Launched in 1996, Hotmail is one of the pioneering web-based mail applications. At a scale previously unheard of, it helped people untether from their home machines and access mail wherever they had a web browser. And for a long time, it worked beautifully—until the combination of a growing and aggressive spam industry and an increasingly strong competitive landscape conspired to drive away previously loyal users.

What IS all that Stuff?

Following up on our previous successful campaigns for Hotmail—including What’s Your Inbox Like? and Take Another Look at Hotmail—POP was engaged to tell the story of the latest front in the battle for email: Graymail, a term used to describe the email you sign up for but don’t always want, like newsletters, daily deals, social updates, shopping offers and more. It's not spam because at some point we've all typed in our digital John Hancock and agreed to receive these emails. But the truth is, they're clogging our inboxes and keeping us from the email we really want.

Information Into Action

Armed with this important insight, we developed an integrated, multifaceted campaign highlighting Hotmail’s advanced award-winning features. Banners, pre-roll placements, landing experiences and full website takeovers positioned Hotmail as the only comprehensive solution to the scourge of graymail.

Building on Success

Most importantly, it worked. The pre-rolls alone generated 20 million additional impressions in the first few months, with an astounding 61 percent completion rate. Click-throughs across all media—especially from our custom March Madness banners—were through the roof, soaring past expectations and helping re-establish a great brand.