IBM

Client and Project: IBM - “The World Is Going Hybrid”

Output: Global Brand Strategy

Completed: Ogilvy

With the appointment of a new CEO and thus a new vision, IBM was on a mission to become the leader for Hybrid Cloud technology (tech that unifies public cloud, private cloud and on-premises infrastructure to create a single, flexible, IT infrastructure) while expanding its brand relevance amongst senior tech leaders and culture at large.   

The Challenge

How do you create a story that communicates the complexity of Hybrid Cloud technology in a way that is valuable and interesting to both tech geeks and the general public?

The Strategic Approach

In order to set IBM apart from its competitors we knew we had to break outside of the mundane sea of sameness that is B2B marketing. Therefore we needed a mutual point of interest between the senior tech leaders of Fortune 500 companies and general consumers of tech. After getting to know the ins and outs of Hybrid Cloud systems we found similarities in the operating processes of the technology and the processes of various points of culture including music, cooking and even the NASCAR racing experience.

The Work

We showed that just as elements of a song work together in concert, so can your business' data, apps and clouds through IBM’s Hybrid Cloud technology. To bring this narrative to life we called on culture’s biggest phenomenons - producer Timbaland, chef Anne Burrell, racing champion Jamie Chadwick and Hall of Fame football coach Mike Singletary to help equate their professions to the features of Hybrid Cloud and drive consumers to upgrade their tech stacks to hybrid.

The Impact

  • “The World is Going Hybrid” successfully helped to increase brand relevancy and drive consideration and demand for IBM’s Hybrid Cloud platform (as measured by internal data tracking platforms)

  • The campaign’s Timbaland spot was used for IBM’s 2021 Super Bowl placement

  • The strategy and campaign structure was brought back to life by the brand in 2022 to highlight a new cast of cultural influencers such as NBCUniversal’s Zuri Hall