How would you go about changing customer perceptions while celebrating an anniversary AND driving sales? That was the challenge IBM approached Centerline with prior to the 50th Anniversary of the mainframe. See more of Centerline Digital's work at centerline.net.

1. Project Story:
IBM Mainframe50 Campaign

2. The Mainframe50 Campaign was more than
an anniversary celebration. It shifted the
perception of the mainframe’s importance
and value in business today.
Overview
SOME CAMPAIGN STATS:
TWEET ANNOUNCING MILESTONE IS
MOST RETWEETED TWEET FROM @IBM
57,000+
PRESS MENTIONS
LIVESTREAM EVENT
14,000 visits

3. www.centerline.net
Challenge
The mainframe faced a perception problem…
…IT WAS VIEWED BY SOME AS DATED, RIGID & STAGNANT.
YEARS OLD50AT
This milestone marked an opportunity
to transform that perception.

4. FOCUS ON
THE INNOVATIONS
OF TODAY AND
TOMORROW… …WHILE NOT
FORGETTING
THE PAST
Goals
www.centerline.net
+
PERSPECTIVE
SHIFT
of the mainframe
DRIVE
SALES

5. Understand the audience1.
Identify themes and trends around the IBM customer experience,
mainframe brand identity, and overall perception
Gain a deeper understanding of pain-points, buyer concerns, and
line of business gaps
Process: Strategy & Intelligence, Creation & Activation
2.
3.
TACTICS: Primary research & stakeholder interviews
www.centerline.net

6. www.centerline.net
Process: Strategy & Intelligence, Creation & Activation
INDUSTRY CHANGING MISSIONS
REINVENTION & TRANSFORMATION
GROWTH & SECURE TRANSACTION
Identify 3 major themes to reach
the defined goal.

7. www.centerline.net
Process: Strategy & Intelligence, Creation & Activation
ENGINES
OF PROGRESS
zIQ
LIVE STREAM WEBCAST
MASTER THE
MAINFRAME WORLD
CHAMPIONSHIP
COMPETITION
ANNIVERSARY
SITE ON IBM.COM
TUMBLR SITE
Create a story arc and craft content to tell that story.
Story

8. Engines of Progress
zIQ
Livestream of event in NYC
Points of Engagement
videos created to more fully narrate the line of business
story from IBM to end-user.
animations created to educate and build awareness around
mainframe usage and prevalence in business today.
www.centerline.net

9. Master the Mainframe World Championship Competition
Tumblr site
Anniversary site on IBM.com
an education challenge, supported by videos and a web presence,
in which students competed to create apps on the mainframe.
to aggregate mainframe content from multiple sources, unifying the
different parts of the story.
compiles content into a unique story intended to have an
impact on the viewer.
www.centerline.net
Points of Engagement

10. www.centerline.net
Engines of Progress

11. Change C-level perception and
educate on the mainframe.
Provide the high-level perspective on
the power of a mainframe that would
speak to a C-suite executive and
engage the end-user.
PURPOSE
Engines of Progress
www.centerline.net

12. “Engines of Progress” pays homage to those companies that are doing more than
business – they are working to change their industry and transform society around
them using technology to enable them, every step of the way.
Engines of Progress
www.centerline.net

13. Engines of Progress
Fill a gap in the line of business viewpoint, showcasing the true
importance and power of technology; not just to the IT sector, but
to the business sector as a whole.
Subtle sales pieces that are as compelling as
they are educational and inspirational.
WATCH THE VIDEOS
OUTCOME
www.centerline.net
4318video views

14. www.centerline.net
zIQ Animations

15. Showcase the mainframe’s integral
role in keeping our data both
universally accessible and secure.
Educate the audience on the unseen
forces behind our day to day
interactions – from banking to mobile
to social.
PURPOSE
zIQ Animations
www.centerline.net

16. As the influencer marketing portion of this campaign, these 5 animations speak to a
practitioner level audience and contain short, compelling stories about the mainframe
that are used internally and externally to garner awareness of mainframe capabilities
and our reliance on them.
zIQ Animations
www.centerline.net

17. Acknowledged the legacy of the mainframe in the context of the
50th anniversary, as well as its relevance and influence today.
Challenged the preconceived notion that the mainframe is no
longer relevant.
WATCH THE VIDEOS
OUTCOME
zIQ Animations
www.centerline.net

18. www.centerline.net
Master the Mainframe

19. Master the Mainframe
TO ENCOURAGE GLOBAL COMPUTER SCIENCE EDUCATION
The Master the Mainframe competition
has engaged 200568,000+ students worldwide since
Through a series of challenges, students — even those with no prior
coding experience — have the opportunity to interact with the
mainframe and experience how this technology is still extremely
critical both today and for the future.
www.centerline.net

20. Master the Mainframe
Created alongside the Mainframe50 celebration
!
Pitted the best and brightest students from around the
globe against each other in the ultimate test of coding skills
!
Invited previous winners of the Master the Mainframe to compete
against each other for the ultimate title of World Champion
www.centerline.net

21. Master the Mainframe
Incredible interest and
participation in the
competition which further
solidified the mainframe’s
relevance
The Master the Mainframe
World Championship website
received over 14,000 page
views in five months
OUTCOME
WATCH THE HIGHLIGHTS
www.centerline.net

22. www.centerline.net

23. www.centerline.net
Each day corresponded with the release
of new content relevant to the launch
DAYS OF50 50
Aggregator of brand new content
PURPOSE
THEME

24. www.centerline.net
EACH WEEK HIGHLIGHTED
A UNIQUE CATEGORY INCLUDING:
MOBILE CLOUD
BIG DATA ANALYTICS
SECURE TRANSACTIONS
ACADEMIC INITIATIVE

25. www.centerline.net
Anniversary website

26. www.centerline.netwww.centerline.net
Anniversary website
A narrative piece for the
celebration
Create a curated
experience using content
about the mainframe.

27. www.centerline.net
Campaign results

28. 57,000+
www.centerline.net
Campaign results
PRESS MENTIONS
OF MAINFRAME50
TOTAL
TWEET ANNOUNCING
MILESTONE IS
OFFICIALLY MOST
RETWEETED TWEET
FROM @IBM
48,351
PRESS MENTIONS
OF MAINFRAME50
IN TWO DAYS
230 news stories
103 blog posts 7,992 tweets
28 forums
98.9 M
TWITTER
IMPRESSIONS

29. www.centerline.net
Campaign results
OVERALL:
12,730
page views
8,909
visits
IN 5 MONTHS
+
LIVESTREAM
EVENT
14,000
visits
ANNIVERSARY
WEBPAGE
40,000
visits
IN 5 MONTHS
The perception of the mainframe was shifted
from the idea that it’s outdated to the realization
of its value to business.

30. www.centerline.net
Thank you!
LET’S CONNECT:
@centerline
@centerline
/centerlinedigital