Lassa – Don Duran / Got Your Back

This one is from my early career, but I still remember every little detail about it. This project was a defining moment where we challenged the industry’s obsession with passive view counts and set out to prove that true virality is measured by conversation and interaction. Building on the legacy of Don Duran (the most recognizable face of winter on the Turkish internet) we launched a campaign that prioritized human connection over traditional media metrics.

While the campaign began with a video launch, the real innovation lived in the engagement strategy that followed. We dove into the one place brands usually avoid: the YouTube comments section. Don Duran replied to every single comment personally, sparking intense audience discussion that even resulted in İtwo separate Tumblr pages.

We took the character where no Turkish brand had gone before, handing over Lassa’s official accounts to Don Duran. From answering personal questions on Ask.fm and sharing fan-written poetry on SoundCloud to becoming the first brand in Turkey to chat with users via WhatsApp, we turned a corporate identity into a personal connection. We even shifted from “real-time” to “future-time” marketing by successfully predicting the first snow of the year through a Twitter engagement stunt. With over 4,500 pieces of content across seven platforms, this project didn’t just own the winter; it redefined the rules of digital engagement.