Year
2021
Client
OnePlus
Category
Video, Social
Product Duration
3-Months
To introduce OnePlus’s first budget-friendly 5G handset, we intercepted the growing wave of online 5G jokes and misinformation with a light-hearted, star-driven digital campaign. Partnering with actor Marcus Scribner, we turned Twitter’s wildest 5G takes into a humorous “straight talk” video that reframed the conversation around real-world benefits—speed, reliability, and future-proof tech—all wrapped in OnePlus’s trademark witty tone.
The target audience—Gen Z and young millennials—barely understood 5G beyond conspiracy memes and playful digs. Negative chatter threatened to eclipse the genuine value of next-gen connectivity, creating skepticism just as OnePlus was preparing to enter the space with its most affordable 5G model to date.
Trend Surfing: We pinpointed the surge of 5G humor and positioned OnePlus as the brand willing to address it head-on.
Star Power with Purpose: Research showed Marcus Scribner resonated with our audience for his relatable, comedic voice. His authentic persona helped disarm cynicism.
Tweet-Powered Script: Marcus invited fans to share their hottest 5G takes on Twitter. The quirkiest replies became the backbone of our script, giving the video a user-generated heartbeat and built-in social proof.
Humor as an Educational Trojan Horse: Each myth was debunked with wit first, facts second—making the tech talk stick rather than slide off.
Format: 90-second hero video, optimized for YouTube, Twitter, and TikTok cut-downs.
Workflow: One-day green-screen shoot with Marcus, followed by rapid-turn motion-graphics overlays of real tweets.
Rollout:
Teaser clips released on Marcus’s and OnePlus’s social handles.
Full video drop synchronized with phone pre-orders.
Threaded Twitter replies from Marcus kept the conversation alive, funneling traffic back to the product page.
Conversation Shift: Social sentiment analysis showed a 40% uptick in positive 5G mentions within OnePlus brand channels during launch week.
Engagement Surge: The hero video surpassed 1 M organic views in 72 hours, with a 65% average watch-through rate, well above category benchmarks.
Sales Catalyst: Pre-orders for the new device exceeded internal targets by 22% in the first ten days, validating the campaign’s ability to educate and convert.
Brand Halo: By owning (and light-heartedly correcting) the joke, OnePlus strengthened its persona as the tech brand that “gets” its audience and isn’t afraid to talk straight.
