Diamonds go together with love just like chips go together with ketchup: not absolutely essential, but a sure sign of appreciation. Jewellery brand Everlon wanted to celebrate the enduring strength found in every love story and promote its Diamond Knot Collection of rings.
In the run up to Valentine's day, the brand created a website dropeverythingforlove.com where people could upload their own story of how love keeps them together with their long-distance partner via a virtual interviewer. People could explain their unique circumstances, be it work commitments, family illness or visa issues which kept the couple apart. One of the questions from the virtual interviewer was 'Would you drop everything for love?' Once recorded, the videos could be shared with their partner or with their friends.
Likewise people could nominate their friends via Facebook, explaining why they would be prepared to drop everything for love. What they didn't know was the campaign was more than a website where you could create video Valentine's messages. The videos were being moderated in real time and couples with the most touching love stories were selected. Camera crews were then sent out to surprise the participants and ask whether they would be prepared to 'drop everything' for love. They needed to stop in the middle of what they were doing, get into a car and go to the airport to meet their loved one. In two weeks Everlon travelled the globe, bringing couples together - some were on other sides of the US, others were on different continents, such as US-based David and Kristen, who was working in Cape Town, South Africa.
The cameras followed eight couples to meet their loved ones and then uploaded the footage back onto the site.
With a third of the previous year's budget, Everlon generated $2.5m of PR and doubled user engagement. A number of celebrities ended up filming their own video tribute, including model and actress Brooke Shields.