How CSL drove 5G adoption with immersive AR experiences featuring boy band Mirror

The brief

csl’s overarching goal was to accelerate 5G adoption among businesses and consumers to help drive digital transformation.

Although the commercial launch of 5G in Hong Kong came in early 2020, promising to transform the mobile experience and help create a powerful IoT ecosystem, adoption has been slow due to complications associated with the pandemic. Hong Kong’s economy took hit after hit in light of ongoing outbreaks and city shutdowns. In light of the downturn, many consumers cut down on their mobile bill – and 5G upgrades became a low priority, with 57% of consumers saying that 5G mobile plans were too expensive and 47% asserting that their 4G network was sufficient.

Under pressure, mobile providers began slashing prices, which heightened marketplace competition. Instead of engaging in aggressive price wars with competitors, csl wanted to focus on investing in the right technology and marketing to help consumers understand the real benefits of switching to 5G.

In particular, CSL recognized that consumers had a difficult time visualizing the power and potential benefits of 5G in their lives. The brand wanted to engage consumers in a way that resonated with them while helping them discover the promise of 5G. The brand tasked CruiSo Digital Solutions with helping it develop a solution.

The idea

CSL and CruiSo Digital decided that the growing hype of web3 and the metaverse would provide the ideal opportunity to engage and inspire consumers – while educating them about the benefits of 5G adoption and get them excited about the future of Hong Kong as a smart city.

The mobile provider teamed up with Mirror, Hong Kong’s most popular boy band, to create the Mirrorverse, an immersive AR experience that brought the concept of 5G to life for users and helped them ‘experience the world differently.’

Integrating its own 5G technology into connected experiences and merchandising, csl invited fans to step into a series of one-of-a-kind augmented experiences. By subscribing to the csl x Mirror 5G mobile plan, fans were invited to enter the Mirrorverse anywhere, anytime – through mobile, in outdoor exhibitions and at csl retail outlets.

On mobile, participants could access their own exclusive avatar SIM card, which, once activated, gave them access to new features and the Mirrorverse. Using an AR-powered calender, fans could engage in Mirror fandom all year through a variety of experiences, which included trivia, interactions with the band and secret messages. csl debuted collectible digital cards that served as exciting content and incentivized further engagement. By collecting and scanning three cards, fans were able to unlock new exclusive Mirror memoir-style content.

As part of the effort, csl also launched Hong Kong’s first AR billboard, bringing the immersive Mirrorverse to out-of-home. By using CSL's 5G Lens app on their mobile device, passers-by could transform the static billboard into an interactive video featuring all twelve Mirror members. The experience was then extended to csl retail stores, where AR kiosks allowed fans to snap virtual selfies with members of Mirror.

The results

The campaign drove impressive results for csl.

Most importantly, it helped drive 5G adoption. The service provider saw new sales increase by 50% and growing demand for 5G upgrades. Average plan charges grew by 41%, which helped to combat competitors’ price cuts.

Total contract revenue from new sales and existing customers resulted in about $6.4m (HK$50m) within the first month of the campaign. Customer referrals resulted in more than $2.4m (HK$19.6m) in revenue.

The brand hopes that the campaign will continue to drive 5G adoption and inspire Hong Kong to help lead the digital future.

This campaign was a winner at The Drum Awards for Digital Advertising APAC 2022. You can see all the winners here. The Drum Awards for Marketing are currently open for entry. Find out how you can enter now.