IWC Schaffhausen the Swiss watchmaker created a historic campaign on Facebook Live. Celebrating the first round-the-world flight of a lovingly restored Spitfire, attracting 283,000 video views.
Time on their side
IWC has a history of producing military timepieces, including a wristwatch for the British army starting in 1944, as well as its Pilot watch, which was first manufactured in 1905. IWC wanted to celebrate its unique heritage as the manufacturer of the Pilot Watch Spitfire. A timepiece named after the iconic British fighter plane of World War II.
Campaign on Facebook Live
IWC Schaffhausen has a long and storied connection to aviation and the British military. To commemorate this history and promote a special edition of the Pilot Spitfire watch, IWC partnered with British pilots in summer 2019 to fly a lovingly restored Spitfire around the world for the first time for a project called “The Longest Flight”. Working with the creative strategy unit Facebook Creative Shop, IWC developed a multi-faceted campaign combining an in-person event at the Goodwood Aerodrome, Facebook’s platform and out of home advertising.The Longest Flight expedition launched at the Goodwood Aerodrome on August 5, 2019, with over 400 people in attendance. IWC broadcast live video of the aircraft taking to the skies on Facebook Live. Coverage of the departure was followed by a specially designed Flight Tracker on Facebook, where people could follow the progress of the plane. This Facebook coverage of the Spitfire’s journey was also broadcast in real time to twelve 70-inch digital screens at Paris Charles De Gaulle Airport in collaboration with JCDecaux Airport Paris, a division of the world’s largest outdoor advertising company. The display reached thousands of passengers in the Gate K area of the airport.IWC followed Facebook’s best practice guidelines for Facebook Live, building anticipation for the event well in advance via Facebook News Feed, and inviting people to like the Page, so they remained informed of the aircraft's progress at all times.IWC’s Facebook Page and Instagram profiles also used the Instant Experience and Stories format in advance of the aircraft’s takeoff to tell the background story of the silver Spitfire using text, film and even music.
IWC is a brand which is young at heart, always embracing new developments and innovation. The activation of the Silver Spitfire’s much-anticipated departure, through the combination of a social stream with out-of-home advertising, is an excellent example of how to engage with viewers and create new experiences in the digital age. This collaboration demonstrates the pioneering spirit of Facebook, JCDecaux Airport Paris and IWC Schaffhausen.
- Franziska Gsell CMO, IWC Schaffhausen
The results
IWC Schaffhausen combined heritage and innovation with a campaign that brought its watches to a new audience. Between July 29– August 5, 2019, the campaign achieved:
- 283,000 video views on Facebook Live
- 38 seconds average time spent on Facebook Instant Experience when clicking through from News Feed
- One-minute increase in average time spent on IWC website when clicking through from campaign ad
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