ThumbWars - Sprint + DoSomething.org
In the incredibly competitive wireless landscape, it’s essential that carriers stay relevant to younger millennial and Gen Z audiences. While other providers have tried slashing prices, cutting contracts, and offering a variety of payment plans, Sprint decided to make a tangible difference for this sought after age group by creating a campaign that educates on the dangers of texting while driving and facilitates intervention of this behavior.
Teaming up with DoSomething.org, the strategy was to create a campaign that got young people to talk about the dangers of texting while driving with their friends and family, through a fun and engaging call to action.
The partners created a quirky way to start a conversation about texting while driving: thumb socks. Participants signed up to receive two pairs of thumb socks: one for themselves and one for a friend.
Members submitted pictures of their friends wearing the socks online or via text and were entered for a chance to win a $10,000 scholarship. The photos were then featured in an online gallery, with the best photos converted into shareable memes pushed out via social media.
As a result, the Sprint brand was introduced to millions of millennials and over 120,000 young people were engaged in conversations about the dangers of texting while driving. The Thumb Wars campaign garnered over $880,000 in donated media as well as celebrity and influencer support. Over 4,600 photos were submitted of members with their thumb socks, a 50% increase in user-generated content over prior year.