• by Karl Greenberg , October 28, 2010

FedEx is breaking a global campaign via BBDO under its "FedEx delivers to a changing world" platform that centers on a digital-content platform that serves up global business trends and insights via The Economist Intelligence Unit to people who visit www.Experience.FedEx.com.

The site uses a dynamic world map that visually transmogrifies second by second to reflect eight global trends, including air travel, people in cities, entrepreneurs and success, paper trail, business growth, education, money and happiness, and research and development. The site's morphing maps are animated in real-time.

It also features an augmented-reality element where people can print a 2D marker and hold it in front of their computer's camera to get a floating 3D globe of the world and current economic indicators in each country.

The campaign is being executed in eight languages across 14 markets, including Brazil, Mexico, China, Japan, South Korea, Germany, India and the United Kingdom. The campaign will include print and online advertising.

Brenda McWilliams -- managing director of the FedEx brand and communications who is in Europe to dedicate a solar-powered hub in Cologne -- tells Marketing Daily that this marks the third year of FedEx's global ad campaign and the second year of a new campaign around the theme of "FedEx Delivers to a Changing World."

"We thought the site would be an interesting, visual way to demonstrate how the world is changing and provide customers with interesting views on the world and trends impacting global business opportunities."

McWilliams says there are three routes to the site via marketing communications: print ads in the 14 global markets with the URL; a print ad with the image that launches the 3D reality experience; and online ads, standard banners and rich media.

She says despite the 14-market advertising, the Web site is really global in reach. "I think the beauty of the centerpiece of the campaign being a Web site is that it is technically available anywhere." She says the site's map will ultimately reflect about 24 data sets.

The campaign is not meant to be heavily branded, according to McWilliams. "It's there to spark ideas; for each data point, there's an article or slide show that explores the topic further, including FedEx-specific content related to that topic. So if they are interested in how FedEx is involved, they can see that, too."