The Symantec leadership asked us to help them build a new foundational strategy and global brand campaign to go with it. In our research, we learned something meaningful: security is not a product, it's a feeling. And when people and organizations feel secure, they are confident to do more. We made a key decision—stop talking about prevention and start talking about the enablement security provides. Like a skier wearing a helmet, protection is about going further, faster—not simply avoiding risk.
At core of the campaign is a simple idea: highlight the things that Symantec, by protecting you, empowers you do to. In other words, take the next step. Answer the “So, what?” Don’t just talk about being protected. Celebrate what you can do when you are protected.
We partnered with legendary effects house Gentleman Scholar to create a pair of anthemic videos featuring a roster of what came to be known as Big Words. These were verbs that described the things an organization could do when their data was secure and available. They ranged from the aspirational—roam, innovate, wonder—to the more functional and expected—work, collaborate, protect. The only rule: each word needed an “o” in it, so we could feature the Symantec checkmark the audience knew so well. Aside from appearing in the videos, most of the words had their own appearances in print, digital banners, and dramatic out-of-home placements. Music for the two videos was composed by Stimmung in Los Angeles, where it was recorded with a live orchestra.
We launched this epic global rebrand in twenty countries and almost as many languages. Overall, 2.5 billion impressions were served. And results were impressive—including a 21% increase in brand favorability and a 65% increase in purchase intent.