• by Larissa Faw , February 11, 2015

When Whirlpool decided to run a TV spot during a live event for the first time, executives worked with agency partners, Ketchum and DigitasLBi, to celebrate caregivers by incorporating one individual's thank you — a song inspired by being taken care of  — into a 30-second commercial during the Grammy Awards.

Now the brand is reporting its results, which executives say "exceeded expectations."

First, the brand was able to work with People.com to exclusively announce the contest in January, and afterward, more than 400 people around the country submitted their unique performances of “You Are My Sunshine” in the first seven days.

Time spent on Whirlpool's mobile Web site increased 102% to 4:26 minutes, up from the average 1:30 minutes before the contest.

Although Whirlpool's brand awareness always scores high among consumers, the brand has finally become popular. It is trending across social media channels, including Twitter. The brand was able to raise brand awareness, create viral buzz, and drive traffic to its digital channels. 

"I would also add that to accomplish this, we had a clear road map heading into the night, with great collaboration from our agency partners, DigitasLBi and Ketchum," says Jon Hall, senior brand manager, Whirlpool brand. "Their work throughout the campaign drove national buzz, strong social engagement and contest submissions that helped our point of view break through as consumer traffic to our site was up over +100%."

The winning ad featured a 19-year-old New Jersey native who submitted an emotional tribute to her grandmother Veronica, who was diagnosed with dementia in 2010. The ad is currently accessible here.

"The instant the spot ran, people were playing back the inspiring message of care and the purpose behind what our brand stands for -- championing the importance of daily family care that often goes unnoticed and is undervalued," says Hall.

"We also received unprompted calls through our media hotline from consumers who just wanted to tell us how much they loved the commercial. Our winner, Alex Bell, told us she started getting fan mail. It is clear that our message and story is resonating -- proving our point that caring day in and day out has incredible value in making our world a better place," he adds.