Rakuten finds its voice in Super Bowl teaser courtesy of Ted Lasso’s Hannah Waddingham
Rakuten has followed up a tip to toe refresh of its brand identity by investing in the biggest marketing event in the US, the Super Bowl.
The US-based arm of Japanese ecommerce giant Rakuten Group has tasked its in-house team of creatives to bring actress and singer Hannah Waddingham (best known for her role in Apple TV’s Ted Lasso) on board as celebrity protagonist, cackling malevolently into a backstage mirror before experiencing a frog in her throat.
A perfect fit for the brand and its desire for a strong female lead with a comedic touch, the campaign aims to open the eyes of Americans to what the online retail brand is all about.
Victoria McRae, vice-president of brand and creative at Rakuten Rewards, tells The Drum: ”Many people call out the Rakuten logo on the Golden State Warriors jerseys, but don’t understand what it is we do. With this campaign, we are hoping to change that.”
The campaign follows in the footsteps of a root and branch overhaul of the Rakuten brand, including a new tone of voice, brand identity and creative platform headlined ’We bring the Cha-ching’.
McRae explains: ”We loved this idea because it did a great job of connecting that cashback moment to how that actually makes consumers feel when they know they are getting the best deal. Rakuten and getting cash back gives people that feeling of ’winning’. We wanted to share what that feels like with everyone and what better place to do it than at the Super Bowl, right?”
Super Bowl 56 will take place on February 13 at the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, home of the Chargers and Rams, without long-time advertisers Mars Wrigley, Kraft Heinz, Tide and Hyundai.
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