Stihl social media campaign revives old sports footage during lockdown

The lack of live sports during lockdown helped boost interest in lumberjack sports, promoted by the chainsaw maker Stihl

Spotted: Sports lovers have had a very difficult time during the lockdowns prompted by the coronavirus pandemic. With live sports in hiatus, they have had to make do with reruns of old events. The chainsaw maker Stihl, however, saw an opportunity in this, to promote videos of its Timbersports lumberjack competition with a social media campaign.

Stihl’s social media campaign directs people to their YouTube channel, which has led to 1.87 million social media impressions — 27 per cent more than expected. With this year’s Timbersports competition cancelled, the YouTube videos featured last year’s competition. Even so, it was tremendously popular with a sports-starved audience, garnering about 95,000 clicks — six times the original target. In fact, the campaign led many viewers to binge-watch the entire 16-episode series.

Stihl’s campaign also boosted viewership amongst younger audiences. The company reported that 82 per cent of clicks on social media and 62 per cent of the views on YouTube were from people under age 34. The company is hoping that this will translate into increased brand awareness from the age cohort, who are traditionally less likely to be homeowners and therefore less likely to buy power tools.

The Stihl Timbersports Series is a global wood-chopping competition centred on axes and chainsaws. Originally launched in 1985 in the USA, the sport dubs itself the “original extreme sport” and boasts a large global following. According to Stihl, “the STIHL TIMBERSPORTS® Series is established worldwide as the major league of lumberjack sports, with a massive global fan-base following competitive events live and on TV.” 

Stihl is just one of many companies using social media to retain customers and interest during the lockdown. Springwise has seen a big uptick in marketing innovations using social media and live streaming during this time. These range from a platform that turns online shopping into a group activity, to a luxury watch fair that has moved online.

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