Problem:

Hong Kong is one of the shopping hubs of the planet. While it may seem an ideal place for new designers to open a business, ultimately, they are often squeezed out by the big players, unwilling to play with the competition. We at Ogilvy set out to change the landscape for the small guys with a campaign for the Hong Kong Independent Designers Association. By organizing small design boutiques together and selling products together, they were able to approach a broader audience that otherwise would be impossible to reach.

Challenge:

The Ogilvy Innovation team proposed a shopping platform that was designed to mimic real-world functionality of the product suggestion engine on sites such as Amazon. Our challenge was to create a CMS platform that relied on QR codes attached to products to cross-promote other products from other designers that would stylistically match.

Development:

Giving customers recommendations that match their existing choices required a close partnership with multiple independent designers. Furthermore, a smart mapping system would help consumers locate matching products through the maze of Hong Kong shopping outlets.

Result:

My first Cannes Lion, the Shop Elsewhere platform, won a Bronze Lion in the Direct Marketing Category of the 2013 festival. Generating an unprecedented amount of press, beyond what we could have possibly expected, it went on from Cannes to win a Clios, London International Awards, and Hong Kong's own Kam Fan awards.