BRIEF | INTEGRATED

Starting a business sounds hard. People believing they need to have everything figured out before they begin is a hurdle many never get over.

Task: Create an integrated campaign that convinces first-time entrepreneurs that Squarespace can help them succeed, even if they don’t have it all figured out yet.

INSIGHT

Fear is the biggest mountain standing in the way of the average person becoming an entrepreneur. We fear failure, venturing out alone, not being enough, and not knowing enough. Realistically, both fear and failure are simply a part of the process.

SOLUTION

A four-part campaign with a voice of empathy intended to show potential users that fear is natural, that it shouldn’t stop you from getting started, and that with Squarespace by your side, there’s very little to worry about.

The Fear Factor

 
 

1: Out Of Home
FAILING IN THE PROCESS

A multi-part OOH campaign showcasing the likes of Michael Jordan and Oprah juxtaposed with early career failures/setbacks which they pushed through to get to where they are today.

Michael Jordan, The Greatest Basketball Player of all Time | Stephen King, An Award Winning American Author | Oprah Winfrey, North America’s First Black Multi-Billionaire

 
 

2: SOCIAL/PR
HUMBLE BEGINNINGS

Squarespace was born in a dorm room and was able to take a leap due to a $30K cash infusion. While Anthony Casalena was lucky enough to have family who could invest, we know that everyone doesn’t.


Humble Beginnings is a social media competition intended to redistribute that original $30K to burgeoning entrepreneurs willing to share their humble stories.

Photo caption: Some of the best ideas are cultivated in garages, basements, and even dorm rooms. Here at Squarespace, we get it, we’ve been there too! To pay honor to our humble beginnings, Squarespace would like to give back to its users by giving away a free year of Squarespace as well as seed money totaling $30K, the same amount that got us started. Swipe right to find out how to enter.

3: EXPERIENTIAL
FEAR FORUM

Launch of a regional pop-up event titled The Fear Forum x Squarespace. This conference is designed for burgeoning entrepreneurs who need a little extra help to overcome their fears and leap off the deep end.

Sessions at the Fear Forum will Include:

  • Ted style talks from successful entrepreneurs

  • Step by step toolkits for launching new businesses

  • Site building workshops with experts available to give you hands-on help for those who need an extra hand

  • “Overcoming fear” group therapy sessions moderated by a licensed therapist who can offer advice and or cognitive strategies for overcoming business fears and anxieties.

4: TV
DOING IT ALONE: 60

A tv spot highlighting failure as an inevitable part of the journey to success. An important part of this spot will also be highlighting the support systems that help us pull through. 

  • Opens with a kid trying to ride a bike. The kid struggling to get on, struggling to stay on, and struggling to stay upright, inevitably falling.

  • The spot cuts to late evening in a high school gym. A teen is seen alone, practicing foul shots, and continuously missing…

  • Spot jumps to a woman packing up her desk solemnly after being fired.

  • The woman arrives home with her box of effects and can be seen destressing via her personal passion, creating digital art. The spot jumps back and forth between these scenes.

  • Eventually, you notice the kid finally making some progress with a parent holding up the bike and running alongside them.

    The aspiring basketball player is seen with a coach helping him improve his form.

  • The art enthusiast is seen getting on indeed to find a new job. She scrolls down and stumbles on a Squarespace ad, encouraging her to bet on herself.

  • Eventually, you see the kid’s parent stop running alongside the bike, letting the kid pedal on their own, riding off into the distance.

    VO: We often think we have to do things alone…

  • From the free-throw line at a championship game, the basketball player sinks the game-winning shot breaking the tie and giving the team victory.

    VO: But the truth is…

  • The art enthusiast is seen packing boxes — again. The shot pans out revealing a label maker printing a long strip of labels while we hear the sound of notifications popping up on her phone. These notifications are from the Squarespace app indicating orders piling in for her digital art prints.

    VO: We’re better with help

  • Endcard: Squarespace, all you the support you need, when betting on yourself.

Next

The Vibe Saver