Blue Ribbons
Promotion shop Louis London apparently made an appropriate name change: The agency now known as Momentum zoomed out of Disney World in March with five trophies after dominating the 17th annual Reggies, the Promotion Marketing Association’s annual awards program honoring the year’s best promotion marketing campaigns.
St. Louis-based Momentum earned the top prize, Super Reggie, along with Gold awards in two categories for a campaign that helped launch American Express Blue, a new credit card targeted to younger consumers. The effort successfully leveraged a rock concert sponsorship to drive online applications for the card.
Momentum picked up a third Gold award for a business-to-business campaign it ran for Boise Cascade Office Products, and collected a Bronze for a multi-channel effort conducted for Motorola.
The wave of praise for the Blue campaign only slightly overshadowed the literal splash made by New York City-based Promotion Development Group, which won two Gold awards for an alliance-heavy effort that helped A&E score big ratings for its Horatio Hornblower mini-series. The PDG-A&E partnership also scored a Gold for a local campaign promoting the network’s Revolutionary War tale, The Crossing.
Here’s a rundown of all the award-winning 1999 campaigns.
National Consumer Promotion Over $1 Million
Gold: Launch of Blue
Agency: Momentum
Client: American Express
After decades of being the quintessential charge card, American Express was facing numerous challenges in attracting the next generation of credit-card consumers, who have more of a “buy now, pay later” mindset than their predecessors.
So the company developed a “Blue from American Express” card that offered low introductory rates and revolving credit, and also featured a “smart chip” component for the tech-savvy nature of today’s young consumer. Proper positioning required Blue to be accessible and cool, modern and hip, and smartly irreverent.
Looking to connect with the target market’s lifestyle, the promotional campaign centered on “American Express Brings You Central Park in Blue,” a rock concert tie-in designed to create immediate buzz for the card. The free concert, billed as Sheryl Crow and Friends, featured such big names as Eric Clapton, Keith Richards, Stevie Nicks, and Chrissie Hynde performing in New York City’s Central Park.
The event aired via the first-ever national “trimulcast” on Fox TV stations, 60 radio stations, and the Internet at blueconcerts.com. A “Blue Crew” distributed 25,000 concert tickets in New York City to drive applications for Blue through an instant-win game. Concert-goers were invited to sign up for the card during the show. A photographer took digital pictures and directed subjects to a Web site to see the photographs to reinforce the brand’s “techno-forward” position.
The concert tie-in helped accelerate brand awareness and supported the card’s advertising schedule. The number of cards in force exceeded company goals by 71 percent, while Internet applications exceeded goals by 150 percent.
A post-concert TV viewership survey found 66 percent of respondents recalled American Express as the sponsor, and 80 percent of those who said they were “very likely” to apply for Blue were not American Express cardholders. Blueconcerts.com received more than 204,000 unique visitors, and the “Blue Crew” effort was viewed by about 13 million people.
The “Blue Experience” continues for American Express through CD, home video, and DVD releases of the concert, all of which are packaged with card applications. The concert is being rebroadcast on MTV, VH-1, and other networks this year.
Silver: Inspector Gadget
Agencies: Simon Marketing, The Marketing Store Worldwide
Client: McDonald’s
How do you raise the bar on kids’ meal promotions, which have become as common in quick-service restaurants as French fries? By upgrading the quality and “playability” of the premium giveaways. McDonald’s used its alliance with Walt Disney Co. last summer to offer an eight-piece “collect to connect” toy promoting Inspector Gadget. The pieces, distributed over a four-week period, joined to create a 15-inch action figure. McDonald’s got a six-percent lift in total sales and a 15-percent rise in Happy Meal sales volume. Toy Shop Magazine named the premium one of its best toys of the year.
Bronze: It’s All About the Beer, Baby!
Agencies: New Line Cinema, Ryan Partnership, Norm Marshall & Associates
Client: Heineken
Heineken undertook a massive effort to capitalize on the huge popularity of New Line Cinema’s Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me. The summer tie-in began with product placement and progressed to star-studded TV and radio spots, heavy P-O-P distribution, an SLO, contests and sweepstakes, an exclusive merchandising program, and special bar nights in 1O markets.
The promotion boosted sales 15 percent above plan and increased display activity 25 percent above the previous year. Heineken scored more than 100 new accounts, and generated better buzz among the mostly younger consumers who turned Austin into one of the biggest hits of 1999.
National Consumer Promotion Under $1 Million
Gold: Horatio Hornblower
Agency: Promotion Development Group
Client: A&E
Leaving no alliance stone unturned, A&E and Promotion Develop Group amassed an armada of support for the March premiere of an ambitious Horatio Hornblower mini-series. Working with a relatively small budget of about $500,000, PDG beat the bushes to find innovative and relevant tie-ins. Results included partnerships with Windjammer Barefoot Cruises (which traded 44 trips for promotion exposure), publisher Little, Brown & Co. (which distributed tune-in posters to 2,000 book stores), videogame maker Strategy First (which altered the release plan for its Man of War II title to coincide with the premiere, then served up 200,000 sampler discs complete with a Hornblower spot), and the American Library Association (which encouraged 8,000 members to create special displays).
Central to the effort was an alliance with the Nautical Heritage Society, which staged mock sea battles featuring vintage ships in eight major harbors, attracting crowds, media, and live radio broadcasts. The promotion garnered $13 million in confirmed media value, and helped Hornblower to A&E’s highest ratings in the last three years.
Silver: Yo Nautica!
Agency: Renegade Marketing Group
Client: Nautica
Having redesigned its line of boys clothing for fall 1999, Nautica was looking for a back-to-school effort that would “coolify” its reputation among eight- to 12-year-olds. Through a strategic partnership with Yomega yo-yos, the brand offered branded yo-yos and holsters with every $50 purchase. In-store support included P-O-P and Yo Nautica! Yo-Offs, a series of 10 events featuring yo-yo pros, demonstrations, radio broadcasts, live music, and contests. Supporting efforts included a branded Web site, retailer-funded advertising, and a cause tie-in. The campaign spiked sales 28.5 percent compared with the previous fall; participating retailers experienced an average 173-percent sales increase on event days.
Bronze: Frenzy ’99
Agency: In-house
Client: The Musicland Group
Frenzy ’99 was a national in-store promotion running in The Musicland Group’s 1,350 stores during the Halloween season. Targeted to teens and young adults, the effort attracted candy maker Just Born, which sampled four million special packages of its new Zours brand both in-store and through an online overlay. A pair of in-store sweeps featuring Zours, Paramount Studios, and Gibson Guitars generated excitement for customers, and a display-building contest motivated employees. Musicland reported high store morale and a sales boost 12 percent higher than during its 1998 Frenzy effort. Sales of Zours also tracked higher than initial forecasts.
Local, Regional, or Target Promotion Over $500,000
Gold: Launch of Blue
Agency: Momentum
Client: American Express
See description above.
Silver: Mercedes-Benz 2000 S-Class
Agency: Diamond Group
Client: Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz was looking to position its flagship 2000 S-Class model as “the complete automotive experience” and introduce the car to a wider demographic and psychographic population.
Ten invitation-only events held pre-launch treated guests to music by Ray Charles and Vanessa Williams, cuisine by world-renowned chef Daniel Boulud, fashion shows by Brioni and Escada, a special sports celebrity guest, and a multi-media introduction of the 2000 S-Class. Dealers received kits to host their own events, and the brand ran a national sweeps. Nearly 15,000 people attended the pre-launch events, and more than 25,000 other prospects were collected through the sweeps. Sales of the 2000 S-Class exceeded expectations.
Bronze: Give Us a Jingle ’99
Agency: Marketing Drive USA
Client: Ralston-Purina
Ralston-Purina’s Meow Mix leveraged its own popular jingle to drive awareness and trial for a product upgrade and build brand equity. Targeting women 25 to 54, the multi-tiered effort boasted a cat-shaped Meow Mix mobile truck that visited 16 markets, asking consumers to sing their version of the song. Entries were also captured through national radio call-ins, the Web, and a toll-free number. Winners traveled to Tampa, FL, to be judged by entertainer Wayne Newton. The winner earned $10,000 and a lifetime supply of Meow Mix. The promotion drove a 13-percent increase in dollar sales, making Meow Mix the No. 1 dry cat food brand.
Local, Regional or Target Promotion Under $500,000
Gold: The Crossing
Agency: Promotion Development Group
Client: A&E
To promote the January 2000 premiere of The Crossing, a film retelling Washington’s Delaware crossing, A&E used an educational campaign targeting the eighth-grade students in 25,000 public schools who were learning about the Revolutionary War last fall. History teachers received a promotion kit containing study guidebooks, posters, and videos for use in the classroom. The video invited students and teachers to participate in two contests, one awarding an appearance on A&E Biography and another awarding $1,000 grants and other prizes. Winners were announced during the premiere. The contests garnered more than 2,300 submissions and The Crossing was the highest-rated film premiere in the network’s history.
Silver: NYC Marathon Sponsorship
Agencies: Communicator|e and GMR Marketing
Clients: MSN and New York Road Runners Club
A GMR Marketing study identified road running as an extremely popular activity largely untouched by the Internet community. MSN negotiated with the New York Road Runners Club to be the first-ever exclusive Internet Service Provider for the 30th New York City Marathon. Communicator/e designed a Web site to register race results (recorded via chips attached to the runner’s shoes), collect sweepstakes entries, and provide related information. Public relations efforts generated 18 million TV, radio, and print impressions. Unique visitors to the Web site exceeded goals by 100,000, and more than 50,000 consumers passed the MSN booth during the race. The two sweeps received more than 77,000 entries.
Bronze: Keebler Southern California Soccer Consortium
Agency: Luna Bacardi Group
Client: Keebler Co.
Keebler targeted Southern California’s soccer-loving Hispanic population by establishing an organization that would unify the area’s numerous leagues. The Keebler Southern California Soccer Consortium united 400 teams and 145,000 players aged five to 55. Year-round games culminated in La Copa Keebler championship tournament in November. Teams were encouraged to purchase Keebler products with direct-mail coupon books and proof-of-purchase offers for soccer balls, uniforms, shoes, nets, and T-shirts. One grocery account was given an exclusive relationship each quarter, with players encouraged to shop there to earn triple rewards. Teams redeemed 7.4 million units of Keebler product, and sales increased by 160 percent across the four participating grocers.
Multi-Channel Integrated Promotion Involving Consumer and Trade
Gold: Horatio Hornblower
Agency: Promotion Development Group
Client: A&E
See description above.
Silver: Intergalactic Encounter Tour
Agency: In-house
Clients: Saban Entertainment and Fox Kids
Looking to top a hugely successful 1998 event tour for its Power Rangers franchise (which also won a Reggie), Saban and Fox outdid themselves by creating the World’s Largest Inflatable Moon Walk, and getting the Guinness Book of World Records to verify it. Joining again with retail partner Wal-Mart and master licensee Bandai America, they developed a weekend tour that hit 31 Wal-Marts, backed by an on-air sweeps and heavy local support. More than 4,000 fans attended each weekend, and more than 92,000 people entered the sweepstakes. Bandai’s sales increased by more than 400 percent and sales of other Power Rangers products rose 40 percent at each stop.
Bronze: Winning Call
Agency: Momentum
Client: Motorola
Motorola leveraged its NFL sponsorship to increase awareness and retailer interest in its new wireless technology. A consumer sweepstakes gave 12 weekly winners trips to the Super Bowl, and was supported by TV spots picturing football coaches using Motorola headsets. In 14 markets, the company sponsored weekly call-in radio shows featuring head coaches giving away prizes. At retail, an interactive voice-response system served as the communications point for an incentive program that rewarded both knowledge and sales. More than 50,000 consumers entered the sweepstakes, and nearly 5,000 retailers and 18,000 sales associates participated in the trade promotion, with 300,000 sales registered.
Business-to-Business Promotion
Gold: Boise High
Agency: Momentum
Client: Boise Cascade Office Products
Boise and Momentum earned a second-straight b-to-b Reggie with a program targeting women 18 to 49 that was built around a faux 1964 high school yearbook. Boise mailed 255,000 copies of the yearbook and other memorabilia to customers. Products were advertised as part of typical yearbook sections such as class pictures and sports. An Internet overlay drove customers to a Web site chronicling a high school romance. The effort, which also included events and a sales force overlay, generated a 44 percent increase in sales of promoted products and a $5.5 million return on Boise’s investment.
Silver: FBI (Fun Building Initiative)
Agency: The Waylon Co.
Clients: Coca-Cola and Sonic Drive-In
Looking to increase store volume and employee morale, Coca-Cola and vending partner Sonic Drive-In adopted The Fun Building Initiative, a year-long motivational program featuring secret agent and spy thriller graphics and imagery (hence, FBI). Store personnel earned prizes for correctly answering operations questions, suggestive selling of soft drink add-ons or trade-up sales, distributing coupons, and overall performance and behavior in quarterly campaigns. Eighty-nine percent of Sonic’s stores participated, Coke sales increased, and employee turnover was lower than the industry average. More than 600 crew members shared in cash awards, and 62 assistant managers shared in cash and automobile awards.
Bronze: WAMU’s in the House
Agency: McCracken Brooks
Client: Washington Mutual
To generate incremental sales of specified mortgage banking/financial services products and build team spirit. Washington Mutual embarked on an incentive campaign featuring collateral kits with a decidedly hipper feel than standard banking materials. Salespersons and managers earned a choice of home-related merchandise for reaching goals, while support staffers received gamecards for chances at instant prizes. Non-winning pieces were entered into monthly grand-prize drawings for higher value home-related merchandise. Washington Mutual’s adjustable rate mortgage fundings increased by 30 percent during the three-month period. More than 1,000 tier rewards were distributed, and more than 10,000 rewards were presented to support staffers.
International or Global Promotion
Gold: Citibank Global Quest for Success ’99
Agency: Impiric (Wunderman Cato Johnson)
Client: Citibank
A sales recognition program that ran in three world regions and 36 countries, Quest for Success used motivational messages from high-level executives and promotional devices to drive the sales force. An “Olympian Award” gave managers the opportunity to nominate achievers for country-specific recognition. Other programs included a worldwide e-mail exchange and a sales brainstorming session that encouraged managers to initiate idea forums. The program involved nearly 1,500 participants. As the program entered the last quarter, global sales were on track to meet ambitious revenue goals, and some countries were positioned to exceed their specific goals.
Interactive Promotion
Gold: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
Agency: In-house
Client: Odyssey Network
Looking to promote its first original movie, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, programming network Odyssey used a national sweepstakes communicated on-air and online offering trips to the story’s Tarrytown, NY, setting and other prizes. Direct-mail pieces were sent to more than 40,000 consumers and cable operators through the Odyssey Program Guide. Partner Kidsnet sent schoolteacher’s guides to more than 62,000 schools and promoted through a 2.5 million-subscriber newsletter. The Historic Hudson Valley Association publicized the sweeps to its more than 40,000 customers. The film gained the highest rating of any Odyssey program to date. More than 10,000 consumers entered the sweeps.
Silver: NYC Marathon Sponsorship
Agencies: Communicator|e and GMR Marketing
Clients: MSN and New York Road Runners Club
See description above.
Bronze: Saturdays in October
Agency: Launch Media Group
Clients: Launch.com and Emporio Armani
Interactive music information company Launch Media joined with Giorgio Armani SpA’s Emporio Armani retail division to generate buzz for the international fashion designer’s fall collection. A co-branded “micro-site” hosted by Launch gave Emporio Armani its first Web presence, and touted in-store appearances by well-known and up-and-coming local DJs. Other content included streaming runway video of the fall line and a contest giving away Armani outfits and concert tickets. The effort launched with a star-studded kick-off party in New York City. Promotional CDs were sent to Launch’s 300,000 CD subscribers. The partnership gave Launch.com more than 1,000 registered users and helped Emporio Armani increase traffic and sales.
Cause-Related Promotion
Gold: Share the Smiles
Agency: In-house
Clients: Oscar Mayer and Second Harvest National Food Bank
Giving an old dog a new trick, Oscar Mayer Foods Co. added a cause component to its immortal national tour by teaming with Second Harvest National Food Bank. The company’s six Wienermobiles and 18 staffers took their eight-month tour to more than 200 cities across the country, and collected donations along the way. A two-tier dealer/loader program made Wiener-mobile pedal cars and plush toys available in exchange for in-store displays. Consumers could get their pictures taken with the trucks in exchange for donations. The effort garnered more than $500,000 for Second Harvest and reached more than 700,000 consumers.
Silver: LaSalle Bank/Chicago Marathon/Leukemia Society
Agency: Flair Communications Agency
Client: LaSalle Bank
After becoming title sponsor for the International Chicago Marathon, LaSalle Bank selected the Leukemia Society of America as its cause, then devised a publicity campaign offering information on the event, the charity, and its own branches and services. Pre-race activity included signage at O’Hare Airport and along the course, as well as a two-day sports expo that attracted 40,000 people. The Leukemia Society hosted a program that trained runners to compete in the marathon, and matched participants with “patient heroes.” The sponsorship resulted in a 23-to-1 return on investment for LaSalle, and The Leukemia Society raised $2.5 million in funds.
Bronze: Clearly a Good Cause
Agency: Adamson Event Marketing
Client: Sprint PCS
To support breast cancer awareness in its Kansas City, St. Louis, Wichita, and Topeka markets, Sprint PCS sponsored eight visits from mobile mammography units to its own and RadioShack retail locations last May and October. The program’s launch coincided with Sprint PCS’s national Mother’s Day promotion, which included a message about breast cancer awareness. Radio remotes were utilized to encourage women to register for mammogram appointments at the host stores, and RadioShack chipped in with funding and promotional assistance. The effort received such a strong response – including increased phone sales – that Sprint PCS made it a national event in 2000.
