STUNTS ARE IN Blind dates on a billboard; an airplane replicated in a SoHo storefront; a costumed pirate skydiving into a street festival. Promotion has taken to the streets, preferably when cameras are rolling. But mere media impressions aren’t enough. These finalists racked up sales increases and, for many, retailer participation. Old ideas (remember flag-pole sitters?) got new twists via Internet and cell phone technology. Musicians (from Dave Matthews to Poi Dog Pondering) chimed in. And consumers had to do more to participate — really take part — in campaigns. PROMO fielded a record 467 PRO Award entries this year, and named up to four finalists in 19 categories.
Best Multi-Discipline (National)
Angel Soft — Angels in Action
DVC Worldwide/Georgia-Pacific
To increase Angel Soft’s volume and emotional connection with consumers, its Angels in Action program rewarded children for community service. Sales and share increased; coupon redemptions exceeded industry averages by 300%.
St. Patrick’s Holiday
Colangelo Synergy Marketing/Guinness
Guinness extended its St. Patrick’s Day strength with a parody of the holiday season. Volume growth exceeded plan, rising three times faster than normal. Guinness Draught in cases rose 29%, and 12-packs were up 82%.
America, How Do You Eat Your Oreos?
In-house/Kraft Foods
Kraft’s Nabisco Biscuit Division asked sweeps entrants how they eat Oreos, then flew four grand-prize winners (one for each method of eating) to New York to appear in an Oreo ad in People Magazine. Consumers entered their Oreo UPC code at oreo.com to vote.
Pure Luck! Get Spotted Drinking & Win
TracyLocke/Pepsi-Cola Co.
Aquafina drinkers won instant cash when spotters traveling by blimp found them with a bottle in hand. “Get Spotted” was printed on 200 million Aquafina packages and 200,000 P-O-P displays. Pepsico reported double-digit growth during third-quarter 2003.
Best Multi-Discipline (Regional)
AOL Concert for Schools
Momentum Worldwide/America Online
AOL pinpointed New York City for its crucial 9.0 launch, then drafted Dave Matthews Band for a free Central Park concert to benefit NYC schools. AOL-branded street teams distributed CD-ROMs with Matthews videos and 9.0 trial; one in four CDs won concert tickets when scanned by street teams. Eighty-five thousand attended (591,000 via streaming at AOL); 60,000 CDs distributed.
What’s Brewing
The Integer Group/Chock Full o’Nuts
Chock Full o’Nuts perked up its New York heritage with insider info (via TimeOut NY) on music and arts, and samples. Event guides carried coupons. An on-pack/coffeeshop/online sweeps dangled a Chock Loft Live concert with the band Live. Smart-aleck ads (P-O-P, radio, postings) reinforced attitude. The 10-market, first-quarter 2004 relaunch bumped volume 34% in NYC; Chock’s brewing expansion plans.
Say Hello to Ted
Frankel/United Airlines
United launched Ted to fight low-fare competitors. Its hometown launch (following Denver and DC debuts) blitzed Chicagoans with tease-and-reveal ads (TV, radio, print) and alt-media (“Ted” spelled in skyscraper lights, on theatre marquees, in sidewalk chalk). “Treat Fleet” ice cream trucks gave movie, transit, coffee, gas coupons. Two free concerts hosted 10,000. Ted’s planes are 90% full, besting the low-80s industry average.
Phaeton Test Drive at W Hotels
Arnold Brand Promotions/Volkwagen
Volkswagen parked its luxury sedan at upscale W Hotels. Phaeton “ambassadors” handled 28 cars (the only Phaetons in the U.S.) for test-drives, hotel shuttles. Direct mail wooed 55,000 VW owners (with 11% response rate); 4,500 W guests got invitations. Co-branded goodies (checkers, coasters, mints) touted VW and W. Arnold fielded 1,933 test drives in four cities over four months, 38% above goal, and came in 22% under budget.
Best Use of Promotional Ads
SouperStar Mansion
Ryan Partnership/Campbell Soup Co.
Campbell targeted kids with a sweeps awarding a family trip to a Malibu, CA, mansion. Players visited mysoup.com to enter a code from their soup can; TV, print and P-O-P supported. Chicken Noodle Soup baseline consumption rose 5.1%; over 406,000 entered.
Cocina En Un Minuto
MASS Promotions/Knorr USA
Knorr wooed acculturated Hispanic women with celebrity Chef Pepin doling out recipes via afternoon drive-time radio on Spanish-language stations. Coupons and DVD/VHS discounts supported. Knorr reached acculturated women without alienating core consumers.
It’s All About Isaac
GEM Group/Oxygen
Oxygen showcased designer Isaac Mizrahi’s talk show and special programming with a sweeps awarding five accessories chosen by Mizrahi (a ring, handbag, coat, shoes and “something in her favorite color”). TV spots drove viewers to enter at Oxygen.com. Ratings doubled Oxygen’s previous program average; 25,000 entered.
Pods Unite
Arnold Brand Promotions/Volkswagen
VW touted New Beetle’s and iPod’s sleek design with TV and print comparing the “pods” and offering an iPod with purchase of a Beetle (and a kit to plug the iPod into the dashboard). VW overshot sales objectives by 14%.
Event Marketing (<5 Venues)
Catch the Captain
BFG Communications/Captain Morgan
Captain Morgan crashed parties in Seattle, Key West, FL and Savannah, GA to raise … brand awareness with the 21-24 crowd. A costumed Captain skydived in, recruited partygoers for a two-hour scavenger hunt through the festival; winners attended a V.I.P. party and vied for a team trip to Rio de Janiero. In all, 2,156 partygoers played; 1,000 consumers registered at captainmorgan.com. Key West sales hit 460 cases in one week.
Camp Jeep
BBDO Detroit/DaimlerChrysler
Perennial favorite Camp Jeep turned 10 with a three-day event for 8,000 owners. Activities tied to environment, education and entertainment drove loyalty. Jeep signed more sponsors this year to mitigate its own budget cuts; extensive direct mail brought a record 2,500 pre-event registrations. Post-event, 80% of attendees were very satisfied and 88% would recommend Camp Jeep.
Pink Miami Launch
Mr. Youth/Limited Brands
Victoria’s Secret unwrapped young-adult brand Pink during Spring Break with a three-story pink box on Miami’s beach; ads, postings and p.r. hyped a five-day countdown. Five thousand Spring Breakers got a fashion show and live concert by No Mercy. Pink passed out gift cards; branded hotel lobbies; hosted nightclub parties. Pink brand sales jumped triple-digits at Victoria’s Secret’s Miami stores; Victoria’s Secret brand sales rose double digits.
Yahoo Personals Billboard Dating
In-house/Yahoo
Yahoo put a real face on blind dating — in person and online. Yahoo Personals subscriber Julie lived atop a Hollywood billboard for three days, trolling Yahoo for dates (eight, held on the billboard). Daily life was broadcast worldwide 12 hours per day via Yahoo. Celebs, stylists, reporters, DJs visited; fans e-mailed or called. Online ads drove awareness; p.r. worked overtime. Yahoo wooed 6.4 million unique visitors for first-quarter 2004, up 44%. Subscriptions jumped 199%; profile creation zoomed 250%.
Event Marketing (>5 Venues)
VERB Extra Hour for Extra Action
Frankel/Centers for Disease Control
CDC extended its VERB campaign with an Action Day tied to the extra hour of Daylight Savings Time, then touted VERB’s programs at schools and community centers. Five markets drew 4,250 tweens, and over 1.5 million students grades 6-8. VERBnow.com traffic increased 26%.
Reel Moms
Marinelli Communications/Loews Cineplex Entertainment Theatres
Loews invited moms and babies for weekday screenings of first-run movies, socializing, guest speakers and product giveaways. Child Magazine, Gymboree, Kodak, Cingular Wireless, Mary Kay Cosmetics and Hasbro pitched in in 18 markets, Loews’ expansion following 2002 success in New York City.
Mazda Rev It Up
AMCI/Mazda
New-car prospects in 15 markets got a full day of training, competition and entertainment. They drove Mazda6 sedans on a race course; 22,000 attended driving school, and 37,000-plus test-drove Mazdas.
Mobile Marketing
Mobile Investigation Unit 2003
In-house/Court TV
Court TV touted programming on forensic techniques with a 23-market tour. Visitors toured the exhibit to solve a kid-friendly mystery; sponsors Suzuki and Discover Card were written into the caper. Over 350,000 visited, staying about 40 minutes.
Marshmallow Peeps Fun Bus
Marketing Werks/Just Born
Just Born toured 72 cities with two school buses to push Peeps for year-round eating — and crafts. Visitors got snapshots and recipes, made Peeps crafts, played games, celebrated Peeps’ 50th anniversary. School visits reached 750,000 kids. Seasonal sales (Valentine’s Day, Halloween, Christmas, summer) rose 13%; craft use rose 3%.
Ride Safe Tour
Three Wide, LLC/Monroe
Monroe promoted vehicle safety via auto parts retailers. Visitors tried Monroe shocks in simulators and got a tailored maintenance schedule for their own cars. The tour hosted 143,292 consumers and made 79% more likely to purchase Monroe.
Sharpie H2 Mobile Tour/Autographs for Education
Pro Sports Mgmt. & Marketing/Sharpie
Sharpie markers suit sports celebs for autographing. Four Sharpie-branded Hummers sampled new Sharpie Metallic markers; Sharpie donated school supplies in exchange for signatures from local NFL stars. Kids autographed a display board to earn supplies for their schools. Sharpie generated 56 million media impressions and sampled over 400,000 markers.
Sponsorship or Tie-in
Most Reliable Player in the Game
Velocity Sports & Entertainment/FedEx
FedEx drove home its “reliability” message with PGA Tour sponsorship and branded TV content; a Swing for the Green retail sweeps with golf prizes; and a pros’ tips booklet, distributed in magazines, FedEx stores and at events. Business customers played Pro-Am events with PGA pros, attended Tour events; a FedEx Invitational incentive program targeted 50,000 B2B accounts. PGA sponsorship increased Tour spectators’ intent use FedEx; B2B elements drove incremental revenue.
Win the Sword of Aragorn
Alcone Marketing/Hasbro, Inc.
Hasbro teamed with New Line Cinema to promote The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King Monopoly, Risk and Trivial Pursuit for holidays. A sweeps awarded eight authentic LOTR props (one per week, in display case) and 1,000 movie posters. In-pack forms drove online entries; TV, print, radio and P-O-P supported. A Times Square Toys ‘R’ Us kickoff showcased prizes; Gollum actor Andy Serkis purred “My precious” into fans’ cellphones. Sales hit a heroic 140% of forecasts.
Heineken Presents the Latin Grammys
The Vidal Partnership/Heineken USA
Heineken USA translated its music platform to woo Hispanics (who comprise 25% of Heineken sales) by sponsoring the Latin Grammys. The red carpet turned Heineken green; journalism students won assignments to report live for local radio. Two concert tours in eight markets, four Miami street parties and on- and off-premise P-O-P built awareness. Case sales rose 16.8%; Grammys ratings in Miami hit 16.3, up from 6.7 in 2002.
Snickers Hungriest Player
Draft/Masterfoods USA
Masterfoods padded its “Don’t let hunger happen to you” positioning with an ABC Monday Night Football sweeps: Fans used an on-pack code to predict (online) each week’s “hungriest” NFL player. ABC broadcasters named the player; fans who matched won a free Snickers and auto-entered a sweeps for Super Bowl trips (one awarded each week). Fans could vote 11 times weekly; more candy, more votes. A season-ender sweeps sent the winning voter to the 2004 Pro Bowl. Sales among registered fans jumped 50% during July-December. Masterfoods repeats in 2004.
Direct Marketing
Catch Me if You Can
Wunderman/American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
The leading association of CPAs courted students with an online contest. Students solved 12 forensic accounting mysteries to vie for cash prizes. (Games followed the exploits of fictitious rock stars, Wall Street traders, computer geeks.) Off- and online direct marketing targeted professors and 900,000 business, accounting, IT and economics majors. More than 10,000 students registered, three times 2003 participation levels. More than 6,000 opted for more info; 81% had never expressed interest in accounting before.
The Home Depot New Mover Campaign
DDB Chicago/The Home Depot
New homeowners spend more in six months than most homeowners spend in five years. Home Depot targeted 6.6 million movers with direct mail and ads in newspaper real estate sections directing them to homedepotmoving.com, for tips, 10% off coupons and a monthly e-newsletter. Direct-mail response rate was 7.5%; print ads drew 100,000 online registrants. Incremental sales gave Home Depot a 259% ROI.
Commitment Challenged
ARC Worldwide/Metro Chicago YMCA
Frumpy YMCA competed with trendy health clubs by courting casual members to commit more. A free 12-week personal-coach program was timed to New Year’s; direct mail targeted five segments (prospects to current members) in key seasons with tailored incentives. Print, radio, outdoor, e-mail, club signage supported. Membership jumped 11%; cost-per-acquisition fell 21% to $55 per member.
Priority Mail Starter Kit
Draft/U.S. Postal Service
USPS courted small-business owners for the first time with a complete kit to get them to use Priority Mail right away. A mailer invited business owners to request (via phone or mail) a starter kit with everything — including mousepad and pen — to begin shipping. Draft tested 27 versions of the invitation; response rate was 3.14%, double projections of 1.5%. Fully 63% of kit recipients used it; 12% have used Click-N-Ship (prints labels with postage).
Innovative Communication Strategy
Song in the City
LIME P.R. & Promotion/Delta Air Lines
Travelers sampled Delta’s low-cost airline, Song, without flying: A SoHo storefront showcased Song’s organic food; in-flight TV, radio and videogames; and perks from partners American Express, Coca-Cola, Disney and Microsoft. The lush store hosted 10 events per week, from celeb chef demos and author appearances to Disney flicks and concerts. Kiosks sold airline tickets; weekly giveaways drove repeat traffic. Over 36,000 visited, 40% more than expected (average stay: 30 minutes).
T-Mobile All Access
AOL Media Networks/T-Mobile
T-Mobile tuned up its image among techies 18-34 with six simultaneous live concerts, all Webcast at the same time. Sweeps in five cities awarded tickets to the local show (heavily branded, with sampling sites); plasma screens in each venue showed the other concerts, plus fan photos taken with T-Mobile phones. (Fans worldwide watched online.) The finale: a sweeps awarding 1,000 trips for two to a Barenaked Ladies concert on Alcatraz Island, Webcast online. T-Mobile garnered 2.3 million interactions (sweeps entries, downloads, instant-messaging) and hosted 10,000 fans.
Say Hello to Ted
Frankel/United Airlines
See “Best Multi-Discipline Regional”
Yahoo Personals Billboard Dating
In-house/Yahoo
See “Event Marketing (<5 venues)”
Interactive Media
Catch Me if You Can
Wunderman/American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
See “Direct Marketing”
Ben & Jerry’s Take the Oath to Vote
Hawkeye FFWD/Ben & Jerry’s Homemade
Ben & Jerry’s used music and ice cream to urge 18- to 24-year-olds to register and vote. The first 50,000 consumers who took the pledge (online or in Scoop Shops) got a free song download at Apple’s iTunes. Sales of Primary Berry Graham (named via online vote) supported non-profit Rock the Vote. Ben & Jerry’s got 50,000 pledges in four days (not the expected four months).
Boeing Name Your Plane
Seismicom/Boeing Co.
Boeing constructed consumer buzz for its pending 7E7 plane (due 2008) with a global sweeps: Those who voted for their fave name for the plane were auto-entered to vie for a flight in a 737 simulator. (Winning name: Dreamliner.) Aviation buffs joined the online World Design Team to follow 7E7 design and construction. Time for Kids brought the sweeps to classrooms. Ads and links ran on AOL, Time.com, CNN.com and more. Nearly 400,000 voted; 91,879 joined the World Design Team.
Snickers Hungriest Player
Draft/Masterfoods USA
See “Sponsorship or Tie-In”
Most Effective Long-Term Campaign
FedEx Ultimate Air & Ground
Velocity Sports & Entertainment/FedEx
FedEx’s NFL sponsorship has touted FedEx Express (air) and Ground services since 2000 with consumer and B2B promos, points programs and P-O-P. Last year added FedEx-branded “Open Houses” at seven stadiums (V.I.P. tours, meals, premiums); retail pep rallies; an NFL-filmed TV special saluting quarterbacks, runningbacks; and weekly online voting for top air and ground players. Incremental revenue jumps each year.
Kellogg’s American AAdvantage Miles
Draft/Kellogg Co.
Kellogg tweaks its on-pack miles offer each year (now in Year Five) while keeping the solid foundation: 100 AAdvantage miles per box. Year Two overlaid a Win a Million Miles instant-win sweeps. Year Three fielded a Mystery Miles sweeps with bonus miles (up to 25,000) in some packages. Year Four (2003) tied to tourism bureaus for America’s Greatest Cities sweeps awarding trips to seven cities and packing in travel guides to top cities. Annual run is 50 million to 70 million packages; redemption rate is 7.1%, a total two billion miles.
EET and ERN
Draft/Kellogg Co.
Kellogg overhauled its EET and ERN kids’ loyalty site in 2002, adding downloadable prizes, spiffing up games and strengthening ties to on-pack promos. Quarterly updates and partnerships (Cartoon Network, Disney, Skechers, Sony) freshen content. Kids enter on-pack codes to bank points, then redeem for digital goodies. Over 850,000 kids registered; goal was 800,000. Active accounts (one code per quarter) are up.
Visa Merchant Premiums
Carlson Marketing Group/Visa USA
Visa helps its member banks promote the Visa brand by making premiums available to banks through Visa’s 25-plus merchant partners (Amazon.com, Blockbuster, JCPenney, Starbucks). Member banks choose from 50 premiums to offer bank customers using or applying for Visa cards; Visa helps banks customize direct-mail to consumers. Cardholders spent an incremental $108 million through banks using the premiums; 130 banks used the program in 2003, up from 89 in 2002.
Brand Awareness/Trial
Marshmallow Peeps Fun Bus
Marketing Werks/Just Born
See “Mobile Marketing”
Shower, Sing & Win
TeamWorks Media/Old Spice High Endurance
Procter & Gamble persuaded men 18-24 to try body wash by making them shower and sing in public. Bars and restaurants near baseball parks in 19 cities hosted contests: Men stripped down, lathered up and sang “Take Me Out to the Ballgame”; winner appeared in a TV spot and on FOX Sports Net’s Best Damned Sports Show Period. (Consumers voted online, got auto entry for sweeps dangling $10,000.) Samplers gave 2,000 bottles. Customized TV ran during MLB broadcasts; two minutes of contest footage ran during regional games. Sales jumped 40% during promo, stayed up 20% the next quarter.
Say Hello to Ted
Frankel/United Airlines
See “Best Multi-Discipline Regional”
Yahoo Personals Billboard Dating
In-house/Yahoo
See “Event Marketing (<5 venues)”
Volume
Find Major Money
Draft/Burger King
The sweeps at 183 Burger King restaurants on military bases worldwide put game pieces on-pack each worth one of the one million prizes (cash, food, special offers). A collect-and-win component awarded $250,000 for collecting M-A-J-O-R, $25,000 for collecting M-O-N-E-Y. Overall sales rose 4.1%.
Would you name your Baby Horton?
Marketing Resources and Ketchum Entertainment Marketing/Frito-Lay
Frito-Lay brought back its classic Horton character with an unusual offer: The first parents to name their baby Horton won a $50,0000 college-savings account (and $15,000 to defray taxes.) Forty-nine families complied. Ruffles sales rose 5.9% to $338 million.
Picture the Ultimate Vacation
Eric Mower & Associates/Kodak
Kodak got photographers to trade up to Kodak Perfect Touch Processing by tucking surprise photos in the envelopes of processed film; some won a trip for four to Universal Studios Theme Park, via promo partner Universal Studios. The surprise prints (featuring Universal characters) sent consumers online to see if they won. Sales rose 10% to 15% weekly as consumers traded up 2.66 million rolls of film.
The Marketing of No Marketing
In-house/Pabst Brewing Co.
Pabst Blue Ribbon cemented its beer’s popularity among snowboarders and indie-rock bands with low-key events such as bike races in five cities to build word of mouth and reinforce PBR as sub-culture cool. After 23 years of falling sales, 2002 sales rose 5.3% nationally.
Loyalty
Camp Jeep
BBDO Detroit/DaimlerChrysler
See “Event Marketing (<5 Venues)”
EET and ERN
Draft/Kellogg Co.
See “Most Effective Long-Term Campaign”
SlimFast Challenge
J. Brown Agency/SlimFast Co.
SlimFast targeted core consumers with a Wal-Mart exclusive SlimFast Challenge that followed registrants’ weight loss over 12 weeks. In January, shoppers registered and weighed in at Wal-Mart, then got a free Success Kit with SlimFast Bar samples and digital pedometer. Over 300,000 registered; 98% of Wal-Mart stores ran the program, boosting same-store sales 22 percentage points and reversing SlimFast’s decline.
Instant Visa Rewards
Marketing Drive Worldwide/Visa USA
Visa boosted cardholder loyalty (and usage) though promotions created by member banks. Visa provided seasonal incentives for card transactions; member banks got pre-printed direct mail to use for their own promos. Member promotions rose 50% in 2003; 36% more used Visa’s materials.
B2B, Sales Force, Dealer
Great Shots
141 Worldwide/Callaway Golf
Callaway’s consumer sweeps carried an overlay for sales associates who earned incentives; store visits ensured participation. Heavy P-O-P, off- and online ads and behind-the-scenes materials drove participation.
Upfront Bus
In-house/Court TV
Court TV presented its upfront ad inventory on the road, not in the boardroom. Ad agencies boarded the customized luxury bus for a city tour and sales pitch. Sales for first-half 2004 rose 50% — after nearly tripling from 2001-2003.
Pool Tools Hardware Loyalty Program
Harwood Marketing Group/HTH
HTH wooed hardware retailers with value-added incentives to encourage buy-in during 2002 and continue loyalty in 2003. The program created a point of difference for the pool chemical manufacturer. Sales volume grew 37% in hardware stores; program membership is 73% of targeted retailers, up from 17%.
For Leaders Only
Eric Mower & Associates/Welch Allyn
The medical equipment maker pays cash incentives to distributor sales reps — who frequent doctors’ offices and have established relationships with office staff — for sharing leads with Welch Allyn’s own sales force. Incentives are credited to sales reps’ American Express Incentive Funds Card after a Welch Allyn rep conducts a product demo. Garnered 14,000 leads in 2003 (4,133 in 1999); 46% of led to demos and 23% led to sales.
Account-Specific
Make Your School Really Cool
Ryan Partnership/Campbell Soup Co.
Campbell piggybacked its 30-year-old Labels for Education program to Kroger’s loyalty card program with a 500-label bonus offer for Kroger shoppers who bought participating Campbell and Pepperidge Farm brands. Kroger tracked purchases via loyalty cards; bonus label rewards were printed on register receipts. Campbell distributed postcards in schools; 2,500 stores hung banners. Core brands’ sales rose 150% to 260%.
Stars on Broadway
Eric Mower & Associates/Fisher-Price
Fisher-Price drove store traffic for Toys ‘R’ Us with a talent search for kids. Moms brought kids for a photo during Fisher-Price day at stores. Eight finalists won a trip to New York City to see their photo on the store-front billboards of Toys ‘R’ Us’ Times Square store; each winner also got a $500 shopping spree. Fisher-Price extended single-day activity into a multi-week event.
Go for the Green!
Saatchi & Saatchi X/The Scotts Co.
The Scotts Co. showcased its products at Wal-Mart to drive more shoppers to the Lawn & Garden department (only 5% go there). Shoppers competed on a Scotts-branded putting green to win a Miracle-Gro sample or a tomato seedling. Scotts distributed 335,000 product guides and 240,000 samples for a 7.5:1 ROI.
SlimFast Challenge
J. Brown Agency
See “Loyalty”
Small-Budget (Under $50,000)
Pair-a-Day Instant Giveaway
ePrize/Bluefly
Online retailer Bluefly hyped its designer selection with a holiday sweeps awarding a pair of $400 Manolo Blahnik pumps each day for 42 days. Players registered at bluefly.com, then “opened” three shoe boxes on-screen; those that matched, won. Daily play encouraged repeat traffic; each play doubled as auto-entry for the grand-prize closet full of Blahniks (24 pair). Players who gave up to six friends’ e-mail got an extra game play for each. The sweeps drew 500,000 registrants; 50% opted in for more Bluefly info, and 40% referred friends.
Californians for the Captain
BFG Communications/Captain Morgan
With 2,000 candidates in California’s gubernatorial race, Captain Morgan’s faux-candidacy spawned guerrilla tactics statewide. High-profile advisor James Carville was campaign manager; Captain threw a party in the ballroom next to the national pressroom during the official debate. There were on-premise ballots and sampling, wild postings, flash mobs in party districts, yard signs. Volume sales jumped 68% for three months, then stayed up 17.8% for the year. Brand awareness hit 84% with men 21-24 and 76% with women 21-24.
Mad Chickens
Pavone/Gazebo Room
Regional brand Gazebo Room encouraged Pennsylvanians to use its salad dressings as marinade by fighting the very notion. “Cluck Council” members — 19 actors in chicken suits, with a “lawyer” — protested publicly, sent press kits to food editors, reported chicken sightings to radio stations. Ten thousand “anti-coupons” (defaced to discourage marinading) distributed at the Pennsylvania Farm Show earned 12% redemption.
I Love the 70s
Universal Consulting Group/VH-1
Music network VH-1 hyped its “I Love the 70s” week of programming with a one-day blitz in New York City. Teams in Afro wigs, flesh-colored bikinis and tube socks streaked high-traffic areas, passing out postcards with tune-in info and retro candy. VH-1’s ratings rose 125% among men 18-49.
Best Idea
Song in the City
LIME Public Relations & Promotion/Delta Air Lines
See “Most Innovative Communication Strategy”
Save Our History
Civic Entertainment Group/The History Channel
The History Channel extended its Emmy-winning Save Our History with a national campaign to preserve historic sites. First Lady Laura Bush was spokesperson (via the White House’s “Preserve America” initiative); History Channel hosted 48 preservation projects in 22 states. Curriculum materials reached 55,000 students in 100 markets. Bank of America’s sponsorship yielded $5 million in incremental ad revenue; partners USA Today and Fairmount Hotels helped fund the campaign. Events in top 10 markets prompted affiliates to run 25,000 promotional spots, unusual for a non-programming effort.
HSBC Bankcab
Renegade Marketing/HSBC
HSBC’s brand was new to New York, so the bank sought cabdrivers to help build its local reputation. Three hundred cabbies entered its BankCabbie search; a Times Square showdown quizzed 10 finalists on their local knowledge. Winner Johnny Morello won a seven-month contract to drive the HSBC BankCab, a branded Checker cab that gave free rides to New Yorkers with an HSBC bank card or checkbook. Street teams and bank branches gave away 80,000 BankCabbie restaurant guides, designed like checkbooks. Brand awareness (for the cab) hit 41% among HSBC customers; the cab gave 2,100 rides.
Scion Behind the Wheel
AMCI/Toyota
Toyota remapped the test drive for Gen Y, touring 21 markets to bring Scion to hip retailers in hot neighborhoods. Passersby who took a test drive got a $15 gift certificate to the partner store. Kiosks let drivers send digital photos and Scion-branded e-mail. The four test-drive Scions paraded between markets; a radio transmitter in one car hosted Scion FM, temporarily broadcasting lifestyle programming. Scion gave 13,000 test drives; 25% became dealer’s as hot leads.
Best Creative
PT Block Party
BBDO Detroit/DaimleyChrysler
Chrysler PT Cruiser owners joined a one-day event to bond with their cards and each other. Over 1,100 test-drives were conducted; over 1,000 drove the PT Turbo on an NHRA drag strip.
Marvel Comics Back to School
Cramer-Krasselt/Master Lock
Master Lock and Marvel Comics awarded a tour of Marvel’s NYC studios and 3,000 other Marvel prizes. Kids entered online by completing a comic strip. Marvels artists and writers judged entries. More than 5,500 entered; sales rose 9%.
The Lord of the Rings Adventure Card
EastWest Creative/New Line Cinema
New Line Cinema engaged fans, retailers and licensees with branded LOTR Adventure Cards packed in 10 million DVDs/VHS nationwide. Cards had an individual self-destruct PIN to redeem offers online. Co-branded cards drove fans to retailers own sites. Offers changed throughout the six months. Over 800,000 consumers (four times the goal) participated.
Network
