Before it was mainstream

Every great idea comes with an apprehension from the client’s side in most ad campaigns (most of which do not even see the light of the day); but once you have convinced your campaign idea strongly, the results are exemplary. A similar unorthodox idea was pitched by David Droga’s team to street wear maker Marc Ecko. What’s more? The campaign was not just received well but went viral at a point in time when social media had just arrived.

Titled ‘Still Free’, the spot by Droga 5 was not just an ad but a moment. The impudent campaign where Droga and his team invaded the Air Force One with graffiti that read ‘Still Free’ was surely not something people could even imagine of; perhaps that is what good advertising is all about. Staging a situation so big and making it look real in every sense possible was the story of Still Free’s success.

It is amazing what difference a can of paint on the behemoth made to the New York fashion designer’s brand Marc Ecko. Challenging the anti-graffiti laws of the United States of America, this video triggered what we now proudly like to call the pop culture. How often does one rent a 747 cargo, paint one side of it as the President’s plane and spray paint it with the words Still Free? Drawing a fine line between reality and fiction, ‘Still Free’ was not only artistically substantial but also a protest against those who thought graffiti was not art.

The brief was to underline Marc Ecko’s graffiti legacy and position it as the urban icon. A brief like this needed a very fresh medium and a fresh approach; and hence, exploring the viral tendencies of the internet, the nature of the stunt was something pop culture followers will feel nostalgic about now and in the future.

Anonymously placing the video on 20 odd websites and waiting the conversation to start; the wait was not long. The video went viral within 24 hours; day in and day out, people started talking about the stunt on over 3,500 websites. Hold your jaws! It soon followed the talks on news channels, global newspapers, et al. In fact, the campaign was so viral that the military even checked if the Air Force One was vandalised as the ad created a buzz in White House.

Now imagine all this ten years back. Yes, that is the power of a great idea and above all, believing in the idea. The medium maybe new or emerging but if your idea has what it takes to go viral, nothing can stop the wildfire. ‘Still Free’ is a classic testimony to prove that Droga 5 is by far one of the most quirkiest agencies you will come across.

By:Tushar Kalawatia