Getting a Grip

CMP and O’Reilly Media introduced the first Web 2.0 Expo in San Francisco, a premier event for all things related to Web 2.0. The problem? Nobody agreed on what exactly Web 2.0 actually was.

Getting Traction

We took advantage of this ambiguity with the line “Web 2.0 is ______”. It implied that whatever Web 2.0 meant to you, you could find it at the expo. Direct mail, email, outdoor, print and online executions fueled the campaign and holistic planning ensured that each component worked perfectly with the others. We even produced “user-generated t-shirts” that attendees could customize. It was an elaborate and immersive brand experience.

Getting a Reaction

One word comes to mind—Overwhelming.

Attendance skyrocketed with 12,000 advance registrations. The Expo was a virtual frenzy of excitement and it set the stage for an enduring franchise. Additional conferences in Tokyo and Berlin under the Web 2.0 Expo brand were announced in the days following the event.

And many, many people generated their own t-shirts.