NETGEAR Skype WiFi Phone

Background

NETGEAR and Skype teamed up to create the revolutionary NETGEAR Skype WiFi Phone—a phone that lets people make free internet phone calls without being tethered to their computers by headsets. They wanted a low-cost Web campaign that would create a buzz and drive sales.

Results

Punch developed a viral advertising campaign to leverage social networking sites and generate rapid awareness. We rolled out a series of entertaining, live-action videos that demonstrated the problems of being tethered to a computer by a headset, and created humorous animated Webmercials to further dramatize the problem. Additionally, consumers were encouraged to send in their own headset mishap videos for the chance to win a free NETGEAR SKYPE WiFi phone. These videos spread rapidly on the Web through consumer emails and discussions on sites such as YouTube and Digg.

The NETGEAR Skype WiFi phone quickly became one of the top-10-selling Holiday Gift Items on Amazon.com and sold out of all available inventory by mid-December.