Bringing Power to the People
Breakthrough creative channelling the outrage Albertans felt at high energy prices.
Energy Crunch
In the fall of 2023, Albertans faced a cost of energy crisis. Within a deregulated energy market that was supposed to provide more choice and lower costs, the price of electricity had exploded. On top of rampant inflation affecting Albertans’ grocery bills, interest payments and rent, expensive electricity was the last straw. Albertans were feeling increasingly ignored by government and taken advantage of by the big companies who they felt were price-gouging them and calling it inflation.
Time to be Loud!
We knew the level of outrage at high energy prices wasn’t going away any time soon, so we embraced it. We knew we had to be as loud as possible for as long as possible if we were going to achieve aggressive growth targets before the market shifted again.
To break through to a cynical and disaffected audience, we needed to give voice to that anger. We decided to be a brash, combative truth teller that was firmly on the side of all Albertans struggling with their electricity bills. Our mission was to bring Power to the People.
With this brand positioning, we got into market with snappy headlines on an eye-catching electric pink background. The headlines ensured we were top of mind with the audience and always positioned the big utility companies as a shared enemy we were collectively fighting against.
These headlines came to life in OOH billboards and wild postings across the province. We created attention-grabbing radio spots designed to highlight the frustration Albertans felt at their sky-high electricity bills. This brand awareness push was supported by a lower-funnel digital buy focused on driving conversion and conquesting anyone searching for the big providers. As the cold weather drove electricity demand, and prices went up, we leveraged The Weather Network to get in front of Albertans in another smart, targeted manner.
Flip Off!
While our initial communication was in market to keep new customers flowing in, we worked on a way to create a big splash – an emotionally fuelled way to convince Albertans to break up with their energy provider. We channelled Morgan Wallen, Luke Coombs and Oliver Anthony in a country rock song for the ages. Our lyrics gave voice to what our audience really wanted to tell their energy providers – FLIP OFF!
We partnered with local up-and-coming singer Garrett Gregory to record the song and released 30-second lyric videos on Sponsor Energy’s social media channels, along with a province-wide radio and digital-audio buy which drove massive impact with our audience.
Generating Power
Our creative grabbed Albertans’ attention and continued to drive new customers for Sponsor Energy, generating between 750 and 1,000 new sign-ups per week for the four months we were in market as well as increasing searches for Sponsor Energy more than 600%.
The Flip Off song was so well received that Garrett is now releasing it as part of his own catalogue, which means it will soon take on a life of its own.
