Debt collectors have a tough job. On any given day, they get enough threats to make a small country go to war. Over the years, we’ve tried to create programs for Western Union that call attention to collectors’ skills and career opportunities. We even publish a magazine, Professional Collector, to help them feel good about themselves and the company.
When Western Union asked for “something hot” this year to incentivize collectors to recommend its Quick Collect transactional service, we began looking for an idea that would cascade through a points program offering five levels of prizes, from sunglasses to gas grills.
Our team went to lunch with a blank slate, brainstormed over burritos, and emerged with a napkin covered with hot sauce fingerprints and the concept – Smokin’ Rewards. The chili pepper campaign – featuring mild, medium, hot, red hot, and atomic levels – was born.
We developed a brochure featuring chili pepper prizes that rippled with sexy shots of Habenero peppers and ended with a blank page simply stating, “cool.” A teaser mailing included a pack of Habanero seeds that read, “Just how hot is the 1999 Premier Rewards Program? Plant these and find out.”
We kicked the campaign off with a fiesta office party, and added a sweeps overlay in which participants could win a red Volkswagen beetle.
As in any good creative project, the team got a little fanatical at times. Senior art director Lisa D’Andrea demanded that exotic chilies be flown in from California for the shoot, and was lucky enough to find a friend who sent five varieties in perfect condition. It’s a campaign good enough to make your eyes water.
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