Netflix & Ben & Jerry’s:
Punch Line Hotline
Role
We crafted an award-winning strategy for this collaborative campaign, carefully defining categories and targeting relevant award shows to maximize recognition. We also produced a video case study and presentation board to effectively communicate the campaign’s innovative success.
Accolades
Despite a limited awards budget, the campaign achieved seven honors across five award shows, including:
Adweek Experiential Awards: Best Use of Experiential Activation to Launch a Brand/Product
London International Awards (LIA): 1 Win
Gerety Awards: 1 Win, 1 Shortlist
Cannes Lions: Shortlist
One Show Awards: 2 Nominations
Case Study
Campaign Overview
To launch Ben & Jerry’s Punch Line – the final flavor in its 4-Pint Netflix Deal – we teamed up with Netflix Is A Joke to create the Punch Line Hotline. This campaign offered fans a unique way to engage with the brand during a challenging year. By dialing 1-866-PUNCHLINE, fans could hear jokes from comedians Wanda Sykes, Fortune Feimster, and Aparna Nancherla. Lucky callers even received free pints of Punch Line ice cream, combining humor and indulgence to bring moments of levity to audiences.
PSA
Campaign Results
The Punch Line Hotline generated impressive engagement, embodying Observatory’s mission of creating "content that attracts and engages":
Engagement Highlights:
125,748 total calls with an average call time of 1:37–1:57.
22,466 repeat callers.
2,117 daily average callers in the campaign’s first five weeks.
4,000 free pints shipped to lucky fans.
Reach & Coverage:
The campaign earned 164M+ impressions and 357 placements across entertainment, food, lifestyle, and advertising media outlets.Notable national coverage in Popsugar, People, Thrillist, Delish, Muse by Clio, and Adweek.
A Connected TV campaign delivered 32.2M+ impressions, reaching over 4.6M unique households.
90% of influencers who received branded mailers organically promoted the campaign, driving an additional 3.3M+ impressions.
Social Media Buzz:
33K+ people engaged with a single tweet from Leslie Jones responding to Fortune Feimster.
The campaign’s social strategy drove high engagement and amplified its playful tone.
Business Impact:
When Unilever, Ben & Jerry’s parent company, reported quarterly earnings, Punch Line and other Netflix flavor variants were highlighted as a standout success amid pandemic-driven declines across other product lines.
Jokes + Ice Cream
Awards Expertise
By focusing on the campaign’s innovative use of experiential marketing and its cultural resonance, we strategically positioned Punch Line Hotline across key award shows. Each submission emphasized the campaign’s ability to seamlessly blend humor, consumer engagement, and product promotion. Despite a limited budget, our targeted approach ensured widespread recognition.
