Don’t Let IT Problems Become Monsters

It all began with a small software company named TOPdesk with a big ambition: to conquer the ITSM market in Germany and Belgium within three years, while boosting brand awareness and preference.

But instead of sticking to the usual playbook with brand onions and communication frameworks, we chose a different path. TBWA\NEBOKO identified a bigger challenge: the under-appreciation of IT workers, despite serving as the backbone of businesses and society.

So, in a category full of product-centric ads and B2B blah blah, the objective was to stand out by celebrating the true heroes of our world: IT workers, who also happen to be their audience.

The campaign’s strategy was to veer away from the typical brand-focused marketing seen in the IT industry. Instead, delving into the culture of IT professionals.

That’s how we learned what ‘rubber duck debugging’ means (talking to an actual rubber duck when you feel stuck with a problem) or why IT professionals have little collectibles on their desks (Marvel characters, sports figures, etc.). But we also learned that they often felt unnoticed and excluded from important decisions:

“We’re usually only noticed when something goes wrong.” – Andreas G., Head of Information Technology

“We’re often left out of important decision-making processes, even when those decisions directly impact IT.” – Michael K., Senior IT Manager

Thinking about this, TBWA\NEBOKO wanted to shift the perception and portray IT workers as the heroes they truly are, but in a humorous and entertaining way.