Social Media Marketing Awards: CDW

Viral Video: Runner-up

Video: “North Pole Inc.”

Agency: Ogilvy Chicago

Why we liked it: We had a lot of fun judging this entry because the long- and short-form videos are simply hilarious. CDW created the character Larry Elf, chief information elf at North Pole Inc., and set him in a Santa's Workshop environment that's uncannily reminiscent of “The Office.” Budget cuts force elves to take commercial flights instead of the sleigh, and Santa's response to news that he has 3 billion unread emails is “Would you print them out for me?” The campaign dovetails with CDW's “People Who Get IT” message, which is intended to support the company's ability to solve complex IT problems. It was promoted through multiple social channels, as well as on “Monday Night Football,” and drove visitors to a landing page containing a downloadable series of humorous “Elfspiration” posters. CDW hoped the two-week campaign would drive 150,000 video views; actual results approached 1 million. And this timeless campaign will be just as fresh next holiday season.