This week marked the tenth anniversary of one of today’s most popular social media platforms, Facebook. But Marc Zuckerberg wasn’t the only one celebrating; the company gave its users a reason to smile through a personalized video recap of their own years on the network, through a campaign entitled “A Look Back”.
“A Look Back” is a 62-second clip that depicts the year you joined Facebook, your most-liked posts and a slideshow of photos throughout the years, all perfectly cued up to instrumental music. Users have the option of sharing their video montage with others, through a “Share Your Movie” button with a default message that states, “Here’s my Facebook movie. Find yours at https://facebook.com/lookback/ #FacebookIs10″. The videos will only be available for about a month.
The “A Look Back” campaign didn’t just result in a renewed sense of nostalgia – it was also a tactical, strategic plan to get the world buzzing about Facebook’s big milestone. As a PR professional, here’s what I enjoyed about Facebook’s creative approach:
- Facebook connected with its audience in a personal way. By recapping users’ greatest moments (or in this case, social media posts), Facebook made its company milestone everyone’s celebration – of life and the journey it presents along the way. You can’t go wrong by putting the end user first.
- It instantly became a trending topic on social media. “FacebookIs10” was the most discussed topic on Facebook and Twitter late Tuesday, and the company strategically created a unique hashtag to not get lost in the everyday #Facebook chatter. Brands, take note – before launching a campaign, think of hashtags that are short, unique and to-the-point in order to gain traction and maximum visibility.
- Zuckerberg was a terrific media spokesperson. In honor of the commemoration, Facebook’s CEO stated, “It’s been amazing to see how all of you have used our tools to build a real community. You’ve shared the happy moments and the painful ones.” As the company’s spokesperson, his messaging during media interviews consistently aligned with the end goal of the video montage – to humanize Facebook and connect on a personal level.
It was hard to escape the international birthday party and it was even harder not to smile during the one minute clip. Kudos to Facebook for not only reaching an impressive milestone, but for also flawlessly executing one of the most creative and personal campaigns of its time.
What did you think of Facebook’s “A Look Back” feature?