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After years of occupying third place among the Big Four television networks and seeing its audience grow as old as Dick Van Dyke’s shtick, New York City-based CBS stormed back to the top last year thanks in large part to the success of Survivor, the smash-hit reality series.
Survivor was one of the most successful events in TV history, in large part due to the masterful job CBS did in marketing the series from the day it was first greenlighted to the moment its $1 million winner was named.

It’s no surprise then, that Survivor also scored the Super Reggie as the best campaign of 2000 in the Promotion Marketing Association’s annual Reggie awards program (March PROMO), which culminated last month with a special ceremony in Chicago. CBS earned a Gold Award for Best Multi-Channel Integrated Promotion Involving Consumer and Trade before walking off with the grand prize.

What CBS’s marketing campaign lacked in true promotion (the overall effort would be better classified as p.r.) it made up for in sheer control: the marketing team was involved from the start, kicking off the hype machine with an aggressive contestant search (including guerrilla campaigns in health clubs and at the New York City marathon) and juicing up advertisers with lucrative product-placement opportunities. Of course, the series also earns kudos for the scores of Survivor-esque — if not CBS-sanctioned — promotions it inspired throughout the year.

In addition to the 16 contestants, Survivor’s island of Palau Tiga was populated with such brand sponsors as Bud Light, Visa, Ericsson, Dorito’s, Dr. Scholl’s, and the U.S. Army — many of whom tailored promotional activity to the sponsorship. One episode’s “Challenge” winners earned a crate of goods from Target that was dropped in from a plane on a huge Target parachute. Pontiac launched its new Aztek with custom spots, an online sweepstakes, and a free car to ultimate winner Richard Hatch.

In accepting the award, CBS senior vp-marketing and events Anne O’Grady thanked promotion shop DVC Group, Morristown, NJ, for its behind-the-scenes work on the network’s efforts.

Since the show set a summer-time TV record with 125 million viewers, there’s no shame for any promotion marketing campaign to have taken a back seat to Survivor: A rundown of the other Reggie-worthy efforts follows.

NATIONAL CONSUMER PROMOTION OVER $6 MILLION

Gold: Sears is Your Ticket On Stage with Christina Aguilera

Agency: Einson Freeman, Paramus, NJ

Client: Sears Roebuck & Co., Hoffman Estates, IL

To liven up its back-to-school efforts targeting girls, Sears returned to the teen pop well (it rode the Backstreet Boys tour in ’99) through a sponsorship deal with Christina Aguilera that added a tie-in with Levi’s to the party slate.

With the purchase of select Levi’s merchandise, shoppers scored exclusive Aguilera CDs featuring codes providing access to online chats with the singer; to drive repeat visits, three different CDs were offered over a three-week period. The partners added a cause component through local nonprofit organization Do Something, awarding 50 “youth empowerment” grants to teens making a difference in their communities. National TV spots in English and Spanish supported. Aguilera’s cachet helped store sales double in key markets.

Silver: Fleetwood Homes Presents the Neal McCoy 24-7-365 Tour

Agency: Frankel, Chicago

Client: Fleetwood Homes, Riverside, CA

Battling an industry-wide sales slump, mobile house maker Fleetwood Homes tapped into a unifying element among its potential customer base: country music. The company signed on as tour sponsor for singer Neal McCoy, employing a variety of at-concert signage and putting the singer on all P-O-P materials. Entry forms for a sweepstakes offering the chance to win a private concert with McCoy were available only at participating Fleetwood retailers. At concert venues, ticket holders received souvenir gamepieces driving them to retailers to see if they’d won prizes. Entry forms for a second sweeps dangling a new home were inserted into McCoy’s August CD release, which was also handed out free to consumers who took tours of in-stock Fleetwood homes. The program generated $1.5 million in value-added media. Orders from commercial retailers doubled.

Bronze: Be the Ultimate Pokémon Master

Agency: DraftWorldwide/KBA, Chicago

Client: Kellogg Co., Battle Creek, MI

To boost consumer awareness and multiple purchases across its portfolio, Kellogg’s hopped on 2000’s hottest children’s property. Children were invited to collect 24 different in-pack Pokémon premiums. A watch & win game offering a raft of related prizes was communicated on-air during episodes of the Pokémon cartoon series. FSIs, TV spots, and print ads supported. An ultimatepokemonster.com Web site featured interactive games and e-cards that let kids themselves spread news about the promotion (and earn an entry into an online sweeps for every card they sent). The campaign scored a double-digit gain in retail display activity. Merchandise sales increased 30 percent over the same period in 1999. Volume sales of a promotional Pokémon cereal were four times larger than initial projections.

Silver: USPS/Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas

Agency: Frankel, Chicago

Client: United States Postal Service, Washington, DC

Known for innovative grassroots campaigns (November 2000 PROMO), USPS went the borrowed-equity route last holiday season, transforming post offices into Whovilles with a host of P-O-P and turning every piece of mail into movie advertising via Grinch-themed cancellation stamps. The Postal Service teamed with fellow Grinch partner Visa on a sweepstakes offering cardholders a chance at a free purchase or a $1,000 gift card, and also lent a hand to First Book, a nonprofit literacy organization running a book-donation drive (see description below). TV, radio, and print ads supported. USPS reported an overall jump in priority mail sales and a one-day record on Dec. 18, when more than 314 million stamped cards and letters were processed.

Bronze: Miller Genuine Draft Blind Date

Agency: The Zipatoni Co., St. Louis

Client: Miller Brewing Co., Milwaukee

The Miller Genuine Draft brand enlisted Zipatoni to add spice to its 13-year-old mystery-concert sweeps, which had been hurt by numerous copycat campaigns. Looking to boost interest among the core 21- to 27-year-old audience, the agency created a campaign leveraging the brand’s “Genuine Opportunity” TV spots and featuring partnerships with local radio stations for tickets and merchandise giveaways. On-premise, game cards gave patrons one-in-four chances to win instant prizes while interactive kiosks provided entries into the sweeps and the opportunity to e-mail friends about the event. An off-premise sweeps and a promotional Web site supported. The 2000 concert was Webcast live. The campaign helped MGD build brand recognition to 75 percent among the core audience and dispense 90 percent of the concert’s tickets on-premise.

LOCAL, REGIONAL, OR TARGET/ETHNIC MARKET PROMOTION (Budget over $500,000)

Gold: Cartoon Cartoon Fridays

Agency: RPMC, Calabasas, CA

Client: The Cartoon Network, Atlanta

To promote its Friday night line-up of original cartoons and strengthen relationships with local cable system operators, Cartoon Network again embarked on a road show that this time hit 13 cities for a night of screenings and other activities. Radio spots and an on-air sweeps drew attention to the events, which began with smaller parties during the week and culminated with Friday-night extravaganzas at which more than 1,000 kids watched cartoons on a 35-foot screen from inflatable beach chairs. (Refreshments were provided by sponsor Coke’s Hi-C brand.) Local cable operators ran sweepstakes and invited special guests. An average of 4,500 visitors turned out for each Friday night stop on the tour, which overall generated more than 16 million impressions.

LOCAL, REGIONAL, OR TARGET/ETHNIC MARKET PROMOTION (Budget under $500,000)

Gold: Alice Wicked Wonderland Tour

Agency: In-house

Client: Electronic Arts, San Mateo, CA

To create buzz for the December 2000 launch of videogame title American McGee’s Alice (a take on the Lewis Carroll classic, Alice in Wonderland) Electronic Arts found an unconventional yet budget-saving way to impress fickle gamers. A traveling Alice in Wonderland tour was targeted to 18- to 24-year olds who enjoyed techno music and clubbing. Led by a DJ, the tour visited clubs in six markets with music, imagery, and Alice-themed special effects with a psychedelic flavor. Fan kits containing demo videos and a $5 coupon good at Best Buy were handed out. Radio spots, Web advertising, and ads in alternative magazines supported. Online game site Gamers.com ran a sweeps. More than 12,000 people partied with the tour, which generated 4.5 million print impressions and passed out 50,000 coupons.

Silver: Motorola V2397 Launch

Agency: The Zipatoni Co., St. Louis

Client: Motorola, Schaumberg, IL

To boost holiday sales of its V2397 phones while positioning itself as a hip brand among teens, Motorola tied into MTV’s Total Request Live, tapping host Carson Daly as spokesperson and allowing viewers to use their phones to vote for their favorite videos via text messages. The company worked with MTV and Arista Records on a gift-with-purchase offer for a TRL messenger bag complete with compilation CD. A sweeps overlay dangled a trip for two to the show’s set. Trade marketing (including private parties for AT&T sales reps) and P-O-P along with national TV, regional radio, and print ads supported. The launch exceeded goals, gaining P-O-P placement in all 15,000 AT&T retail locations (a first for Motorola) and generating sales expected to surpass expectations.

Bronze: Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas National Campaign

Agency: In-house

Client: Universal Pictures, Universal City, CA

To turn Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas into the movie-marketing event of the 2000 holiday season, Universal sought to strike alliances with eight blue-chip corporate partners who would understand the need to retain the property’s spirit in all communications. The studio ultimately scored deals with Hershey’s, Nabisco, Kellogg’s, Sprite, Visa, Wendy’s, USPS, and Ziploc. It even added a cause overlay with nonprofit First Book. Those partners helped generate 99 percent pre-opening awareness for the film through more than 4,000 TV spots (11 different ads), 238 million FSIs, more than 350 million product packages, and six billion-plus pieces of mail. The Grinch became the highest-grossing film of 2000 with a box-office of more than $260 million.

BUSINESS-TO-BUSINESS PROMOTION

Gold: Sheepstakes

Agency: In-house

Client: Cartoon Network, Atlanta

To introduce its latest original cartoon, Sheep In the Big City, to the advertising and cable communities, Cartoon Network developed a sampling and direct mail campaign. The effort began with a “blast” telephone message to 1,500 targets using the voice of the series’ narrator to inform them that they’d soon receive a special package. The next day, a video of the show arrived along with information about Sheepstakes, a sweeps giving away a trip to Ireland. To become eligible for the drawing, recipients had to call a toll-free number and answer questions based on the video within one week of receiving the package. The promotion generated a 20 percent call-in rate.

Bronze: USG Rock Tour

Agency: DDB Worldwide, Chicago

Client: United States Gypsum, Chicago

USG’s success in the drywall category (32-percent market share) is so strong the company’s Sheetrock brand has become the generic term for the product. To change that perception and introduce a new formulation, USG and DDB devised the Rock Tour, which kicked off with a direct-mail piece to contractors that included a sample and a utility knife so recipients could immediately test its improved qualities. A NASCAR sponsorship (one of the company’s most valuable marketing tools) was played up on communications, with top customers receiving tickets to races. Radio spots and ads in trade magazines supported. The effort boosted recognition of Sheetrock as a brand from seven percent to 46 percent, while recognition of USG as the manufacturer jumped from 19 percent to 41 percent.

INTERNATIONAL OR GLOBAL PROMOTION

Gold: The Simpsons Global Fanfest

Agency: In-house

Client: 20th Century Fox, Los Angeles

To celebrate the 10th anniversary of The Simpsons, Fox devised a year-long umbrella campaign that attracted 32 partners around the globe including Pepsi, Burger King, Nestle, 7-Eleven, Wal-Mart, Kmart, and Virgin Records. One key element was the relaunch of thesimpsons.com Web site, where more than 350,000 people registered to compete in a trivia game called Bart Bowl, more than 215,000 signed up to receive free Simpsons-branded Internet service, and more than 235,000 requested a fan newsletter. Efforts culminated in a Simpsons Global Fanfest Weekend in October at Fox Studios in Los Angeles, for which 700 contest winners were flown in from 16 countries. The campaign increased short-term sales of licensed merchandise and is also expected to strengthen future licensing agreements.

INTERACTIVE PROMOTION

Gold: The Intruder

Agency: In-house

Client: Cartoon Network, Atlanta

To back its Toonami action-adventure block and drive traffic to the Toonami.com site, Cartoon Network partnered with a kid’s best friend: Nintendo. The Intruder was the network’s first “immersion” event melding on-air programming with online content; five-minute on-air interstitials were enhanced with additional online content, and TV viewers were encouraged to log on and watch the story unfold in both media. A sweeps overlay let kids play games and enter (online or by phone) to win one of five trips to Nintendo headquarters in Washington and Japan. An in-school component gave Intruder book covers to fourth and sixth graders during back-to-school season. The campaign increased ratings for the Toonami block by 21 percent and boosted traffic to Toonami.com by 72 percent.

Silver: The Grinch’s First Book Campaign

Agency: In-house

Client: Universal Pictures, Universal City, CA

Looking for a cause tie for its Grinch efforts, Universal Pictures teamed with nonprofit First Book in a bid to increase literacy. Grinch publishing partner Random House donated 500,000 books to be given with every purchase of the Dr. Seuss classic; the Barnes & Noble chain chipped in by donating 10 percent of all online sales to the charity: the U.S. Postal Service publicized the program in post offices, while Nabisco and Wendy’s conducted their own donation programs. New York City mayor Rudolph Giuliani officially proclaimed Nov. 1 as First Book Day, and Grinch director Ron Howard produced a promotional video with Hillary Clinton. More than $185,000 was raised for First Book through the effort, which generated an estimated 550 million total impressions.

After years of occupying third place among the Big Four television networks and seeing its audience grow as old as Dick Van Dyke’s shtick, New York City-based CBS stormed back to the top last year thanks in large part to the success of Survivor, the smash-hit reality series.
Survivor was one of the most successful events in TV history, in large part due to the masterful job CBS did in marketing the series from the day it was first greenlighted to the moment its $1 million winner was named.

It’s no surprise then, that Survivor also scored the Super Reggie as the best campaign of 2000 in the Promotion Marketing Association’s annual Reggie awards program (March PROMO), which culminated last month with a special ceremony in Chicago. CBS earned a Gold Award for Best Multi-Channel Integrated Promotion Involving Consumer and Trade before walking off with the grand prize.

What CBS’s marketing campaign lacked in true promotion (the overall effort would be better classified as p.r.) it made up for in sheer control: the marketing team was involved from the start, kicking off the hype machine with an aggressive contestant search (including guerrilla campaigns in health clubs and at the New York City marathon) and juicing up advertisers with lucrative product-placement opportunities. Of course, the series also earns kudos for the scores of Survivor-esque — if not CBS-sanctioned — promotions it inspired throughout the year.

In addition to the 16 contestants, Survivor’s island of Palau Tiga was populated with such brand sponsors as Bud Light, Visa, Ericsson, Dorito’s, Dr. Scholl’s, and the U.S. Army — many of whom tailored promotional activity to the sponsorship. One episode’s “Challenge” winners earned a crate of goods from Target that was dropped in from a plane on a huge Target parachute. Pontiac launched its new Aztek with custom spots, an online sweepstakes, and a free car to ultimate winner Richard Hatch.

In accepting the award, CBS senior vp-marketing and events Anne O’Grady thanked promotion shop DVC Group, Morristown, NJ, for its behind-the-scenes work on the network’s efforts.

Since the show set a summer-time TV record with 125 million viewers, there’s no shame for any promotion marketing campaign to have taken a back seat to Survivor: A rundown of the other Reggie-worthy efforts follows.

NATIONAL CONSUMER PROMOTION OVER $6 MILLION

Gold: Sears is Your Ticket On Stage with Christina Aguilera

Agency: Einson Freeman, Paramus, NJ

Client: Sears Roebuck & Co., Hoffman Estates, IL

To liven up its back-to-school efforts targeting girls, Sears returned to the teen pop well (it rode the Backstreet Boys tour in ’99) through a sponsorship deal with Christina Aguilera that added a tie-in with Levi’s to the party slate.

With the purchase of select Levi’s merchandise, shoppers scored exclusive Aguilera CDs featuring codes providing access to online chats with the singer; to drive repeat visits, three different CDs were offered over a three-week period. The partners added a cause component through local nonprofit organization Do Something, awarding 50 “youth empowerment” grants to teens making a difference in their communities. National TV spots in English and Spanish supported. Aguilera’s cachet helped store sales double in key markets.

Silver: Fleetwood Homes Presents the Neal McCoy 24-7-365 Tour

Agency: Frankel, Chicago

Client: Fleetwood Homes, Riverside, CA

Battling an industry-wide sales slump, mobile house maker Fleetwood Homes tapped into a unifying element among its potential customer base: country music. The company signed on as tour sponsor for singer Neal McCoy, employing a variety of at-concert signage and putting the singer on all P-O-P materials. Entry forms for a sweepstakes offering the chance to win a private concert with McCoy were available only at participating Fleetwood retailers. At concert venues, ticket holders received souvenir gamepieces driving them to retailers to see if they’d won prizes. Entry forms for a second sweeps dangling a new home were inserted into McCoy’s August CD release, which was also handed out free to consumers who took tours of in-stock Fleetwood homes. The program generated $1.5 million in value-added media. Orders from commercial retailers doubled.

Bronze: Be the Ultimate Pokémon Master

Agency: DraftWorldwide/KBA, Chicago

Client: Kellogg Co., Battle Creek, MI

To boost consumer awareness and multiple purchases across its portfolio, Kellogg’s hopped on 2000’s hottest children’s property. Children were invited to collect 24 different in-pack Pokémon premiums. A watch & win game offering a raft of related prizes was communicated on-air during episodes of the Pokémon cartoon series. FSIs, TV spots, and print ads supported. An ultimatepokemonster.com Web site featured interactive games and e-cards that let kids themselves spread news about the promotion (and earn an entry into an online sweeps for every card they sent). The campaign scored a double-digit gain in retail display activity. Merchandise sales increased 30 percent over the same period in 1999. Volume sales of a promotional Pokémon cereal were four times larger than initial projections.

Silver: USPS/Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas

Agency: Frankel, Chicago

Client: United States Postal Service, Washington, DC

Known for innovative grassroots campaigns (November 2000 PROMO), USPS went the borrowed-equity route last holiday season, transforming post offices into Whovilles with a host of P-O-P and turning every piece of mail into movie advertising via Grinch-themed cancellation stamps. The Postal Service teamed with fellow Grinch partner Visa on a sweepstakes offering cardholders a chance at a free purchase or a $1,000 gift card, and also lent a hand to First Book, a nonprofit literacy organization running a book-donation drive (see description below). TV, radio, and print ads supported. USPS reported an overall jump in priority mail sales and a one-day record on Dec. 18, when more than 314 million stamped cards and letters were processed.

Bronze: Miller Genuine Draft Blind Date

Agency: The Zipatoni Co., St. Louis

Client: Miller Brewing Co., Milwaukee

The Miller Genuine Draft brand enlisted Zipatoni to add spice to its 13-year-old mystery-concert sweeps, which had been hurt by numerous copycat campaigns. Looking to boost interest among the core 21- to 27-year-old audience, the agency created a campaign leveraging the brand’s “Genuine Opportunity” TV spots and featuring partnerships with local radio stations for tickets and merchandise giveaways. On-premise, game cards gave patrons one-in-four chances to win instant prizes while interactive kiosks provided entries into the sweeps and the opportunity to e-mail friends about the event. An off-premise sweeps and a promotional Web site supported. The 2000 concert was Webcast live. The campaign helped MGD build brand recognition to 75 percent among the core audience and dispense 90 percent of the concert’s tickets on-premise.

LOCAL, REGIONAL, OR TARGET/ETHNIC MARKET PROMOTION (Budget over $500,000)

Gold: Cartoon Cartoon Fridays

Agency: RPMC, Calabasas, CA

Client: The Cartoon Network, Atlanta

To promote its Friday night line-up of original cartoons and strengthen relationships with local cable system operators, Cartoon Network again embarked on a road show that this time hit 13 cities for a night of screenings and other activities. Radio spots and an on-air sweeps drew attention to the events, which began with smaller parties during the week and culminated with Friday-night extravaganzas at which more than 1,000 kids watched cartoons on a 35-foot screen from inflatable beach chairs. (Refreshments were provided by sponsor Coke’s Hi-C brand.) Local cable operators ran sweepstakes and invited special guests. An average of 4,500 visitors turned out for each Friday night stop on the tour, which overall generated more than 16 million impressions.

LOCAL, REGIONAL, OR TARGET/ETHNIC MARKET PROMOTION (Budget under $500,000)

Gold: Alice Wicked Wonderland Tour

Agency: In-house

Client: Electronic Arts, San Mateo, CA

To create buzz for the December 2000 launch of videogame title American McGee’s Alice (a take on the Lewis Carroll classic, Alice in Wonderland) Electronic Arts found an unconventional yet budget-saving way to impress fickle gamers. A traveling Alice in Wonderland tour was targeted to 18- to 24-year olds who enjoyed techno music and clubbing. Led by a DJ, the tour visited clubs in six markets with music, imagery, and Alice-themed special effects with a psychedelic flavor. Fan kits containing demo videos and a $5 coupon good at Best Buy were handed out. Radio spots, Web advertising, and ads in alternative magazines supported. Online game site Gamers.com ran a sweeps. More than 12,000 people partied with the tour, which generated 4.5 million print impressions and passed out 50,000 coupons.

Silver: Motorola V2397 Launch

Agency: The Zipatoni Co., St. Louis

Client: Motorola, Schaumberg, IL

To boost holiday sales of its V2397 phones while positioning itself as a hip brand among teens, Motorola tied into MTV’s Total Request Live, tapping host Carson Daly as spokesperson and allowing viewers to use their phones to vote for their favorite videos via text messages. The company worked with MTV and Arista Records on a gift-with-purchase offer for a TRL messenger bag complete with compilation CD. A sweeps overlay dangled a trip for two to the show’s set. Trade marketing (including private parties for AT&T sales reps) and P-O-P along with national TV, regional radio, and print ads supported. The launch exceeded goals, gaining P-O-P placement in all 15,000 AT&T retail locations (a first for Motorola) and generating sales expected to surpass expectations.

Bronze: Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas National Campaign

Agency: In-house

Client: Universal Pictures, Universal City, CA

To turn Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas into the movie-marketing event of the 2000 holiday season, Universal sought to strike alliances with eight blue-chip corporate partners who would understand the need to retain the property’s spirit in all communications. The studio ultimately scored deals with Hershey’s, Nabisco, Kellogg’s, Sprite, Visa, Wendy’s, USPS, and Ziploc. It even added a cause overlay with nonprofit First Book. Those partners helped generate 99 percent pre-opening awareness for the film through more than 4,000 TV spots (11 different ads), 238 million FSIs, more than 350 million product packages, and six billion-plus pieces of mail. The Grinch became the highest-grossing film of 2000 with a box-office of more than $260 million.

BUSINESS-TO-BUSINESS PROMOTION

Gold: Sheepstakes

Agency: In-house

Client: Cartoon Network, Atlanta

To introduce its latest original cartoon, Sheep In the Big City, to the advertising and cable communities, Cartoon Network developed a sampling and direct mail campaign. The effort began with a “blast” telephone message to 1,500 targets using the voice of the series’ narrator to inform them that they’d soon receive a special package. The next day, a video of the show arrived along with information about Sheepstakes, a sweeps giving away a trip to Ireland. To become eligible for the drawing, recipients had to call a toll-free number and answer questions based on the video within one week of receiving the package. The promotion generated a 20 percent call-in rate.

Bronze: USG Rock Tour

Agency: DDB Worldwide, Chicago

Client: United States Gypsum, Chicago

USG’s success in the drywall category (32-percent market share) is so strong the company’s Sheetrock brand has become the generic term for the product. To change that perception and introduce a new formulation, USG and DDB devised the Rock Tour, which kicked off with a direct-mail piece to contractors that included a sample and a utility knife so recipients could immediately test its improved qualities. A NASCAR sponsorship (one of the company’s most valuable marketing tools) was played up on communications, with top customers receiving tickets to races. Radio spots and ads in trade magazines supported. The effort boosted recognition of Sheetrock as a brand from seven percent to 46 percent, while recognition of USG as the manufacturer jumped from 19 percent to 41 percent.

INTERNATIONAL OR GLOBAL PROMOTION

Gold: The Simpsons Global Fanfest

Agency: In-house

Client: 20th Century Fox, Los Angeles

To celebrate the 10th anniversary of The Simpsons, Fox devised a year-long umbrella campaign that attracted 32 partners around the globe including Pepsi, Burger King, Nestle, 7-Eleven, Wal-Mart, Kmart, and Virgin Records. One key element was the relaunch of thesimpsons.com Web site, where more than 350,000 people registered to compete in a trivia game called Bart Bowl, more than 215,000 signed up to receive free Simpsons-branded Internet service, and more than 235,000 requested a fan newsletter. Efforts culminated in a Simpsons Global Fanfest Weekend in October at Fox Studios in Los Angeles, for which 700 contest winners were flown in from 16 countries. The campaign increased short-term sales of licensed merchandise and is also expected to strengthen future licensing agreements.

INTERACTIVE PROMOTION

Gold: The Intruder

Agency: In-house

Client: Cartoon Network, Atlanta

To back its Toonami action-adventure block and drive traffic to the Toonami.com site, Cartoon Network partnered with a kid’s best friend: Nintendo. The Intruder was the network’s first “immersion” event melding on-air programming with online content; five-minute on-air interstitials were enhanced with additional online content, and TV viewers were encouraged to log on and watch the story unfold in both media. A sweeps overlay let kids play games and enter (online or by phone) to win one of five trips to Nintendo headquarters in Washington and Japan. An in-school component gave Intruder book covers to fourth and sixth graders during back-to-school season. The campaign increased ratings for the Toonami block by 21 percent and boosted traffic to Toonami.com by 72 percent.

Silver: The Grinch’s First Book Campaign

Agency: In-house

Client: Universal Pictures, Universal City, CA

Looking for a cause tie for its Grinch efforts, Universal Pictures teamed with nonprofit First Book in a bid to increase literacy. Grinch publishing partner Random House donated 500,000 books to be given with every purchase of the Dr. Seuss classic; the Barnes & Noble chain chipped in by donating 10 percent of all online sales to the charity: the U.S. Postal Service publicized the program in post offices, while Nabisco and Wendy’s conducted their own donation programs. New York City mayor Rudolph Giuliani officially proclaimed Nov. 1 as First Book Day, and Grinch director Ron Howard produced a promotional video with Hillary Clinton. More than $185,000 was raised for First Book through the effort, which generated an estimated 550 million total impressions.

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After years of occupying third place among the Big Four television networks and seeing its audience grow as old as Dick Van Dyke’s shtick, New York City-based CBS stormed back to the top last year thanks in large part to the success of Survivor, the smash-hit reality series.

Survivor was one of the most successful events in TV history, in large part due to the masterful job CBS did in marketing the series from the day it was first greenlighted to the moment its $1 million winner was named.

It’s no surprise then, that Survivor also scored the Super Reggie as the best campaign of 2000 in the Promotion Marketing Association’s annual Reggie awards program (March PROMO), which culminated last month with a special ceremony in Chicago. CBS earned a Gold Award for Best Multi-Channel Integrated Promotion Involving Consumer and Trade before walking off with the grand prize.

What CBS’s marketing campaign lacked in true promotion (the overall effort would be better classified as p.r.) it made up for in sheer control: the marketing team was involved from the start, kicking off the hype machine with an aggressive contestant search (including guerrilla campaigns in health clubs and at the New York City marathon) and juicing up advertisers with lucrative product-placement opportunities. Of course, the series also earns kudos for the scores of Survivor-esque — if not CBS-sanctioned — promotions it inspired throughout the year.

In addition to the 16 contestants, Survivor’s island of Palau Tiga was populated with such brand sponsors as Bud Light, Visa, Ericsson, Dorito’s, Dr. Scholl’s, and the U.S. Army — many of whom tailored promotional activity to the sponsorship. One episode’s “Challenge” winners earned a crate of goods from Target that was dropped in from a plane on a huge Target parachute. Pontiac launched its new Aztek with custom spots, an online sweepstakes, and a free car to ultimate winner Richard Hatch.

In accepting the award, CBS senior vp-marketing and events Anne O’Grady thanked promotion shop DVC Group, Morristown, NJ, for its behind-the-scenes work on the network’s efforts.

Since the show set a summer-time TV record with 125 million viewers, there’s no shame for any promotion marketing campaign to have taken a back seat to Survivor: A rundown of the other Reggie-worthy efforts follows.

NATIONAL CONSUMER PROMOTION OVER $6 MILLION

Gold: Sears is Your Ticket On Stage with Christina Aguilera

Agency: Einson Freeman, Paramus, NJ

Client: Sears Roebuck & Co., Hoffman Estates, IL

To liven up its back-to-school efforts targeting girls, Sears returned to the teen pop well (it rode the Backstreet Boys tour in ’99) through a sponsorship deal with Christina Aguilera that added a tie-in with Levi’s to the party slate.

With the purchase of select Levi’s merchandise, shoppers scored exclusive Aguilera CDs featuring codes providing access to online chats with the singer; to drive repeat visits, three different CDs were offered over a three-week period. The partners added a cause component through local nonprofit organization Do Something, awarding 50 “youth empowerment” grants to teens making a difference in their communities. National TV spots in English and Spanish supported. Aguilera’s cachet helped store sales double in key markets.

Silver: Fleetwood Homes Presents the Neal McCoy 24-7-365 Tour

Agency: Frankel, Chicago

Client: Fleetwood Homes, Riverside, CA

Battling an industry-wide sales slump, mobile house maker Fleetwood Homes tapped into a unifying element among its potential customer base: country music. The company signed on as tour sponsor for singer Neal McCoy, employing a variety of at-concert signage and putting the singer on all P-O-P materials. Entry forms for a sweepstakes offering the chance to win a private concert with McCoy were available only at participating Fleetwood retailers. At concert venues, ticket holders received souvenir gamepieces driving them to retailers to see if they’d won prizes. Entry forms for a second sweeps dangling a new home were inserted into McCoy’s August CD release, which was also handed out free to consumers who took tours of in-stock Fleetwood homes. The program generated $1.5 million in value-added media. Orders from commercial retailers doubled.

Bronze: Be the Ultimate Pokémon Master

Agency: DraftWorldwide/KBA, Chicago

Client: Kellogg Co., Battle Creek, MI

To boost consumer awareness and multiple purchases across its portfolio, Kellogg’s hopped on 2000’s hottest children’s property. Children were invited to collect 24 different in-pack Pokémon premiums. A watch & win game offering a raft of related prizes was communicated on-air during episodes of the Pokémon cartoon series. FSIs, TV spots, and print ads supported. An ultimatepokemonster.com Web site featured interactive games and e-cards that let kids themselves spread news about the promotion (and earn an entry into an online sweeps for every card they sent). The campaign scored a double-digit gain in retail display activity. Merchandise sales increased 30 percent over the same period in 1999. Volume sales of a promotional Pokémon cereal were four times larger than initial projections.

NATIONAL CONSUMER PROMOTION $3 MILLION to $6 MILLION

Gold: Tamiflu Launch

Agency: Momentum, New York City

Client: Roche, Nutley, NJ

The accolades keep rolling in for the Tamiflu launch, which won top honors at PROMO’s PRO Awards 2000 and earned an international Globe from APMA last fall (November 2000 PROMO). Facing a zero consumer-awareness level and an eight-week head start by the competition, Roche sent eight glass-enclosed “apartments on wheels” to cities suffering through a flu epidemic. Actors carried out daily routines inside the apartments while field staffers passed out literature to curious onlookers. A sign atop the cube read, “One person in this town who can probably feel safe from the flu.” Point-of-sale materials in pharmacies supported. The tour reached 71 markets in a 10-week period, and Tamiflu outsold the competition by a three-to-one margin.

Silver: USPS/Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas

Agency: Frankel, Chicago

Client: United States Postal Service, Washington, DC

Known for innovative grassroots campaigns (November 2000 PROMO), USPS went the borrowed-equity route last holiday season, transforming post offices into Whovilles with a host of P-O-P and turning every piece of mail into movie advertising via Grinch-themed cancellation stamps. The Postal Service teamed with fellow Grinch partner Visa on a sweepstakes offering cardholders a chance at a free purchase or a $1,000 gift card, and also lent a hand to First Book, a nonprofit literacy organization running a book-donation drive (see description below). TV, radio, and print ads supported. USPS reported an overall jump in priority mail sales and a one-day record on Dec. 18, when more than 314 million stamped cards and letters were processed.

Bronze: Oreo Stacking 2000

Agency: The Promotion Network, Dallas

Client: Nabisco, Parsippany, NJ

Oreo took its three-year-old Stacking program deep by leveraging a Major League Baseball sponsorship. Contests held in 14,000 retail outlets gave kids 30 seconds to stack as many cookies as possible; all contestants received a baseball card. Three types of promotional packaging, along with P-O-P and direct mail featuring baseball stars Derek Jeter and Ken Griffey, Jr., supported. Store winners moved onto regional competitions, then to a celebrity-judged national final held in New York City during the World Series. All 16 finalists attended a World Series game. The campaign generated 508 million media impressions, up 145 percent from the 1999 effort. Total pound sales increased, while average participation per store rose 12 percent. Display levels reached 69 percent in food accounts and 50 percent in mass accounts.

NATIONAL CONSUMER PROMOTION UNDER $3 MILLION

Gold: Launch of Jeckles

Agency: Upshot, Chicago

Client: Procter & Gamble, Cincinnati

To roll out the Jeckles tortilla brand — its first new salty snack in more than 30 years — P&G kept logistics to a minimum: Jeckles’ debut would be limited to distribution in convenience stores and vending machines, and marketing would entail $1 million in promotion without media ad support.

Looking to appeal to teens, the brand adopted a rebellious image through a traveling group of hip teens who appeared uninvited at summer concerts, festivals, and other public events to pass out samples and Jeckles-branded premiums. In the fall, Team Jeckles changed its focus and began appearing at schools in a branded bus. The guerrilla campaigns put Jeckles in front of more than 30 million consumers and delivered 175,000 samples.

Silver: Taste of New Orleans

Agency: Momentum, St. Louis

Client: Southern Comfort, Louisville, KY

Looking to address a recent sales slump and kick-start a lofty goal to boost sales two percent annually, Southern Comfort launched a Big Easy-themed campaign to target an older, more gender-neutral audience while emphasizing the brand’s party-town roots. A tie-in with New Orleans chef Paul Prudhomme associated the brand with cooking and featured off-premise P-O-P such as neck-hangers carrying samples of Prudhomme’s line of spices. A beefed-up SouthernComfort.com site offered interactive games, recipes, and e-cards. The brand calls the promotion the most successful in its history: It generated 10.2 million media impressions and nine million Web impressions and boosted sales 13 percent in February, eight percent in March, and six percent overall in the first four months of 2000.

Bronze: Miller Genuine Draft Blind Date

Agency: The Zipatoni Co., St. Louis

Client: Miller Brewing Co., Milwaukee

The Miller Genuine Draft brand enlisted Zipatoni to add spice to its 13-year-old mystery-concert sweeps, which had been hurt by numerous copycat campaigns. Looking to boost interest among the core 21- to 27-year-old audience, the agency created a campaign leveraging the brand’s “Genuine Opportunity” TV spots and featuring partnerships with local radio stations for tickets and merchandise giveaways. On-premise, game cards gave patrons one-in-four chances to win instant prizes while interactive kiosks provided entries into the sweeps and the opportunity to e-mail friends about the event. An off-premise sweeps and a promotional Web site supported. The 2000 concert was Webcast live. The campaign helped MGD build brand recognition to 75 percent among the core audience and dispense 90 percent of the concert’s tickets on-premise.

LOCAL, REGIONAL, OR TARGET/ETHNIC MARKET PROMOTION (Budget over $500,000)

Gold: Cartoon Cartoon Fridays

Agency: RPMC, Calabasas, CA

Client: The Cartoon Network, Atlanta

To promote its Friday night line-up of original cartoons and strengthen relationships with local cable system operators, Cartoon Network again embarked on a road show that this time hit 13 cities for a night of screenings and other activities. Radio spots and an on-air sweeps drew attention to the events, which began with smaller parties during the week and culminated with Friday-night extravaganzas at which more than 1,000 kids watched cartoons on a 35-foot screen from inflatable beach chairs. (Refreshments were provided by sponsor Coke’s Hi-C brand.) Local cable operators ran sweepstakes and invited special guests. An average of 4,500 visitors turned out for each Friday night stop on the tour, which overall generated more than 16 million impressions.

Silver: Chivas Adelante

Agency: SAI Marketing, Huntingdon Valley, PA

Client: Seagram, New York City

Looking to end a decades-long decline in Scotch sales, Seagram targeted its flagship Chivas Regal brand to Latin-Americans in seven U.S. cities with a mobile stage show called Rock en Español. The show brought Latin music and dance to festivals, neighborhood parties, and other events attended by large numbers of Latinos. At night, the show hit nightclubs and bars accompanied by samples and premium giveaways. Print and radio ads, on-premise P-O-P, and press kickoff parties supported. Seagram reported sales increases of 20 percent in key Hispanic areas and claims to have reached two million Latino consumers overall. The events generated more than 38 million impressions and delivered more than 9,000 samples. Seagram plans to repeat the performance this year.

Bronze: Seize the Night

Agency: DraftWorldwide, Chicago

Client: M&M/Mars, Hackettstown, NJ

Having changed the erstwhile Milky Way Dark’s name to Midnight, Milky Way and DraftWorldwide devised a plan to target 18- to 24-year-olds while holding onto Dark’s loyal fans. “Midnight Riders” dressed in leather arrived at nightclubs on Harley Davidson motorcycles to hand out trial-size samples along with T-shirts, watches, and hats. Participating nightclubs offered the candy for sale behind the bar in elegant displays while the brand ambassadors worked the crowd. The program also hit Spring Break locations and college campuses. More than one million postcards drove traffic to a special Web site where visitors could learn about upcoming events and view private concerts held as part of the campaign. Milky Way reported a 25-percent sales increase after the repositioning; awareness among the core audience reached 60 percent.

LOCAL, REGIONAL, OR TARGET/ETHNIC MARKET PROMOTION (Budget under $500,000)

Gold: Alice Wicked Wonderland Tour

Agency: In-house

Client: Electronic Arts, San Mateo, CA

To create buzz for the December 2000 launch of videogame title American McGee’s Alice (a take on the Lewis Carroll classic, Alice in Wonderland) Electronic Arts found an unconventional yet budget-saving way to impress fickle gamers. A traveling Alice in Wonderland tour was targeted to 18- to 24-year olds who enjoyed techno music and clubbing. Led by a DJ, the tour visited clubs in six markets with music, imagery, and Alice-themed special effects with a psychedelic flavor. Fan kits containing demo videos and a $5 coupon good at Best Buy were handed out. Radio spots, Web advertising, and ads in alternative magazines supported. Online game site Gamers.com ran a sweeps. More than 12,000 people partied with the tour, which generated 4.5 million print impressions and passed out 50,000 coupons.

Silver: Bring a Bagel to Work Days

Agency: WatersMolitor, Minneapolis

Client: Dunkin’ Donuts, Randolph, MA

To raise bulk sales of bagels, Dunkin’ Donuts went straight to the stomachs of corporations. Sampling teams in five cities visited 18 office buildings daily for five days, passing out free bagels and coffee along with coupons and flyers driving them to dunkindonuts.com. Visitors to the site could enter an instant-win game dangling such daily prizes as a paid two-week vacation and office chairs. Players could return each day, and those who submitted their e-mail addresses (78 percent did) were sent reminders to come back. Offline, counter cards and flyers in more than 3,000 retail outlets and flyers boosted awareness. Bagel volume rose 15 percent in the promotional period, more than 25,000 samples were delivered, and dunkindonuts.com drew a 92-percent increase in unique visitors.

Bronze: Rock the Mall

Agency: In-house

Client: General Growth Properties, Chicago

Looking to improve traffic to its 137 properties nationwide as well as increase retailer sales for the 2000 back-to-school season, General Growth Properties sought to turn their malls into even cooler teen hang-outs. Partner BMG Entertainment brought concerts featuring up-and-coming girl bands Innosense and Dream to 11 malls in September and October. Sponsor Sam Goody sold autographed CDs, while Pepsi-Cola hosted various games and Kellogg’s passed out Rice Krispies Treats. The bands also visited 21 schools take part in “Do Something” assemblies aimed at curbing violence. An instant-win sweeps at stores offered chances to win $1,000 shopping sprees and other prizes. Participating teen retailers reported a 73 percent increase in sales, and GGP hit its traffic-growth objective of 10 percent.

MULTI-CHANNEL INTEGRATED PROMOTION INVOLVING CONSUMER/TRADE

Gold: Survivor

Agency: In-house

Client: CBS, New York City

See description above.

Silver: Motorola V2397 Launch

Agency: The Zipatoni Co., St. Louis

Client: Motorola, Schaumberg, IL

To boost holiday sales of its V2397 phones while positioning itself as a hip brand among teens, Motorola tied into MTV’s Total Request Live, tapping host Carson Daly as spokesperson and allowing viewers to use their phones to vote for their favorite videos via text messages. The company worked with MTV and Arista Records on a gift-with-purchase offer for a TRL messenger bag complete with compilation CD. A sweeps overlay dangled a trip for two to the show’s set. Trade marketing (including private parties for AT&T sales reps) and P-O-P along with national TV, regional radio, and print ads supported. The launch exceeded goals, gaining P-O-P placement in all 15,000 AT&T retail locations (a first for Motorola) and generating sales expected to surpass expectations.

Bronze: Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas National Campaign

Agency: In-house

Client: Universal Pictures, Universal City, CA

To turn Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas into the movie-marketing event of the 2000 holiday season, Universal sought to strike alliances with eight blue-chip corporate partners who would understand the need to retain the property’s spirit in all communications. The studio ultimately scored deals with Hershey’s, Nabisco, Kellogg’s, Sprite, Visa, Wendy’s, USPS, and Ziploc. It even added a cause overlay with nonprofit First Book. Those partners helped generate 99 percent pre-opening awareness for the film through more than 4,000 TV spots (11 different ads), 238 million FSIs, more than 350 million product packages, and six billion-plus pieces of mail. The Grinch became the highest-grossing film of 2000 with a box-office of more than $260 million.

BUSINESS-TO-BUSINESS PROMOTION

Gold: Sheepstakes

Agency: In-house

Client: Cartoon Network, Atlanta

To introduce its latest original cartoon, Sheep In the Big City, to the advertising and cable communities, Cartoon Network developed a sampling and direct mail campaign. The effort began with a “blast” telephone message to 1,500 targets using the voice of the series’ narrator to inform them that they’d soon receive a special package. The next day, a video of the show arrived along with information about Sheepstakes, a sweeps giving away a trip to Ireland. To become eligible for the drawing, recipients had to call a toll-free number and answer questions based on the video within one week of receiving the package. The promotion generated a 20 percent call-in rate.

Silver: Life FantasTech

Agency: McCracken Brooks Maier, Minneapolis

Client: Washington Mutual

To light a fire under the sales forces in its mortgage banking and financial services divisions, Washington Mutual developed an incentive campaign dubbed Life FantasTech that rewarded both salespeople and the support staff. Collateral kits sent to employees contained gamepieces offering instant prizes and information on the numerous ways rewards could be earned. WAMU claims the campaign achieved its goals as the company distributed awards to more than 1,000 sales force members and 8,000 support staffers.

Bronze: USG Rock Tour

Agency: DDB Worldwide, Chicago

Client: United States Gypsum, Chicago

USG’s success in the drywall category (32-percent market share) is so strong the company’s Sheetrock brand has become the generic term for the product. To change that perception and introduce a new formulation, USG and DDB devised the Rock Tour, which kicked off with a direct-mail piece to contractors that included a sample and a utility knife so recipients could immediately test its improved qualities. A NASCAR sponsorship (one of the company’s most valuable marketing tools) was played up on communications, with top customers receiving tickets to races. Radio spots and ads in trade magazines supported. The effort boosted recognition of Sheetrock as a brand from seven percent to 46 percent, while recognition of USG as the manufacturer jumped from 19 percent to 41 percent.

INTERNATIONAL OR GLOBAL PROMOTION

Gold: The Simpsons Global Fanfest

Agency: In-house

Client: 20th Century Fox, Los Angeles

To celebrate the 10th anniversary of The Simpsons, Fox devised a year-long umbrella campaign that attracted 32 partners around the globe including Pepsi, Burger King, Nestle, 7-Eleven, Wal-Mart, Kmart, and Virgin Records. One key element was the relaunch of thesimpsons.com Web site, where more than 350,000 people registered to compete in a trivia game called Bart Bowl, more than 215,000 signed up to receive free Simpsons-branded Internet service, and more than 235,000 requested a fan newsletter. Efforts culminated in a Simpsons Global Fanfest Weekend in October at Fox Studios in Los Angeles, for which 700 contest winners were flown in from 16 countries. The campaign increased short-term sales of licensed merchandise and is also expected to strengthen future licensing agreements.

Silver: Cows on Parade

Agency: Flair Communications, Chicago

Client: Dairy Farmers of America, Kansas City, MO

To raise awareness for the Dairy Farmers of America organization among members and consumers at large, Flair leveraged the International Cows on Parade art exhibit that ran in Chicago during the summer of 1999. An Uncle Sam mascot first created for the exhibit has since become DFA’s official “spokescow,” appearing on all DFA marketing communications in 91 countries around the globe in English, French, Spanish, and German. It has also made trips to a number of events, garnering media attention wherever it goes. Awareness for DFA around the world reached 58 percent as the campaign generated millions of dollars in media hits.

Bronze: Kosovo Emergency Response

Agency: In-house

Client: C.A.R.E., Lewisville, TX

C.A.R.E.’s program was designed to provide relief to victims of the strife in Kosovo and the greater Balkans, where the organization operated eight refugee camps servicing more than 100,000 people. The nonprofit teamed with four corporate partners to raise money for refugee assistance. Sony Music developed two benefit CDs: a Last Kiss single release by Pearl Jam (which donated 100 percent of proceeds to the cause) and a No Boundaries: A Benefit For The Kosovar Refugees music compilation (which split proceeds between C.A.R.E. and two other charities). Online partners snap.com, clickrewards.com, and launch.com all donated a percentage of their sales to the program. C.A.R.E. received $2.7 million from the CD sales and $210,000 from its Internet partners.

INTERACTIVE PROMOTION

Gold: The Intruder

Agency: In-house

Client: Cartoon Network, Atlanta

To back its Toonami action-adventure block and drive traffic to the Toonami.com site, Cartoon Network partnered with a kid’s best friend: Nintendo. The Intruder was the network’s first “immersion” event melding on-air programming with online content; five-minute on-air interstitials were enhanced with additional online content, and TV viewers were encouraged to log on and watch the story unfold in both media. A sweeps overlay let kids play games and enter (online or by phone) to win one of five trips to Nintendo headquarters in Washington and Japan. An in-school component gave Intruder book covers to fourth and sixth graders during back-to-school season. The campaign increased ratings for the Toonami block by 21 percent and boosted traffic to Toonami.com by 72 percent.

Silver: The Encarta Bee Challenge

Agency: Communicator/e, Chicago

Client: Microsoft Corp., Redmond, WA

While parents are the primary buyers of multimedia encyclopedias, teens are the primary users. Microsoft went after the latter when relaunching Encarta last September. The Encarta Bee Challenge was an online trivia contest uniting the Internet’s two primary uses for teens: to play games and do their homework. Contestants advanced through eight rounds of competition before qualifying for an online playoff round. The top five scorers advanced to a live final at the New York Public Library that was hosted by Frankie Muniz, star of TV series Malcolm in the Middle. The winner received $50,000 and a trip to Stonehenge. The contest generated more than 280 million page impressions at Encarta.com.

Bronze: The Kraft Foods Game of Life

Agency: Promotions.com, New York City

Client: Kraft Foods, Glenview, IL

Part of Kraft’s first fully integrated corporate campaign, the online component of the multimedia Game of Life was designed to drive traffic to a new Kraft Interactive Kitchen Web site. Visitors — directed to the site through a host of offline media — could learn details about the overall game, win instant prizes through a spin-and-win game, play memory and word-search games for fun; or obtain recipes and other food and cooking information. More than 32,000 consumers registered at the Kraft Web site, and 78 percent of them opted in to receive future promotional e-mails. The overall campaign drove total sales of participating SKUs up 12 percent and feature and display activity up 11.9 percent. More than 10,000 stores participated.

CAUSE-RELATED PROMOTION

Gold: Decorate a Cookie

Agencies: Ryan Partnership, Westport, CT; The Market Connection, Newport Beach, CA

Clients: Pillsbury, Minneapolis/Albertson’s, Boise, ID

Pillsbury teamed with Albertson’s (one of its biggest accounts) last fall to increase sales while supporting the Big Brothers Big Sisters of America nonprofit organization. Both brands promised to make donations whenever customers bought Pillsbury products. “Decorate a Cookie” events held in 35 stores nationally had Big Brothers and Big Sisters competing with their charges for a trip to Universal Studios Hollywood. (In Los Angeles, Albertson’s also offered $10-off coupons for theme park admissions.) TV spots, circular ads, special recipe booklets, and P-O-P supported. As a result of the program, $170,000 was donated to the charity. Pillsbury reported record sales through Albertson’s in October and continued momentum for the remainder of the year.

Silver: The Grinch’s First Book Campaign

Agency: In-house

Client: Universal Pictures, Universal City, CA

Looking for a cause tie for its Grinch efforts, Universal Pictures teamed with nonprofit First Book in a bid to increase literacy. Grinch publishing partner Random House donated 500,000 books to be given with every purchase of the Dr. Seuss classic; the Barnes & Noble chain chipped in by donating 10 percent of all online sales to the charity: the U.S. Postal Service publicized the program in post offices, while Nabisco and Wendy’s conducted their own donation programs. New York City mayor Rudolph Giuliani officially proclaimed Nov. 1 as First Book Day, and Grinch director Ron Howard produced a promotional video with Hillary Clinton. More than $185,000 was raised for First Book through the effort, which generated an estimated 550 million total impressions.

Bronze: Kosovo Emergency Response

Agency: In-house

Client: C.A.R.E., Lewisville, TX

See description above.

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