As the most “high-tech” and “high-touch” formalwear rental platform available, George Zimmer’s new online tuxedo and suit rental company set out to own the occasions most deserving of a tuxedo, starting with the year’s most celebratory night, New Year’s Eve. It all began with a first-of-its-kind contest to find the “First Couple of 2016,” with the winning couple being married live onstage in Times Square during the NYE celebrations.

The idea was to appeal to the masses through such a time-honored tradition, and tackle the concept of formal wear for every occasion, through both traditional and non-traditional marketing. By highlighting the traditional elements of both weddings and holiday celebrations, Generation Tux was able to present the brand's mission of contemporary and exciting, easy-to-wear fashion fit for every man's needs.

Own New Year’s Eve - First Couple of 2016:

1. Announce contest at one of the world's leading technology conferences in San Francisco, Dreamforce, with a unique flash mob and roaming giveaway stunt and keynote speech by the company’s founder, George Zimmer

2. Call-for-entry for couples to submit videos to become official First Couple with their live wedding to be held in Times Square onstage

2. Identify two finalist couples and open public voting

3. Blanket press and social channels with news to drive site traffic

4. Unveil winning couple live in Times Square, with Zimmer officiating both weddings in front of millions of revelers

5. Turn “First Couple of 2016” into the story of January 1, informing media nationwide of new tradition

By the morning newscasts on January 1, a new tradition had officially been born, with the “First Couple of 2016” becoming national news and appearing on nearly every national broadcast outlet including TODAY, Good Morning America, FOX, Univision and more. Coverage in the Associated Press, ABC News, Yahoo, the Wall Street Journal, the Daily Mail, MSNBC and more drove massive awareness of the campaign, capturing the hearts of viewers around the world as the year kicked off with a celebration of love (and style).

Not only did the contest kick off an entirely new tradition; it also delivered on each of the campaign’s objectives, generating the following results:

70 million+ earned media impressions

2.4 million paid social media impressions

Over 1 million highly-engaged fans served as “wedding guests” and even caught the bouquet, while they witnessed the inauguration of a new ritual

Generation Tux's New Year's Domination is relevant to this award down to its very core. Aimed at taking over the world's most celebrated holidays, and reimagining one of America's tent pole celebrations, Times Square NYE, Generation Tux used the cultural equity of the holiday to boost their brand's message and appeal, while seamlessly integrating the company into the festivities.

By attacking from the wedding and entertainment angle, Generation Tux's message and content was hard, if not impossible, to be left out of conversation regarding the night, by consumers and media alike.

Strategies:

1. Borrow equity from a major platform:

a. Partner with Times Square Alliance to become “Official Tuxedo of Times Square New Year’s Eve" and "takeover" one of the most culturally and globally recognized celebrations in the world

2. Engage key target – engaged couples and millennial men – through socially-driven contests, therefore increasing the brand's social media presence and credibility in the process

3. Create impossible-to-ignore media stories and ignite conversations regarding new cultural traditions on one of the year’s most buzzed-about occasions, New Year's Eve

Situation:

It was the firing heard ‘round the world: George Zimmer’s unceremonious removal from the company he founded and ran for decades, The Men’s Wearhouse. After launching the company in 1973 and building it into a multi-billion-dollar operation with thousands of stores, Zimmer found himself out of work.

After a few rounds of golf and an attempt at retirement, Zimmer was back at it, with a company that would once again change the way people get dressed: Generation Tux.

Brief:

As the most “high-tech” and “high-touch” formalwear rental platform available, George Zimmer’s new online tuxedo and suit rental company set out to own the occasions most deserving of a tuxedo, starting with New Year's Eve.

Program Objectives:

1. Establish a stronghold on the rental tuxedo market.

2. Drive site traffic to GenerationTux.com.

3. Position Generation Tux, and founder George Zimmer, as innovative and culturally-relevant.