With foldable smartphones entering the consumer technology industry, Lenovo was challenged with introducing a new category of foldable devices in a much larger form factor – the PC. And after four years of intense engineering and development, Lenovo was ready to launch the ThinkPad X1 Fold: the world’s first foldable PC for users’ diverse computing needs. Riding the wave of CES 2020 fanfare and buzz, X1 fold was primed to become the most innovative and efficient device on the market for seamless workflows and travel needs... then, the global pandemic hit. Zeno was charged with elevating Lenovo as the leader in the foldable category, generating worldwide excitement and driving purchase conversion of the X1 Fold that was designed with mobility in mind, but now entering a world facing mass travel restrictions and work-from-home times. Together, Lenovo and Zeno developed the integrated Reshape Your Reality campaign to highlight how the X1 Fold would transform the laptop experience, bring the brand to new, younger audiences and reach business professionals, tech enthusiasts and customers who enjoy premium tech products – most specifically in Lenovo’s three key product markets: the US, UK and Japan. A creative storytelling approach was brought to life with a short film, “Liftoff” to deliver a powerful visualization around the idea of engineering a seemingly impossible future – like the X1 Fold. Timed with the global fascination of space exploration and the anniversary of the ThinkPad, Lenovo and Zeno drove a multi-channel campaign during virtual times to achieve real business impact.
Ahead of the go-to-market product launch, extensive research on the target audience of business and IT decision makers, with a heightened priority on the female demographic, and their values was conducted to effectively resonate in current times. Research revealed that the top value for tech executives who are also leading-edge influencers and passionate about a new foldable category, was freedom – freedom to work and play from anywhere now that frictionless living is an expectation. Additionally, the driving factor in purchasing decisions for the business audience relied on the brand name, whereas for the IT audience, it’s innovation – and ways to simplify things that were too complex and maximize productivity and seamless workflows. Based on key findings, the campaign strategy focused on developing inspirational branded content and sharing evident-based product reviews rooted in Lenovo’s innovative engineering and development.
Developed in collaboration with critically acclaimed director, T.G. Herrington of Nom de Guerre Films and female powerhouses producer Diana Alvarez, of “Ocean’s Eight” and award winning producer Nicelle Herrington, Lenovo’s original two-minute short “Liftoff” tells the intense and emotional story of the first person (a woman) to travel to Mars, with X1 Fold positioned as a mission-critical device in reaching the next greatest advancement in human achievement. From planning in the control center, to checking health vitals, to staying connected with loved ones at home, to buckling up for liftoff, the X1 Fold reshapes the expedition team’s reality and serves as the key component in reaching a seemingly impossible future. With the core theme of pushing boundaries and space exploration, “Liftoff” was thoughtfully told to tap into the shared aspirations across Lenovo geos and inspire businesspeople and tech enthusiasts to utilize X1 Fold in the pursuit of new transformations. The film was teased to global audiences, spanning across time zones during a virtual corporate event (later published across Lenovo’s YouTube platform), and was officially released worldwide in English via YouTube on ThinkPad’s anniversary (Oct. 5). A Japanese version was released shortly after and unique 10-second, 15-second and 30-second cut-downs were created of specific business scenarios to reach customers in the space, engineering and medical fields. The snackable content was also leveraged across Lenovo’s Facebook, Twitter, Instagram accounts and for paid advertising placements.
Additionally, to further establish credibility of the X1 Fold’s functionality, versatility and portability, Lenovo partnered with one of the biggest names in the technology community, Marques Brownlee aka @MKBHD, for an in-depth product feature on YouTube. Broadcasted to his 13.4MM subscribers, Marques explored the ins and outs and numerous use cases of the ThinkPad X1 Fold, while opening eyes to an entirely new foldable technology category – brought to life and made possible by Lenovo. As a first-of-its-kind product, Marques’ video sparked conversations and excitement on social and generated global awareness of Lenovo’s innovation and breakthrough device.
Within the first month of launch, Lenovo saw a 2x faster volume of demand in the X1 Fold than what was forecasted. Marques Brownlee’s YouTube review received more than 2.4MM views in less than a week and garnered nearly 8.5k engagements on Twitter when shared with his 4.9MM followers. With amplification of paid social media in the US, UK and Japan, “Liftoff” outperformed benchmarks by garnering more than 150MM impressions (number of people reached with social content) and 12.7MM+ video views across YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. The X1 Fold has earned recognition in more than 45 awards lists in the U.S., including Fast Company’s 2020 Innovation by Design Awards, and continues to be seen as a highly sought-after device despite challenging times due to the pandemic. The Reshape Your Reality campaign, with its mixed-use of paid, earned social and owned tactics, elevated Lenovo as a future-forward brand dedicated to not only helping bring ideas to life, but inspiring and empowering consumers’ every day starting in business and beyond – and, established the X1 Fold as an innovation statement for Lenovo, driving the brand forward in providing effective and efficient tech solutions for diverse users’ computing needs.
