GOING DIGITAL WITH JIMMY KIMMEL
/74/
Pieces of Coverage
/196M/
Impressions
/120K/
YouTube Views
Situation
Social chatter about the length of CVS Pharmacy’s paper receipts continued to build, reaching critical mass once talk show hosts started including the receipts into their opening monologues and comedy bits, and the topic became inspiration for dozens of memes. When we were getting ready to roll-out a digital option for members of the company’s popular ExtraCare Rewards program, one thing was clear – we needed to make a big splash with media, but do so in a way that drove awareness and excitement - without encouraging more backlash or alienating those who prefer paper.
Strategy
Our strategy was to lean into the humor and collaborate with ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live!, and integrate the launch into his high-profile “campaign” for VP. Pitching the idea to his producers, we secured an unpaid segment on the show, where the arrival of digital receipts was first unveiled in a surprise appearance featuring the then-President of CVS’ retail business.
Results
The show acknowledged the passionate feedback shared by millions of customers including Kimmel himself and the reveal was a hit, generating positive awareness among consumers and helping create a flood of digital and traditional media coverage for the announcement. While the placement on Jimmy Kimmel Live! enabled key messages to be communicated to consumers quickly and broadly, a secondary wave of media outreach highlighting our strategy allowed Matter to continue the momentum with coverage that elevated CVS as a smart and savvy brand – with praise pouring in from Adweek, Yahoo!, Fortune, TIME, The Boston Globe, and Huffington Post, among others.