Jingle Joes
- Brand
- Kmart
- Year
- 2014
- Objective
- Engagement
- Industry
- Retail
- Mechanic
- Music & Rhythm
- Platform
- Web
- Agency
- Michael Shirley
Objective
Kmart needed a way to compete for holiday attention against Target's far larger ad budget, so it leaned on virality rather than media spend to sell Joe Boxer underwear and pajamas. The brand also wanted a second act for 2013's "Show Your Joe" spot, giving its audience something to play and pass around rather than just another video to watch.
Solution
The game opens on a stage with the six "Joe" characters from the ad, waiting to be played like instruments. Pressing keys on a keyboard, or tapping and swiping on a touchscreen, sets the characters moving and singing out notes that build into the player's own remix of the holiday jingle. Hunting through the keys turns up hidden surprises — unexpected reactions from the characters that reward experimentation. Once a version clicks, the player can record it and share the jingle on social media.
Results
The campaign's holiday spot drew more than 20 million YouTube views, building on the 18 million views the prior year's "Show Your Joe" video had already banked.
- 1
The player lands on jinglejoes.com, a single-page scene built around six animated "Joe" characters carried over from Kmart's Joe Boxer holiday ad.
- 2
Controls are direct: the player plays via keyboard on desktop or taps and swipes on phone or tablet, taking active control of characters who previously only performed on their own in the video.
- 3
Each keystroke or tap triggers one Joe's dance move and its matching musical note, so the six characters function as six keys of a playable instrument.
- 4
Stringing taps together into a rhythm builds a personal remix of the holiday tune, with all six Joes dancing along to whatever beat the player creates.
- 5
Trying different keys and combinations surfaces hidden, unannounced reactions and easter eggs, rewarding experimentation with the full lineup.
- 6
The player can record their composition, capturing the custom jingle as a saved clip.
- 7
The session ends with the player sharing the recorded jingle to social media, sending their own remixed version of the song to friends.
