The Navy Exchange provides tax-free goods and services to support Navy quality of life programs for military personnel, retirees, reservists, veterans, DoD civilians, and families. NEXCOM manages seven business lines, including retail stores, lodging, and uniform management.
During the pandemic, the Navy Exchange wanted to support US Navy personnel and families dealing with separation and deployment by showcasing our gratitude for these brave officers. The NEX team wanted to tell a human story celebrating their unique strengths and selfless sacrifices.
Through a social “push” campaign, we will help the Navy Exchange promote brand awareness, highlight customer appreciation, and strengthen the Navy community when they need it most.
Taking inspiration from the power of genuine connections and the special bond between parents and children, we brainstormed how to create a story that would resonate with them, capturing the playfulness, magic, and awe of the holidays. We ultimately decided to produce a video that combined the Navy Exchange’s retail presence with the boundless imagination of a child and ran it across the Navy’s social platforms. This strategy gave rise to “We Believe It’s More than Just a Toy.”
In the video, a young boy becomes attached to a Wonder Woman doll that reminds him of his deployed mom, believing that whatever he tells the doll will reach her. With the help of his father and a NEX employee, they join forces to transmit his messages to his mom overseas, including an incredibly important wish.
The We Believe Wonder Woman ad became a viral cross-channel phenomenon that recruited game-changing engagement levels and garnered celebrity and movie studio attention. The We Believe campaign maintained a solid 100% sentiment trend and surpassed its reach, video views, and engagement expectations with the following results:
By bringing a playful yet poignant perspective to the hard challenges faced by families with deployed service members, the Navy struck a deep, humanizing chord and achieved a dramatically expanded reach.
In addition to millions of impressions and video views, the video caught the OG Wonder Woman’s attention, and her enthusiastic re-tweet secured press mentions in the Hollywood Reporter and Yahoo Entertainment. Warner Brothers even dispatched a Wonder Woman character to the homecoming of the aircraft carrier, the USS Harry S. Truman, in Norfolk, Va.
The best part, however, was shining a spotlight on the everyday heroes of the U.S. Navy. Whether a beloved toy, a devoted mom, a brave U.S. Navy officer, or the NEX employees who serve them—they are all special and valued.
Watch Navy Exchange’s heartwarming advertisement here.
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