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By Katie Deighton, Senior Reporter

May 27, 2017 | 3 min read

E.ON has partnered with Damon Albarn’s Gorillaz for a solar-powered live and digital campaign – an initiative that kicks off the energy provider’s bid to reposition as a purpose-led brand focused on energy supply, renewables and energy networks.

E.ON will travel throughout Europe with Gorillaz as they embark on a world tour from June until November. While on the road, the brand will activate its Kong Solar Studio – an airstream vehicle equipped with solar panels, batteries and a recording studio – where aspiring music artists will be able to co-create new tracks the band.

E.ON has also co-produced a video for Gorillaz’ new track ‘We got the power’. Set in the desert, the film features more than 1,000 dancing toys, light installations and flashing UFOs, all of which have been powered entirely by solar and battery storage technology.

The musical partnership forms part of the company’s bid to be viewed as a purpose-led brand. As an energy provider, this strategy might be scoffed at by some as idealistic, but to give due credit the brand putting its money where its marketing is; in April it unveiled a range of environmentally friendly solar and storage products to customers in the UK. The new campaign aims to communicate this business strategy to core and new customers.

“There is an increasing number of people not just interested in innovative energy solutions like battery and solar panels but ready to engage with an energy company in a different way,” Emma Inston, E.ON's global head of brand and customer communications, told The Drum. “We’re absolutely going to be at the heart of that movement and in the same way as we’ve transformed our company over the last couple of years, we’re working to transform our brand to truly represent the help we can give our customers today and in the future.”

E.ON’s not the only energy company to attach some sense of universal good to its brand. In 2015 British Gas toured the UK with its Generation Green activation showcasing a number of sustainable features.

“There’s no doubt energy is changing, the world is changing and now is the right time for us to truly become a purpose-led brand,” said Inston. “Over the last couple of years E.ON has gone through a massive change where we are now focused on three key areas: energy supply, renewables and energy networks.

“Our previous brand positioning served us well but to make sure we engage consumers right across Europe in the right way to meet their needs going forward we needed to bring that to life. While there are other examples of that already in various markets, this pan-European campaign really pushes things even farther forward.”

She added that the campaign is currently in the first phase and more activity is planned for later in the year.

This campaign's creative is by WCRS and PAA, experiential by Slice and influencer strategy by Mischief.

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