The VW Beetle had a reputation as a “chick car.” The new model, however, was chic, slick, fast and masculine. In order to market this new model to men, VW partnered with Shark Week to show off the goods. They created a fully operational underwater “Shark Observation Cage” – that is, an underwater Beetle that literally swam with the sharks. In a three part series that aired during Shark Week, viewers saw the Beetle driving on the ocean floor with the sharks. Over that time, VW had a …

Sometimes, bigger is better. To reach farmers, potential customers who use WinField Answer Plots for agronomic information, the agency went mural. Two 22-foot tall art works, hand-painted mega-farmers, appeared in an Ames, Iowa cornfield, the main route to the company’s trade show. Think Grant Wood on steroids. The clear message — WinField thinks big — clicked. The tactic spoke to rural audiences, helped produce 12,039 unique farmer attendees, representing nearly 14 million acres.

To launch season three of makeup show “Face Off,” Syfy sweetened the deal. The network created an alliance with Dylan’s Candy Bar – a premiere Manhattan candy destination. Window transformations used candy to underscore niche artistry. Syfy also created an ice cream flavor (Face Off Freeze) and cocktail (Party Your Face Off). In- store branding included point-of-purchase displays, video coloring and photo booths, fun not flash. Social media geo-targeted New Yorkers for free cone day, which the Syfy credits for upping viewership.

Digitas worked with Virgin Mobile to create a partnership between Virgin and Buzzfeed. By listening to social conversations, the brand created original content that it supported across Buzzfeed and its partner sites. The partnership delivered over 5.2 million Virgin Mobile content views. One post, “11 Things On One Wants to See You Instagram,” delivered over 650 thousand views. As a result of the campaign, there was a 100 percent lift in perception that Virgin understands technology and culture.

Carbonite? Something Superman might be challenged by? Far from it. Essentially, it's a cloud-based hard drive for one's computer -- if things should go wrong. For older, sometimes perplex computer consumers, this has been a gimme. Not so much for  computer-savvy young consumers. A web-based TV network, Revision3, and some young TV hosts putting their own spin on things. 10 million annual views resulted -- and an redemption offer over-delivered two and a half times.

Need to travel but don't, or can't, get to a car or a plane. A long-time brand, Greyhound, might get involved. Timing is everything because long-distance bus people make last minute decisions -- three days before they go. So make the media work to those dimensions -- and change preconceive old notions about the brand. The return on investment goal was to hit $17 in ticket sales for every media dollar spent. The result got to $28.79 in revenue instead.

Think Google:  Big. Scary. Global. Local, friendly, and accessible is much better -- especially for fine mid-west Kansas City folk where Google Fiber was starting up a test -- all to compete with -- who else -- big and scary cable companies. The easier sell: Google Fiber is 100 times faster than competitors' Internet and TV. One key local promo: Use trusted, local DJs on radio for commercials. A critical mass of consumers -- around 120 neighborhoods --- was the goal. The campaign got 180.

Location, location, location. That’s what B&N Nook campaign capitalized on — running cinema ads and displays close to a store, where 90% of Nooks are sold. 71% of all cinema viewing takes place Friday–Sunday, when consumers are in the mood to spend. Plus, a ticket earned them coupons for free drinks at B&N. Who says no to free? The graphics were clean, the message clear: Nooks are fun. Some 63% agreed, saying they would consider purchasing the device.

In an effort to promote Beneful brand dog food while at the same time encouraging “Play,” Inwindow Outdoor, in collaboration with Fallon and Zenith, created virtual dog runs at high traffic locations in five major cities with the centerpiece being a 64-foot digital wall running the length of a corridor in New York City’s Columbus Circle subway station. Equipped with 3D cameras, gesture recognition and laser tracking technology, the digital wall enabled passersby to stop and play with computer generated dogs in a virtual dog park. Each dog …

The U.S. Navy cooperated in the production of the NBCU movie “Battleship” and partnered with the network to create behind-the-scenes content. It also saw an opportunity to produce custom video promoting naval recruiting, targeting the film’s audience: men 18-24. NBCU produced a 30-second integrated video segment that ran in Screenvision and NCM theaters, adjacent to the agency’s “100%” Navy commercial. Unique mobile calls-to-action also hit the big screen. The Navy’s social properties, mobile, Twitter, YouTube, saw an uptick. Smooth sailing.