The archive · Advertising · Marketing decision · 2024
Neeman's shouts a phrase to trigger phone ads — Abby 2025 Audio Grand Prix
Two shouters in Neeman's shoes yelled the brand's name in crowded Indian streets, making nearby phones show Neeman's ads.
Neeman's
What it had to solve
Neeman's, a footwear brand selling only online, wanted broader awareness but had limited advertising funds.
How it works
Neeman's, an online-only Indian footwear brand, faced a classic small-budget problem: it needed national attention but could not outbid bigger advertisers. VML India's answer exploited a behavior most people find creepy — phones that listen for spoken words and surface related ads. The campaign sent two influencers across India's busiest locations, wearing Neeman's shoes and loudly asking 'Are those Neeman's shoes?'
Around them, always-listening phones picked up the phrase and began serving Neeman's Instagram ads, turning a shouted question into targeted media with no paid distribution. The stunt lifted organic website sessions 17%, brand search queries 20%, and organic conversions 19%, and went on to win the Grand Prix in Audio – Voice Activation at Goafest's Abby Awards 2025.
Why it lands
- It converted a known platform mechanic (voice-triggered ad targeting) into free media.
- The stunt matched the brand: digital-first, playful, and too small to afford conventional reach.
- Results were measurable and attributable, not just vibes.
- The idea was inherently shareable, so earned coverage amplified the on-ground stunt.
What it did
17% rise in organic website sessions, 20% rise in brand search queries, 19% more organic conversions — and the Audio Grand Prix at Abby 2025.
What you can take
When a platform's mechanics are known (phones listen), the cheapest media buy is often to trigger those mechanics yourself instead of paying for them.
Since then
VML India took the Audio – Voice Activation Grand Prix at the 2025 Creative Abbys, one of four Grand Prix handed out on the final night at Goafest. Neeman's founders said the campaign would be rolled out to more Indian cities, extending the prank to 'a city near you.'
Sources
- Are Those Neeman's Shoes Phone Hack — D&AD archive
- Neeman's tricks phones to hack the algorithm in a guerrilla-style campaign by VML
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