Context

Back Market is the leading global marketplace for refurbished technology, but in the U.S. both the brand and the refurbished category were still relatively unknown. Big Tech had spent decades conditioning consumers to believe their devices had an annual expiration date, fueling overconsumption and e-waste. To deepen its U.S. presence and shift perception, Back Market needed a campaign that would reframe refurbished devices as not “good as new,” but truly reborn.

The approach

We launched “Tech Reborn,” Back Market’s first major U.S. campaign — designed to make people rethink what “new” means.

• Anchored the campaign with “The Monster,” a stop-motion/puppetry film directed by Johnny Kelly that dramatized endless tech production as a cultural and planetary crisis — with humor, charm, and emotional resonance.

• Extended into a full OOH takeover in New York City (Port Authority, Union Square domination, Penn Station) featuring playful animated characters symbolizing rebirth.

• Deployed a multi-channel digital strategy: YouTube Masthead, Hulu, Vevo, Twitch, and key holiday broadcasts (Thanksgiving Day Parade, Rockefeller Center Christmas).

• Produced over 400 static and video assets tailored for U.S. launch.

Results

• +120% brand awareness lift across NYC, Chicago, and Miami

• Triple-digit YoY GMV growth in the U.S.

• +180% YoY searches for “Back Market” in NY (vs. +42.8% nationally)

• Campaign exceeded benchmarks across YouTube, TikTok, Spotify, and Twitch for awareness + consideration

• Despite long format, 60s and CTV spots achieved standout completion rates (VTR100%)

• Success in the US led to international expansion of “The Monster” to UK and Japan

My role

Partnered with former CMO Seth Farbman to develop and launch Tech Reborn, Back Market’s U.S. rebrand campaign.