General information

Campaign objectives:

The aim of the campaign was to raise awareness about blood cancer, and encourage people to register with DKMS, (a non-profit organization that connects potential stem cell donors with blood cancer patients) with a goal of 10,000 new registrations.

This initiative involves an exclusive partnership between CosmosDirekt and DKMS. DKMS is featured editorially in the campaign, highlighting the theme “Together for a Good Cause’’, through an in-app treasure hunt.

Context

Winterscheidt and Klaas Heufer-Umlauf are two German superstars from hosting German TV. Their most recent game show is called ‘’Joko & Klaas against ProSieben”. The twist is that they compete against their guests for airtime on the biggest channel of the broadcaster: ProSieben. They usually compete against figures such as comedians, singers, and actors who represent ProSieben. This innovative format allows them to create a second show, a special format in which they are free to do what they would like.

After having won airtime to use on ProSieben to their own leisure, Joko & Klaas decided to organise a treasure hunt consisting of seven puzzles in seven episodes. For seven consecutive days, a puzzle was shown at 8:15 PM each day on TV. The solutions to the individual puzzles eventually formed coordinates where a money case containing 1 million euros would be hidden. The prize money was provided by CosmosDirekt.

The aim was to achieve 10,000 new registrations at DKMS, create a buzz in Germany, generate PR, and increase website traffic for CosmosDirekt and increasing radically the database of potential stem cell donors in the country. The client’s needs and KPIs focused on maximizing awareness, increasing website traffic, and strengthening the claim: “Schütze, was du liebst” (“Protect what you love”).

Creative Minds

The concept behind the campaign was a multichannel native approach with product placements and price positioning in an exclusive partnership between CosmosDirekt, DKMS, and Seven.One. This campaign was unique and innovative because it was the first time a client was included natively in the “15 Minutes” of Joko and Klaas, the first time product placements were used in a trailer, the first time editorial content distribution was shared with a client (with the first episode available exclusively on the client’s website for the first 24 hours). This was the first time that we were able to include a customer URL in the content to facilitate the conversion from content to brand.

The campaign was made special and successful by including the partner in all communications surrounding the project. It involved being bold and a little crazy to host the biggest live treasure hunt on German TV without knowing the actual outcome, and by activating Germany to take action, not only in the treasure hunt but also in registering with the DKMS.

Since secrecy was an extremely important part of the project, a taskforce of a maximum of 10 people from the broadcaster side was involved to make this project happen – to all ends.

We are proud of this campaign because it was a project that entertained a whole country, literally saved and changed lives, and helped a client reach their campaign goals. It was a win-win-win with an extremely cooperative partnership from all parties and individuals involved.

AdFactory, Florida TV, and ProSieben were responsible for developing and delivering the campaign. The partners or creative/media agencies involved were CosmosDirekt and DenstuX.

Campaign video(s)

Results

The campaign not only resulted in a lucky winner finding the money case with 1 million euros, but it also significantly boosted new registrations at DKMS, contributing to the fight against blood cancer.

The digital multichannel performance of the treasure hunt campaign reached 7.6 million people. By the time the last puzzle aired, DKMS had received 37,000 new registrations from potential stem cell donors.

The campaign far exceeded its initial target of 10,000 new registrations at DKMS, achieving over 37,000. The campaign generated headlines in Germany’s leading publishers and created a huge buzz on social media, making it one of the biggest TV spectacles of 2023.

In such dynamic projects, daily surprises are expected. Notably, a Twitch streamer watched all episodes live with his community, solving all tasks and riddles. One of his viewers was the first to reach the treasure and win the prize. Contrary to expectations, people showed a strong interest in sharing their results and forming communities to solve the treasure hunt together.

The client was highly satisfied: “But there was also another treasure at stake: the treasure of life. Throughout the mysterious treasure hunt, over 38,000 people registered as new stem cell donors in the fight against blood cancer with our partner DKMS. These are individuals who may one day save lives. For us at CosmosDirekt, this was precisely the reason to embark on this unique partnership with Seven.One and DKMS. It is innovative campaigns like this that turn our brand promise, ‘Protect what you love,’ into a genuine stance”