At a Mailbox Near You

COX TARGET MEDIA TOOK VALPAK TO THE MOVIES THIS WINTER. As part of a program overhaul, Key Largo, FL-based Cox dressed up its co-op coupon mailer in February and March through a tie-in with Burger King and Twentieth Century Fox. The unique alliance is part of an overall effort by Target to bring back more national brands to the 34-year-old program (and even feature their logos on envelopes) to energize what primarily has become a venue for local businesses and low-budget national advertisers. Valpak is delivered weekly to 53 million households.

Valpak envelopes carried images from Los Angeles-based Fox’s animated March release, Ice Age, and a notice that free movie tickets (1,425 in total) had been randomly inserted into some mailers. Inside the packet was information on a sweepstakes run by Valpak, Fox, and Ice Age tie-in partner Burger King that gave away a trip for four to either the movie’s premiere in New York City or a stay in the famous Ice Hotel in Montreal. Miami-based BK pitched in by seeding some envelopes with coupons.

“We said, ‘Let’s look at where we can reach viewers,’” says Lisa Licht, senior vp-feature film promotions and field operations at Twentieth Century Fox, Los Angeles. “We’re reaching them at Burger King, at grocery stores, and now at home.”