The recipe offers young businesses a lean way to create
impactful brand platforms and creative executions.
Caroline Ekrem is a Creative Director with 15 years of experience from some of the world's top advertising agencies, including The Martin Agency (named "Agency of the Year" in '23, '22 & '21), Droga5 (named "Agency of the Decade" in '20) and TRY (named Norway's "Agency of the Year" 20 years in a row)
Caroline specializes in building strong brands and effective campaigns around transformative insights and relevant, creative ideas. Her work has been celebrated 35 times globally by Cannes Lions, Webby, Effie, and other award shows honoring creativity and effectiveness.
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💵 All is Fair in Monopoly 💵
"All is Fair in Monopoly" launched in fall 2023 and is the new global brand platform for the iconic Monopoly board game.
No matter where you grew up, chances are you played Monopoly. The name alone sends me straight back to childhood, when I first discovered mom's ruthless side. Nobody cheats in Monopoly like she does. Or so I thought.
On different continents across the world, my team grew up watching their sisters, aunts and dads relish in their most ruthless selves as the Scotty Dog, Top Hat, and Duck.
We all learned that when you play Monopoly, it's totally fine to crush your partner, bankrupt your kid, or send your nana to jail in order to rank in the cash and secure boardwalk in your colorful portfolio. Monopoly is a game of opulence and villainy, making it into the iconic game that Muhammad Ali played and Queen Elizabeth banned. Being the best of being the worst is the name of the game, and that’s why we still get a kick out of playing it today.
The people behind the work:
The Martin Agency: Caroline Ekrem (Creative Director),
Kelsey Whipple, Sydney Aloe, Alberto Orte, Mariana Cotlear, Cristian Castiglia, Ashley Diddell, Chip Cook, Tiffany Boggs, Molly Dauphin, Rique Santiago, Octavio Luna, Vanessa Griggs, Matt Cervantes, and Jenn Clark.
Director: Björn Rühmann
Production Designer: Zuzia Mazurczak-Beśka
Production company: Smuggler
Photographer: Katinka Herbert
Client: Hasbro, Inc.
"All is fair in Monopoly" rolled out on TV, online videos, social, contextual OOH, in-store activations and more.
Films
Contextual OOH
#WhoKilledBoddyBlack
To keep the 70-year-old CLUE (Europe: Cluedo) brand alive, we launched a 4-week-long immersive mystery game in the spring of 2023, letting fans worldwide solve the world’s most famous murder mystery on Instagram.
I'm a title. Click here to add your own text and edit me.
To bring the iconic board game Clue (Europe: Cluedo) into the 21st century, we let fans and internet sleuths worldwide solve the famous murder mystery on Instagram.
Blurring the lines between fiction and real life, users followed the iconic characters through a complex mystery, full of thrilling twists and turns. The True crime community got on the case too, through Crime Junkie's Ashley Flowers engagement and weekly updates keeping internet sleuths all over the world up to date. The massive global campaign saw quick results, increasing sales by 40% within the first week.
The people behind the work:
The Martin Agency: Caroline Ekrem (Creative Director),
Kelsey Whipple, Sydney Aloe, Alberto Orte, Karly Brooks, Colleen Hicks, Julia Melograna, Raiven Delisle, Bruno Cintra, Rique Santiago, Alex Scheer, Kim Zanninovich
Client: Hasbro, Inc.
Production company: Sauvage.tv
Case Study
We recreated Clue's iconic characters as talking, walking, breathing (well, almost) Metahumans and designed the Clue Mansion and it's 9 rooms from scratch using the Unreal Engine.
Stupid Laws
In a historically stuffy category, LegalShield's Stupid Laws campaign made a splash with the press for its unconventional approach to legal services and sparked conversation among new audiences who had never considered seeking legal help before.
Did you know it’s illegal to harass a Sasquatch in Washington? Or that it’s illegal to sing in the street in Pennsylvania? Yep, some laws are just head-scratchingly stupid.
They’re also a great example of how nuanced the law can be and how challenging it can be to navigate, especially at a time when Americans are seeing old laws make a comeback.
To promote LegalShield, an affordable subscription legal service, we brought some of our country’s most surprising laws to life. The result is an attention-grabbing look at the quirks of our legal system, which garnered press and drove home the point that LegalShield, with its wide breadth of legal expertise, can help you “Be Legal Ready" for anything.
The people behind the work:
The Martin Agency: Caroline Ekrem (Creative Director), Ashley Marshall, Dave Gibson, Mauricio Mazzariol, Ashley Diddell, Tiffany Boggs, Sophia Leichtentritt, Maclaine Ellis, Mariana Cotlear, Sean Riley, Ben Johnston, Alex Wilson, Jonathan Carl, Judd Burnett, Mark Brye, Walker Teele, Julia Simonini, Tasha Dean, Brett Alexander, Matt Swieca, Danica Walker, Chase Maszle, Angela Jones, Evan Giordano
Client: LegalShield
Director: Vedran Rupic
Production companies: MJZ, BUSINESS CLUB ROYALE, CUT & RUN EDIT , RARE MEDIUM N.Y, PLATIGE, HEARD CITY.
Films
Our memorable characters were so well received that we created a series of reply-worthy GIFs for LegalShield's audience to share with friends and family.
The Stupid Route
Not only is the law nuanced, it changes from state to state too.
During the busiest travel season of the year, we partnered with Waze to create the first branded route experience along I-95. Each time users crossed a new state border, they were served up a stupid law from the state they just entered, followed by an encouragement to "Be Legal Ready" with LegalShield wherever they go.
Proudly Unstoppable
"In the spring of 2022, UPS took a big step forward with its 'Proudly Unstoppable' initiative, launching it on a global scale to champion women-owned small businesses across the globe. The campaign introduced limited edition UPS Express Boxes with the inspiring artwork of female artists in China, Germany, and Canada. It put a spotlight on women-owned small and medium-sized businesses through social media and the dedicated 'Proudly Unstoppable' campaign website. Further amplifying its commitment, UPS partnered with WeConnect International, an organization dedicated to offering financial support to women entrepreneurs. Together, they awarded 30 grants to women-owned small businesses, supporting their growth and success.
Artists: Marian Bantjes, Chen Peng, and Dani Pollehn
Chew On It
Twizzlers' newest creative platform, "Chew on It" reclaimed Twizzler's position as America's favorite candy by reminding people why they love Twizzlers in the first place.
A few years ago, Twizzlers—once America’s favorite candy—had been left in the dust. It was time to remind people exactly why they love this chewy candy.
Research showed us that the iconic brand was loved for more than just its flavor, it’s also the act of chewing people love. It’s a destresser and emotional outlet that helps you think and process. So, we developed a brand platform that reflected Twizzlers’ true role: a delicious way to process your thoughts —literally positioning it as food for thought.
The new creative platform dramatically reversed sales declines, getting the brand back to its rightful place; in the mouths of pondering adults everywhere.
The people behind the work:
Droga5 New York: Caroline Ekrem, Castro Desroches, Dan Litzow, Michael Kleinman, Evan Barkoff, Brandon Pierce, Neil Heymann
Client: The Hershey Company, Inc.
Director: Kristoffer Borgli
Production company: Furlined
Films
We launched Twizzlers' new platform with a series of films featuring people chewing on life's biggest questions...
Next, we showed how Twizzlers come to the rescue whenever you're stuck at work and need some food for thought. Check out the epic reaction from "The Late Late Show" writers' room in the video below
Then, we asked ourselves a fundamental question...
We left people to Chew On It with a limited series of "Izzlers", sold in-store and online.
The Silver Hand
"The Silver Hand" was the centerpiece of Canal Digital's highly successful "weekly archive" product launch. The campaign increased sales, boosted brand visibility, and earned global recognition and a dozen awards.
Whatever Gets You Talking
Suicide is the second leading cause of death among young adults, and nearly 20% of young Americans struggle with mental illness. Even though checking in on a friend and talking about mental health can make such a big difference, many young people are hesitant to do so because it can feel awkward.
To make a difference, my team at Droga5 teamed up with the Ad Council, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, and the Jed Foundation to create a pro-bono national suicide-prevention campaign focused on making the potential awkwardness around the conversation less daunting.
Music Video & Case Study
Rivian
To launch Rivian Electric Adventure Vehicles, we created a new brand platform, including the brand spot "Launching Into Nature" showing how the truck helps the adventurer escape as far into as they'd ever dream of going, and a series of product spots highlighting Rivian’s incredible features.
The Norwegian Red Cross
During the European refugee crisis, the Norwegian Red Cross identified an urgent need to step into a debate that was sharply dividing society. Their goal was to rouse the passive, silent majority—those disturbed by the rise of hostile attitudes, yet inactive in countering them.
My team and I at TRY crafted a film that tackled the issue of hostile online language head-on, while simultaneously sending out a powerful call to action: integration can be fostered through positive dialogue.
Without any media spending, the film managed to capture the attention of 77% of Norwegian Facebook users in just 48 hours.
The viral spread led to comprehensive coverage across all media channels, sparking a national conversation that motivated thousands to participate in Red Cross-led conversations and community events, marking a significant step towards fostering a more inclusive society.
Film & Case Study
DNB
Turns out most young people don't think their stuff is worth the hassle of insurance. When launching their new "Young" content insurance, DNB reminded young people that life's full of surprises, and offered them peace of mind for only 79 NOK a month, because you never know who (or what) might show up at your door...
The Norwegian Armed Forces
Two recruitment campaigns inviting Norwegians to join The Norwegian Armed Forces to protect the peace in Norway with the message
"For everything we have, and everything we are"
TINE
Launch campaign for TINE Ekte Hvit Gjeitost, a cheese you'd feel like a superstar for making.
TINE
A campaign made to remind people how much they love that Tine's knight cheese is hard on the outside, but soft on the inside.
Amnesty "No Means No"
A campaign to challenge and change Norway's sexual assault law.
Warning: The video below contains footage that might be unsettling for victims of sexual violence; viewer discretion is advised.
