Company: Hearts & Science, New York, NY
Company Description: Hearts & Science is a marketing agency recoding media for emotional connection at scale. On the pulse of the industry, Hearts & Science was founded with a special focus on data analytics and a foundation of heart.
Nomination Category: Marketing Campaign Categories - Industry
Nomination Sub Category: Marketing Campaign of the Year - Healthcare - Disease Education & Awareness
 Nomination Title: Moderna’s Jeopardy! Second Chance Tournament
- Which will you submit for this nomination, a video of up to five (5) minutes in length about the nominated campaign or program, OR written answers to the questions for this category? CHOOSE ONE:
Written answers to the questions
- If you are submitting a video of up to five (5) minutes in length, provide the URL of the nominated video here, OR attach it to your entry via the "Add Attachments, Videos, or Links to This Entry" link above, through which you may also upload a copy of your video.
- If you are providing written answers to the questions for this category, you must answer this first question: Specify the date on which this campaign or program was launched:
Oct'22
- If you are providing written answers to the questions for this category, you must answer this second question: Describe the genesis of the nominated campaign or program: the reasons it was initiated, the challenges it was created to address, the problems it was developed to solve, etc. (up to 250 words):
Total 251 words used.
With COVID-19 still factoring into the public dynamic, Moderna needed to find a platform to speak to an at-risk (A50+) audience, informing them of the benefits of a bivalent booster.
Due to that normalcy, we were also up against a perception of complacency. With the roll back of federal mask mandates, many believed the worst of the pandemic to be over, despite the rise of new, more infectious mutations.
We knew that TV Show Jeopardy! offered impressive exposure to the general audience at scale, many who are highly engaged. Also, key was the show’s performance among our primary at-risk audience: 7.7M people 55+watch Jeopardy! with an appealing balance between male(3.1M) and female(4.6M) viewers.
Jeopardy! fans respond positively to the show’s intellect and earnestness, often developing affection for charismatic contestants who do well on the show. Following the lifting of the “5 game cap” in 2003, Jeopardy! fostered a devoted online community, who became public champions for repeat winners.
When these fan favorites eventually lose, Jeopardy!’s online evangelists celebrate the streak, often expressing excitement on when that contestant can return to the stage.
We decided we could channel this fan speculation into a first-of-its-kind rewriting of the show’s rules. We would sponsor a follow-up show that would connect with the show’s mass audience,while seamlessly integrating Moderna’s message of innovation and vigilance into the gameplay.
By sponsoring the show in an inventive way that responded directly to fan appetites,we could achieve the signal boost we were seeking.
- If you are providing written answers to the questions for this category, you must answer this third question: Describe the development of the campaign or program: the planning process, the goal setting, the creative and media development, the scheduling, etc. (up to 250 words):
Total 240 words used.
For as often as the smartest contestant emerge victorious, certain gameplay elements (Daily Doubles, an abrupt pivot in category selection, an untimely lapse in memory) can swing the fortunes of each contestant wildly.
So we created the Jeopardy! Second Chance tournament. For the first time ever, we’d call back 18 fan favorites from Season 38 who came so close to winning, but couldn’t pull it off. Making the good vibes even stronger: we would send the winner of each week to the following Tournament of Champions.
Throughout this riveting competition, Moderna wove in its “game changer” messaging and timely reminders on the continued importance of boosters and mRNA vaccines. Beyond on-air mentions and logo signage throughout the tournament, we integrated key messaging around the Booster into the show’s Clue For You segment. Airing at the end of the Double Jeopardy! round, this consisted of a stand-alone modular segment with a customized clue/response written in the style of the show’s iconic game clues.
This clue for you was a perfect vessel to leverage the show’s credibility to clearly convey actionable advice regarding Moderna’s advancements and innovations. It also tied together the Moderna topicals, our 0:15 spot, and a robust digital presence. Our campaign featured a custom landing page on Jeopardy.com, mentions in the official Jeopardy! newsletter, and custom social media content.
Moderna’s presence was palpable for the entire tournament run, with a week of pre-promo preceding the two-week campaign.
- If you are providing written answers to the questions for this category, you must answer this fourth question: Outline the activities and concrete results of this campaign or program since the beginning of 2022. Even if your initiative started before 2022, limit your response to activities and results since the beginning of 2022 only (up to 250 words):
Total 238 words used.
Moderna’s sponsorship of the Jeopardy! Second Chance Tournament delivered 100% on our ambitious awareness goals, invigorating fans of the show.
During the four weeks of pre-promo and the tournament campaign, Moderna-branded content garnered 60% more impressions on average month-over-month across all digital channels.
We achieved over 27M impressions during the tournament’s run, with a crucial 7.6M of those impressions being our at-risk audience (A50+).
On digital, the campaign racked up even more numbers. On social, we tallied 445k video views across 36 posts on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. On Twitter, Moderna-branded posts averaged 75% more impressions than non-branded counterparts. On Instagram, branded posts outperformed unbranded posts by 39%.
The properties also drove massive traffic. The Second Chance Tournament was one of October’s main traffic drivers to the Jeopardy! website. Our banners tallied 1.2M pageviews, with 52k clicking through to the tournament-specific landing page. Interest grew as the tournament progressed, with landing page views increasing by 270% in the final two weeks.
Additionally, the tournament supercharged organic engagement among the Jeopardy! faithful. Affiliates in the top 30 markets ran our promos a total of 970 times, we picked up mentions on superfan podcasts, and won headlines from Distractify, Uproxx and Yahoo! Entertainment.
This campaign was the exact vessel Moderna needed to reach the public at a crucial moment for the brand, deftly sidestepping concerns with a concise, consolidated message. In Jeopardy! terms: our bet paid off.
- You have the option to reference here any attachments of supporting materials throughout this nomination and how they provide evidence of the claims you have made in this nomination (up to 250 words):
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