest. They agreed to create window displays showcasing Tide in a dramatic Pop Art setting. We awarded cash prizes to the three most creative displays. Maps indicating the participating store locations were produced and distributed in area clothing stores and hotels. Additionally, we aggressively pursued PR (or press articles) and had the Tide Pop Art Contest featured in a national magazine article. The Tide Pop Art Contest made Tide laundry detergent more relevant and interesting to young adults. It inspired younger consumers to think about Tide in a way that is more contemporary and hip. Unlike traditional mass media, the window art program suggested a brand personality that for the first time young adults could connect with. Tide created a unique new medium. Vintage clothing stores throughout San Francisco featured Tide and its logo in their window displays. The windows were visible to people walking by on the sidewalk and driving in their cars. The windows dramatically showcased Tide’s orange and yellow bulls-eye logo, a highly recognizable symbol of popular culture in the U.S. The windows engaged consumers who embraced the windows as artistic achievements rather than an advertisement. Participating stores reported increased store traffic and consumer interest in the windows as soon as they debuted. The program capitalized on the popularity of vintage (or second hand) clothing in the U.S. Vintage fashion is particularly trendy with young adults. The context of vintage clothing was right for Tide because Tide stands not just for cleaning, but for fabric care. Also, Tide itself is vintage in that it is both timeless and modern.

The Tide Pop Art Contest was an innovative media program that ran in January ’02 promoting Tide laundry detergent in the city of San Francisco. The Saatchi & Saatchi New York media team created the idea for the program and, with assistance from marketing partner House & Garden Magazine, managed all aspects of implementation. The primary challenge was to create a medium that had not previously existed. With much legwork and persistence, we recruited the top vintage clothing stores in San Francisco to participate in the contest. They agreed to create window displays showcasing Tide in a dramatic Pop Art setting. We awarded cash prizes to the three most creative displays. Maps indicating the participating store locations were produced and distributed in area clothing stores and hotels. Additionally, we aggressively pursued PR (or press articles) and had the Tide Pop Art Contest featured in a national magazine article.