Promo’s PRO Award Finalists 2008

This year’s finalists are an elite collection of agencies doing some of the best work in promotional marketing. The winners will be honored during an awards party and presentation on Oct. 29 at the Museum of Science & Industry in Chicago.

#1 Best Multidiscipline Campaign
#2 Best Use of Event Marketing (Five or Fewer Venues)
#3 Best Use of Event Marketing (More Than Five Venues)
#4 Best Vehicle-Based Experiential Campaign
#5. Best Sampling Program – New Category
#6. Best Use of Consumer-Generated Content
#7. Best Cause-Based Promotion
#8. Best Sponsorship or Tie-In Campaign
#9. Best Use of Games, Contests, and Sweepstakes
#10. Most Innovative Communication Strategy
#11. Best Interactive Promotion
#12. Best Multicultural/Ethnic Campaign
#13. Best Campaign Targeting a Micro Audience
#14. Best Campaign Generating Brand Awareness and Trial Recruitment
#15. Best Campaign Generating Brand Volume
#16. Best Loyalty Program
#17. Best Dealer, Sales Force or Business-to-Business Campaign
#18. Best Use of P-O-P
#19. Best Premium-Based Promotion
#20. Best Retail/Co-Marketing Campaign
#21. Best Campaign on a Budget (under $250,000)
#22. Best Idea or Concept
#23. Best Creative

#1 Best Multidiscipline Campaign

Pedigree Dog Adoption
Agency: Catapult Action-Biased Marketing
Client: Pedigree Brand Food for Dogs

Looking to drive sales and increase brand relevance, Pedigree Dog Food sought once again to tug at the heartstrings of pet lovers by launching a dog adoption campaign. Under the “Help Us Help Dogs” tagline, the company hoped to generate brand loyalty by making a donation to local dog shelters for every product purchased, up to a $1 million contribution. It ran 15- and 30-second TV spots and print ads in dog enthusiast and news publications to promote the effort. Online, the company offered adoption advice and dog profiles at http://www.Dogsrule.com and partnered with 1-800-SAVE-A-PET to help people search for adoptable dogs. It also added a custom application on Facebook.com with The Million Dog Mosaic, a consumer-generated dog-photo mosaic. Brand ambassadors also distributed 55,000 Pedigree goodie bags full of branded merchandise and coupons, plus an adoption guide, at The Westminster Dog Show, and awarded 97,000 T-shirts as part of a mail-in offer. As a result¸ Pedigree sales are up more than 4.5% over a year ago, and $1 million was donated toward pet adoption. The firm also reported more than 1 million page views via The Million Dog Mosaic and more than 45,000 dog photos uploaded to the site.

Power of the Letter
Agency: Civic Entertainment Group
Client: HBO

In a move to build excitement around its “John Adams” miniseries, Home Box Office partnered with the U.S. Postal Service to launch a marketing campaign that encouraged viewers to send a handwritten card to someone they care about—for free. Visitors to http://www.PowerOfTheLetter.com chose from one of six greeting cards, which carried quotes from John Adams and his wife. The promotion mimicked letters written by John and Abigail, who exchanged more than 1,000 letters in their lifetimes. A sweepstakes on the site offered the chance to win a trip to Colonial Williamsburg, one of the locations where “John Adams” was filmed. The USPS supported the effort with movie-style posters and signage in 12,765 post offices, reaching 6.9 million each day. It also printed the famous quote by Adams, “Let us dare to read, think, speak and write,” and used the Web site as a special cancellation mark on 3.3 billion pieces of mail and 225 million post office receipts. The Postal Service used the partnership to promote letter writing and extend its own $30 million image ad campaign “Today’s Mail.” The promotion generated the highest-rated HBO original film in four years, drawing 4.7 million viewers.

The Other Lunch Break
Agency: Momentum Worldwide, London
Client: MINI

In an effort to hype up its Mini Clubman car in London, Mini launched a marketing campaign that got people to try something different and think about “The Other Mini.” Under “The Other Lunch Break” promotion, the automaker offered people the chance to make the most of their lunch break by acquiring new life skills through a series of quirky events. But there was a catch: The agency couldn’t use the car or an image of the car because its design was top secret. So, twice a week for five weeks, people attended classes ranging from the basics of moon-walking and spy school, to tips on how to meet your better half’s parents. Video invitations promoted the events on Web sites and blogs targeting “Post Modern Trendsetters.” A Web site at www.theotherlunchbreak.co.uk also talked up the events. Brand ambassadors dressed with Mini lanyards handed out invitations to consumers, while workers at 25 sandwich shops distributed 125,000 branded sandwich bags near specific events. In all, the campaign drew 23,903 viewings of viral films on video-sharing sites and 1,985 people to the seven events. More than 12,000 people visited the microsite.

Look Fab Studio
Agency: Upshot
Client: P&G

When Procter & Gamble Canada looked for a fun way to drive sales and buzz around its beauty products, it opened a pop-up store to teach consumers about its products. Located in Toronto’s Bloor Street shopping district, the Look Fab Studio, the first beauty pop-up in Canada, offered three experiential pods featuring P&G’s latest make-up, skin and haircare products. Visitors received free beauty consultations and learned about the latest looks and trends while sampling products. The company partnered with CTV to launch a TV campaign highlighting four beauty makeover commercials with stylist Paul Venoit. Online, a CTV-sponsored Web site, http://www.lookfab.ca, offered visitors outside Toronto the chance to explore and learn more about the shop through a virtual studio. People also received tips on the latest looks of the season. The site offered a chance to register for a “Canadian Idol” promotion, which included a trip to Toronto, a makeover, the chance to meet the top-10 “Canadian Idol’ finalists, and an opportunity to watch a live taping of the show. Five retailers supported the effort with in-store merchandising. The campaign resulted in double-digit growth across all participating brands during the promotional period. What’s more, some 12,000 people experienced one-on-one interactions with the Look Fab Studio.

#2 Best Use of Event Marketing (Five or Fewer Venues)

Detox Seattle
Agency: A Squared Group
Client: Method

To build brand awareness and generate trial around its products, Method, a maker of green cleaning and personal care items, created an
experiential campaign targeting Seattle moms and families. It recruited Method Mavens as part of an influencer program to host a private party for family and friends at the Method House, a 2,000-square-foot green house that features the latest environmentally friendly building materials and appliances. Ambassadors and their friends participated in one of two events: Organic Cooking Lessons, which offered a hands-on cooking demonstration of dishes inspired by the edible ingredients found in Method products; or Sustainable Sips, during which participants learned how to craft a well-balanced mixed drink and give their cocktails a “kick” by using organic products. To help rid Seattle of toxic chemicals, guests were also invited to bring their ordinary cleaners to the parties for proper disposal. In return, attendees received a reusable, organic cotton tote filled with Method products. In all, 98% of participants registered as new Method advocates, representing a more than 1,200% increase in Seattle advocates. What’s more, attendees dropped off nearly 1,000 pounds of flammable aerosols, toxic liquids and corrosive acids and bases. Based on the success, Method will launch similar campaigns this year in Boston, New York and Chicago.

The Meow Mix Acatemy
Agency: Grand Central Marketing, Inc.
Client: Del Monte Foods

Del Monte Foods was looking for a new way to reinforce its “Think Like a Cat” tagline for its Meow Mix brand while it raised money for animal shelters. So it sent cat lovers to school to teach them the very habits and skills their beloved pets practice everyday. The Daryl Roth Theater in New York City was converted into The Meow Mix Acatemy, where students participated in a range of interactive courses that simulated different aspects of a cat’s behavior—such as scaling a climbing wall or studying the art of catnapping by curling up in a beanbag chair. Catalogs containing class descriptions and a list of guest speakers were distributed in branded newspaper boxes to promote the weeklong event. Acatemy spokesperson Cat Cora, the star of the Food Network’s Iron Chef America, offered a cooking demonstration and prepared healthy dishes for attendees. The event drew more than 12,000 visitors. In addition, Meow Mix donated one pound of cat food to New York’s Animal Haven shelter for every person who visited the event, as well as the $3,500 it raised from Acatemy bookstore sales.

Zyrtec Spring Wonderland Dome
Agency: RedPeg Marketing
Client: McNeil Healthcare

Intent on driving awareness of its new over-the-counter allergy medicine, Zyrtec brought a taste of spring in the form of a dome to New York City in the dead of winter. The 10,000-square-foot Zyrtec Spring Wonderland Dome, set in Central Park in January, featured a welcome center, a carousel for kids, a gazebo and walking paths. Inside, visitors traveled through the “mini-city” while learning about Zyrtec and the brand’s benefits. People posed for pictures in green-screen photo booths with fun spring scenes; attended seminars offering dog training tips and gardening advice; and played interactive games with the Nintendo Wii. The campaign also included a partnership with local radio station Z-100 and Duane Reade pharmacy to offer special giveaways. Listeners who visited the dome also had a shot to win $100,000 as part of a sweepstakes. Ambassadors promoted the event by handing out 75,000 fliers before the dome’s opening. Online marketing and wilding postings also supported the campaign. The event drew more than 13,000 visitors during its four-day run.

Jeep Tag Shop
Agency: Zoom Media & Marketing
Client: Jeep

To make an impression with ski and snowboarding fans, Jeep set up a garage at three winter events to promote the brand and generate sales leads. It hosted a number of activities in the 20-foot-square structure, dubbed The Jeep Tag Shop, at the ESPN Winter X Games, in Aspen, CO, at Street Sessions in New York City, and at King of the Mountain in Sun Valley, ID. Inside, graffiti artists’ custom “tagged” Jeep gear, and visitors received autographs from some top athletes. Jeep used Bluetooth technology to send screensavers and event schedules to attendees with Bluetooth enabled phones. People were also encouraged to send text-message requests for songs to an onsite DJ. To promote its vehicles, Jeep put a Jeep Patriot and a Jeep Wrangler on display outside the garage. Ambassadors took photos of consumers driving the models and put them online, allowing consumers to claim their pictures after filling out a short survey. People who opted in for more information received a brochure on the specific vehicle they expressed interest in. The three events drew 103,000 people, with 20,000 attendees interacting with the Jeep Tag Shop. In all, 48,500 premiums were distributed. On-site surveys found 88% of participants had a positive experience.

#3 Best Use of Event Marketing (More Than Five Venues)

7-Eleven/Simpsons Movie Kwik-E-Mart Experience
Agency: Freshworks
Client: 7-Eleven, Inc.

To help position the chain as a fun, relevant brand and boost bakery sales, 7-Eleven turned to “The Simpsons” to create buzz and excitement at its stores. Working with a budget of less than $3 million, the company partnered with Fox Studios and Gracie Films to turn 12 stores in as many cities into Kwik-E-Marts, the Simpsons’ parody of the convenience store chain. Traditional logos and P-O-P were replaced with Kwik-E-Mart signage, and life-size cutouts and clings of “Simpson” characters appeared throughout the store. 7-Eleven even temporarily changed the names of beverages and snacks as homage to the animated show. The classic Slurpee became the Squishee, for example. Manufacturers were also enlisted to create products like Buzz Cola and KrustyO’s brand cereal, fictitious products from the show. The month-long campaign included an instant-win game that let the grand-prize winner star as an animated character in an episode of “The Simpsons.” 7-Eleven’s bakery sales increased more than 15% versus 2006, and donut sales, specifically, jumped more than 20%. More than 40,000 people entered the instant-win game, and Web site hits for July topped 79 million, a 320% increase over July 2006.

The Other Lunch Break
Agency: Momentum Worldwide, London
Client: MINI
See Category #1

Wachovia Way2Save Challenge Tour
Agency: Synergy Events
Client: Wachovia

Hoping to get an edge over its competition, Wachovia rolled out a multi-city tour to help promote a new savings program, Way2Save. Under it, customers could earn up to $300 a year and a special annual percentage rate for the first three years after opening an account. To spread the word, Wachovia staged fun activities at branches, malls, sporting events and other high-traffic locations to drive traffic to the main events. For instance, attendees received free massages, putted for prizes and gift cards as part of a golf experience, and vied for prizes in a trivia-based memory game. The main events featured a three-story structure with eight glass “money” machines. Visitors registered for a chance to grab flying cash from the machines. The top money-grabbers had a shot to enter the “The World’s Largest Money Machine” to win $2,000. Wachovia gave away $10,000 per event. The firm used its sports sponsorships, TV ads and PR with the help of big-name celebrities, including Mario Lopez and jockey Kent Desormeuax, to help promote the campaign. Wachovia shattered its goal to secure 100,000 new Way2Save customers. As of early June, more than 725,000 Way2Save accounts had been created.

TRex Trek 2007
Agency: The Borden Agency
Client: Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment

Hoping to spark sales of one of its new DVD releases, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment brought a piece of the movies to life with a marketing tour. It constructed a one-ton dinosaur to replica of Rexy, the T-rex from the movie “Night at the Museum,” and took the beast on a cross-country road trip from New York to Los Angeles to celebrate the film’s DVD and Blu-Ray disc release. The tour, which traveled more than 4,000 miles in eight days, made stops at natural history museums and other spots in 11 cities. Along the way, a documentary film crew shot footage of the trek and posted videos on Yahoo Movies. A second tour featuring another dinosaur encased in a custom-built glass truck traveled to Wal-Mart Stores. There, visitors received a keepsake Polaroid picture encased in a movie-branded picture frame and other promotional items. Ten-foot Rexy standees and promotional banners and fliers helped promote the event. The event drove 22 million unique visitors per week at Yahoo Movies. And Fox reported more than 6 million DVD sales in the first week, beating seven other new releases.

#4 Best Vehicle-Based Experiential Campaign

HOP Across America
Agency: Civic Entertainment Group, Engage Marketing
Client: Smarterville Inc.

To update its image and boost retail sales, Hooked on Phonics hit the road on a cross-country tour to give kids a hands-on experience with the brand. It transformed an ordinary school bus into an interactive playground, and stopped at retail outlets in 10 markets over a six-week period. Visitors boarded the bus, where they sampled products at three demonstration stations. In each market, Hooked on Phonics donated $100,000 worth of product; it also gave $1 million in products to national education partner First Book. Each of the 16,000 kids who visited the bus received a branded backpack. In addition, the company worked with the mayor’s office in each city to identify and honor “Literacy Leaders” for contributions to child literacy. It also recruited pro athletes whose foundations promote child literacy. More than 23,000 people visited the bus, and awareness of HOP products in stores increased 12 percentage points (from 30% to 42%). The firm also received increased distribution at Wal-Mart, from three SKUs at 1,380 stores to six SKUs at 2,200 stores, and landed its first distribution deals with Target and Toys ’R Us.

Gore-Tex and Windstopper Know What’s Inside Tour
Agency: Marketing Werks
Client: W.L. Gore and Associates

Gore-Tex hit the pavement on a multi-city tour to show people just what their products are really made of. It created a mobile interactive lab that let visitors test for themselves the breathability of its gear and whether it was windproof and waterproof. Inside the tour vehicle, consumers dialed up their own weather conditions to put Gore-Tex and Windstopper products to the ultimate test. People controlled the severity of the wind, the abundance of rain, and the intensity of the bitter cold in the weather chamber. Participants then received a lesson about the science behind the items. A screen showed video footage of key products and testing from the Gore-Tex labs. The effort included a cause-marketing overlay. Gore-Tex partnered with One Warm Coat and collected new or gently worn coats and shoes to donate back into the community. The tour traveled 43,032 miles, making stops at 39 events and 18 retail stops. And the company made an impression, drawing in 833,053 attendees over 127 days. The campaign also earn PR buzz from publications in large markets including Los Angeles and Boston.

Panasonic Living in High Definition
Agency: Next Marketing
Client: Panasonic North America

Panasonic knows that nothing beats a hands-on experience. So the brand hit the road with a multi-city tour to promote its lineup of high definition (HD) products. It sent four custom-built rigs to retail outlets, sporting events and state fairs to show people its product attributes in hopes of driving sales. Each truck featured walk-though displays of high-definition electronics environments, including Panasonic’s 103-inch plasma TV. Visitors received free SD cards to capture images from sampling digital cameras, camcorders and network cameras. Local radio and print ads helped promote the tour. Panasonic executed 200 event days during the nearly four-month-long tour, reaching 24,000 consumers. Of that group, 60% reported a purchase within 30 days and 90% opted into the firm’s e-marketing program. The brand had a 13% increase in the number of people who were highly likely to recommend Panasonic to a friend. What’s more, 84% said the experience somewhat to greatly improved their opinion of the brand, and 88% said they would likely or definitely buy Panasonic.

TRex Trek 2007
Agency: :The Borden Agency
Client: Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment
See Category #3

#5. Best Sampling Program – New Category

Smithwick’s Ambassadors
Agency: Colangelo
Client: Diageo

Smithwick’s Irish Ale knows its beer isn’t just for average Joes. So it recruited bartenders from Ireland to serve as brand ambassadors to reach drinkers in new markets. Over the 11-week campaign, Smithwick’s Ambassadors introduced the story of the brand to American pub-goers by introducing themselves to consumers and bartenders and traveling with distributors on their account visits. The men recorded stories from their adventures and travels in the U.S. on a group blog. In addition, Smithwick’s held “Blitz Nights,” which gave beer drinkers a chance to sample a pint for five cents for 17 minutes and 10 seconds—a play on the year when the beer was first brewed. More than 5,000 samples were distributed, and 95% of the people who tasted the ale bought another pint immediately after sampling it.
The brand also increased its on- and off-premise distribution, securing 121 new distribution accounts.

Hanes ComfortZone
Agency: NGAGE
Client: Hanes

Hanes took a unique approaching to sampling to get guys to think about their underwear. The company launched a national tour using the lure of four attractive females and a branded SUV to encourage men to change their underwear—literally. Brand reps asked visitors to enter a Hanes-branded “changing booth” and swap their current underwear for a new pair of Hanes ComfortSoft boxers. Working on a $305,000 budget, the tour traveled coast-to-coast from June to November, talking up its brand and handling out coupons and samples. An interactive Web site also supported the campaign to keep visitors up to date on ComfortZone details. Visitors could retrieve event photos from the site, enter a sweepstakes, or shop online for products.
Hanes made 220 tour stops and distributed 80,000 samples. The effort drew 30,000 unique Web site visitors and 110,000 page views.

Let Them Get Dirty! Tide with Dawn StainScrubbers
Agency: School Family Media, Inc.
Client: Tide

When Procter & Gamble’s Tide wanted spark trial around a new laundry detergent with stain-fighting capabilities, it reached out to the audience best known to need the product: moms. Under a budget of $125,000, the brand ran a sampling program for its Tide with Dawn StainScrubbers product targeting PTO/PTA-hosted events, such as spring carnivals and spaghetti suppers. In all, 2,500 groups across 48 states opted in to the program and received 200 samples to distribute “Mom-to-Mom” at their events for a total distribution of 500,000 samples. Each included a “Thank You” card that commended parents for being involved in their school community and encouraged them to use the sample to clean their kids’ clothing. The effort ran from February to June. And the program yielded positive results. Participants rated the product “effective,” and 92% had purchased or indicated intent to purchase a full-size bottle. What’s more, 69% said they would recommend the product to other parents.

Look Fab Studio
Agency: Upshot
Client: P&G

See Category #1

#6. Best Use of Consumer-Generated Content

Disney Dream Job
Agency: Disney Parks
Client: In-House

To help promote its “Year of a Million Dreams” marketing campaign, Disney Parks partnered with online job site CareerBuilder.com to give consumers a chance to work at a Disney theme park for a day. Through an online search, people posted videos on YouTube.com for a shot at their dream day job. And the prizes weren’t any old tasks. Winners could work as a pirate, a parade performer, a haunted-mansion butler or maid, or a princess-in-waiting. Disney launched the campaign, in part, to raise awareness of its ongoing marketing campaign, while Careerbuilder.com used it to call attention to its online job search site and generate attention for the brand. PR and online marketing promoted the contest. The contest drew nearly 500 video submissions. Winners were selected based on consumer votes of the top-100 finalists on the Web site at www.careerbuilder.com/disneydreamjobs. Some 2.2 million page views were reported on the CareerBuilder.com contest site between January and June. Close to 1 million online votes were cast to select the final 25 Dream Job candidates.

The Verizon Mini Movie Studio
Agency: Momentum Worldwide
Client: Verizon

Wanting to extend its reach beyond a day-long sponsorship activation, Verizon set up shop at the Tribeca Film Festival using a multimedia experience to showcase its products to keep consumers engaged with the brand. The company staged a live event, dubbed “The Verizon Mini Movie Studio,” at the Tribeca Family Festival in May, targeting families with young children and existing customers. The goal? To let visitors take the experience home with them on their mobile devices. Verizon also used the event to capture lead generation for future sales. During the campaign, kids could dress up in a costume to become one of five Mini Movie Stars and virtually experience super powers on a green screen set. Mini Movie video clips were sent to parents who had MMA capable phones, or to a microsite at www.myminimoviestar where individuals could send the link on to a friend. People could also call animated Mini Movie characters with their cell phones or demo phones. Children interacted with the characters using the phone’s dial pad. Visitors to the tent received Mini Movie Star-branded lollipops, T-shirts, drawstring bags and phone stickers. In all, more than 10,000 premiums were distributed. A sweepstakes overlay offered the chance to win a Mini Movie Star plush toy and other prizes. Did it work? The activity drew 3,000 to 4,000 people and lead generation increased 434% year over year.

When Spicy Meets Sweet
Agency: MTV Networks
Client: Doritos

When Frito-Lay decided to promote one of its new Doritos flavors, it tapped into two hot topics: social networks and dating. Through a partnership with MTV Networks, the company launched a co-branded program, “When Spicy Meets Sweet,” to spread the word about Doritos’ Spicy Sweet Chili Chips. The promotion played off the notion of combining two opposite things that complement each other. An online search kicked off for three “Spicy Girls” and three “Sweet Guys” to star in the dating episodes. Visitors created profiles by uploading a biography, photos and videos to a social network, and had to classify themselves as being “Spicy” or “Sweet.” Cast members were chosen based on the amount of time visitors spent on the profile pages. Once selected, viewers watched the dates on air and online. During the final phase of the campaign, voters determined which Spicy/Sweet couple would star in a national Doritos commercial. Average weekly page views jumped nearly three times the norm during the campaign, resulting in a 186% increase. And visitors spent more time on the site, from 24 minutes to 33 minutes.

American MRI-dol: Hospitals Compete to Win an MRI
Agency: Siemens Medical Solutions, USA Inc.
Client: Siemens Medical Solutions, USA Inc.

Looking to leverage the rage of Internet viral video, healthcare industry supplier Siemens Medical Solutions, USA Inc. launched an online video contest offering hospitals the chance to win a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine. The goal? To raise awareness of its Magetom Essenza MRI among small hospitals. Small healthcare facilities submitted two-minute videos explaining why they should win the MRI to http://www.winanmri.com. Consumers then voted for the facility that they felt most deserved the equipment, worth $800,000. PR, local print and broadcast media helped promote the six-week campaign. Word about the promotion spread like wildfire as hospital executives, townspeople and others sent e-mails to their contacts asking them cast their votes. In all, the contest drew 102 entries, with a total of 1.4 million votes and 2.7 million page views.

#7. Best Cause-Based Promotion

Warm Coats & Warm Hearts Drive
Agency: ABC, Inc.
Client: One Warm Coat/ABC’s GMA/Burlington Coat Factory

Hoping to help people stay warm during the winter months, “Good Morning America” partnered with retailer Burlington Coat Factory and One Warm Coat, a nonprofit organization that collects and distributes coats for families in need, on a national coat drive campaign. The morning talk show brought in big-name celebrities to support the “Warm Coats & Warm Hearts” coat drive, which ran Dec. 6 to Jan. 31. It also ran taped segments about the program. Information on ABCNews.com directed people to Burlington Coat Factory locations to make donations and to visit http://www.onewarmcoat.com to learn more about the cause. Burlington Coat Factory served as the collection point for coats and supported the campaign with e-mail blasts, in-store signage and recorded spots. In addition, the retailer offered a 10% discount off any purchase at nearly 400 stores nationwide to people who donated a coat onsite. And consumers rallied to the cause, donating175,125 coats to help those in need. That represents a three-fold increase over the target number of coats, and 23% of the total coats collected by One Warm Coat since its inception in 1992. What’s more, Burlington Coat Factory received 15,156 redemptions of its 10% discount Thank You certificate.

Pedigree Dog Adoption
Agency: Catapult Action-Biased Marketing
Client: Pedigree Brand Food for Dogs
See Category #1

American Express Members Project
Agency: Digitas
Client: American Express

To reach a new target of affluent consumers, American Express launched a cause-marketing campaign that asked card members to develop projects it could fund that would positively impact the world. The idea was to solicit suggestions from cardholders and get people to agree on one idea. American Express, in turn, would bring the notion to life, committing up to $5 million. The initiative used social media, viral and broadcast backed by the Web to spread the word. More than 1.5 million people experienced “The Members Project.” It appeared in 628+ blogs and more than 2,000 local radio placements, in addition to print and TV, becoming the most recognizable AmEx campaign in recent history. It has a more than 50% recognition among card members. The company received a more than 10% lift in respondents who said American Express “fits my lifestyle,” and a more than 15% lift from those who said American Express “is for someone like me.” Based on its success, American Express brought the campaign back again this year.

Tide CleanStart-Loads of Hope
Agency—Gigunda Group, Inc.
Client—Procter & Gamble

When Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans in August 2005, Procter & Gamble sought a way to help the storm’s victims. So it turned to one of its best known products, Tide, to roll out a mobile Laundromat. The company used its Tide CleanStart Mobile Laundromat, a 48-foot beverage trailer that features 32 high-efficiency washers and dryers, to help residents make a “clean start” with fresh laundry. Since then, P&G has continued its mission to help natural disaster victims and volunteers. In the spring of 2007, reps returned to New Orleans with the Laundromat to assist people still in need with clean clothes. It sponsored five-time Grammy Award winner John Legend at the annual New Orleans’ Jazz Festival, and recruited the singer to help wash clothes. The Tide brand also committed to help rebuild 10 homes as a way to help revitalize the community. In the fall, Tide took its traveling Laundromat to California, offering residents affected by 24 wildfires its services. Through the effort, nearly 15,000 miles over 10 months were logged to aid in disaster relief nationwide. P&G delivered more than 25,000 bags of fresh, clean laundry to families, and volunteers washed more than 100,000 pounds of clothing over 39 washdays.

#8. Best Sponsorship or Tie-In Campaign

McDonald’s Shrek
Agency: Arc Worldwide
Client: McDonald’s

The “McDonald’s Shrek” campaign was multifaceted, driven by animated commercials featuring the friendly green ogre and a move to healthier menu items to go with its “Go For Green” messaging. Signage in McDonald’s stores promoted “ogre creations,” such as a Minty Mudbath Shake. A first-ever roster of Shrek Happy Meals toys was customized to speak one of seven languages, including Chinese. More than 197 million straws were colored ogre green. Shrek chararacters were integrated into Apple Dippers, milk, water and carrot packaging in different parts of the world to encourage healthier food options. POP signage and packaging pushed customers to a McDonald’s Shrek microsite. Once there, kids were transport to Far, Far Away where they could follow Shrek down paths to rescue his friends by using cues and video game techniques. Kids could create custom avatars and play educational word games, and there were secret ciphers and cinematic 3D play. Sales of Apple Dippers jumped 37%, milk sales rose 21%, Happy Meals sales increased by 16%, and overall store sales grew by 8.7%. More than 1.2 million visitors hit the Web site from 106 countries, with an average session length of 19 minutes, and 81% of kids worldwide agreed that the McDonald’s Shrek site was fun.

7-Eleven/Simpsons Movie Kwik-E-Mart Experience
Agency: Freshworks
Client: 7-Eleven, Inc.
See Category #3

Night Tennis
Agency: Iris New York
Client: Sony Ericsson

The objective was to leverage Sony Ericsson’s sponsorship of pro Tennis and the Women’s Tennis Association by increasing the appeal of tennis among twentysomethings. The concept was to create a combination of tennis, music and fashion—in the dark. A UV-lit court with 16 players (playing by new rules) turned into a club with top international DJs, including Paul Oakenfold, and UV fashion shows with collections from emerging designers. One event was staged during the 2007 Sony Ericsson Open in Miami. In all, four events staged in Madrid, Zurich, Melbourne and Miami were sold out, drawing 12,500 people. More than 180 million media impressions were made for an estimated value of $15 million, including the front page of USA Today. It was linked to Sony Ericsson WTA sponsorship handset sales of 280,000 units, and it captured data from 100,000 qualified customers.

Grammy Concert in the Sky Sweepstakes
Agency: The Recording Academy
Client: In-House

Persistent negative press speculation about a cancellation of the 50th Grammy Awards show during last year’s TV writers strike, particularly in the wake of the Golden Globes’ forced cancellation, was dampening potential viewer excitement about the major music awards show. In an effort to boost viewership, CBS and Delta devised a campaign to have a Grammy-branded airline passenger jet function as a concert venue at 35,000 feet, with 20 sweepstakes winners being serenaded by multi-Grammy winner John Legend on the way to the Grammys. The program was intended to help network affiliates find local Grammy sponsors. In a short time, CBS affiliates used the sweepstake to secure partnerships with Chevrolet, Comcast, Dish Network, SunTrust Bank and Time Warner. With sponsor support, CBS affiliates heavily promoted the “Grammy Concert in the Sky Sweepstakes” around the country. Media coverage enabled 31.4 million impressions with a value of $1.7 million.

#9. Best Use of Games, Contests, and Sweepstakes

Disney Dream Job
Agency: Disney Parks
Client: In-House
See Category #6

MSN/“Biggest Loser” Million Pound Match-Up
Agency: Mr. Youth
Client: MSN/Microsoft Corp.

Aiming to boost traffic to its Health & Fitness channel (health.msn.com), MSN.com struck a partnership with NBC’s hit show “The Biggest Loser” to leverage the show’s appeal and relevancy among weight-conscious consumers. An integrated campaign was created around a national contest, “Biggest Loser Million Pound Match-Up,” prompting consumers to sign up with workout partners to document their weight journey via Windows Live Spaces. Tens of thousands of teams documented their weight loss progress with videos, photos and daily blogs. The big prize was a VIP trip to the season finale of the reality series “The Biggest Loser: Couples” in Los Angeles. One grand prize winning team won a personal trainer for the year for each team member. A daily sweepstakes around an interactive video trivia challenge pointed contestants to MSN Health & Fitness for the answers. Daily prizes included Zunes and a grand prize of a luxury fitness trip for two. A tour to the five fattest cities in the country helped raise awareness about obesity health issues. The contest generated 2.4 million visits to the Web site with 8.9 million page views in 3.54 average minutes per visit. An estimated 2.6 billion campaign impressions were delivered by MSN.com.

AT&T World’s Loudest Pep Rally
Agency: The Marketing Arm
Client: AT&T

AT&T wanted a program to make an impression on collegians and to leverage its stake in college football partnerships nationally. The promotion went beyond the scope of AT&T’s 30 school sponsorships to include all 120 NCAA Division I-A football schools. The concept was the AT&T “World’s Largest Pep Rally,” a season-long contest that awarded the winning university with a free concert from the Dave Matthews Band. During the six-week contest, fans could use their AT&T wireless phones to send text messages to a shortcode or visit the AT&T blue room (www.attblueroom.com), inviting the band to come to their campus. The school with the most invitations—ultimately the U.S. Military Academy at West Point—won an end-of-the-season pep rally featuring the popular rock band. Individual students also won VIP trips to the pep rally for uploading creative invitations, and through in-market radio promotions in AT&T’s top-20 markets. As a media extension, AT&T’s blue room Web site offered the Pep Rally concert in a live Webcast. More than 3.3 million invitations were sent, and there were more than 3 million visits to the promotional site, with an average time of 25 minutes spent there.

Grammy Concert in the Sky Sweepstakes
Agency: The Recording Academy
Client: In-House
See Category #8

#10. Most Innovative Communication Strategy

Take Off & Tune In
Agency: Civic Entertainment Group
Client: A&E Television, Southwest Airlines

A&E has been building its genre of real-life programming. The network wanted to use these programs to reinforce its image as a tech-forward trend-setter, and to reach new audiences in a way that’s never been done before. It engaged in a promotion with Southwest Airlines targeting travelers with laptop computers in tow. A&E created a closed-circuit WiFi network at SWA gates in three airports (Chicago Midway, Oakland and Phoenix). When travelers switched on their laptops and searched for a wireless network, A&E’s WiFi was the first thing they’d see. Passengers could download full-length episodes, short-form versions of shows, and a custom game. They could preview and download content directly to their laptops while waiting for flights. A&E ultimately reached 130 million consumers online and in airports over four months, with A&E using the SWA.com site and through Southwest Airlines e-mails.

Alli Launch
Agency: Draftfcb
Client: GlaxoSmithKline

GlaxoSmithKline was trying to temper its consumer message about Alli, a weight loss pill that requires maintenance of a low-fat diet to achieve its most effective results: losing 50% more weight than one could lose without taking it. The challenge was to build awareness about the product so that informed consumers could make a choice for themselves based or being “ready” or “not ready” to use Alli. The pre-launch education phase also served to fill the void between the tremendous PR activity surrounding FDA-approval in February and the launch of Alli in June. The agency created “Are You Losing It?” a 152-page book about dieting, with 23 pages covering Alli. The book was sold in Target, Wal-Mart, CVS, Walgreens and Kroger. The Alli experience, a pop-up retail space in Union Square, New York City, put consumers in direct contact with dieticians who could answer their questions about weight loss and Alli. Street teams with faux food carts appeared throughout Union Square handing out cookie, pizza and ice cream containers. Inside each was an Alli pedometer and a map to the experience. The book sold more than 300,000 copies. Over 10,000 people visited the alli experience, and video observation confirmed that the store appealed to the Alli core audience, with two-thirds of visitors being women, and 57% being 35 to 55. The Alli experience hosted four PR events, generating 120 million impressions.

Amex OPEN Plum Card Launch
Agency: Momentum Worldwide
Client: American Express

AmEx’s OPEN team launched the first charge card product developed truly by and for small business owners: The Plum Card. Prior to this endeavor, OPEN had numerous small business cards in the market, but they were very similar to consumer credit and charge cards. The Plum Card took a small business challenge, cash flow management, and created a unique card to meet the needs of small business owners by offering them trade terms and the ability to get up to 2% cash back on purchases, or defer payment for up to 60 days interest-free. The campaign objective was to generate buzz and lay the groundwork for the initial introduction of 10,000 Plum Cards. The seminal promotion was built around the 500 Conference in Chicago, at which Inc. magazine honors the entrepreneurial superstars on their annual list of the 500 fastest-growing companies in America. A large, mysterious Plum-colored cube with the words “Who Is Getting One?” was installed on the trade show floor. A rear-projected countdown timer ticked off the seconds to a zero-hour that would occur the following day. As the synchronized timer at the Plum Card booth ticked down to zero on the trade show floor, the president of American Express OPEN revealed The Plum Card. iPhones were selected as business relevant premiums. Every single Inc. 500 honoree and VIP received a fully activated iPhone. Attendees were surprised to discover that Plum-branded iPhone cases had already been hidden under their chairs, and that they just had to go to OPEN’s booth to get the phones to go in them. Over 85% of honorees requested to receive more information about the Plum Card.

Pos or Not
Agency: mtvU
Client: mtvU

It’s estimated that more than 1 million people in the U.S. are living with the HIV virus, and a quarter of them don’t know it. So mtvU, MTV Networks’ digital college network, sought to raise awareness of the issue in a campaign, dubbed “Pos or Not,” with POZ magazine. “Pos or Not” sought to engage people in an honest conversation about HIV/AIDS by using the format of a game that aimed to make the subject of the virus and the related disease less anxiety-provoking. Some 100 people from around the country, half HIV positive, half not, joined “Pos or Not” and told their stories, including their health status and how they learned about it. Players are asked to guess whether each participant was HIV positive or not based solely on their photos a few personal details, such as their favorite music. The point of the game is to demonstrate that a person’s appearance doesn’t really indicate much about their health status. At pivotal points in the game, “Pos or Not” gives users informational resources about AIDS and helps connect them with local HIV testing centers through the CDC. MtvU and Kaiser launched a multifaceted on-air, online and ground campaign to build support for the game, including signage at mtvU Campus Invasion Music Festivals in Boston, Philadelphia and College Park, MD, attended by nearly 20,000 college students. “Pos or Not” was ultimately played more than 6.5 million times by 450,000 people.

#11. Best Interactive Promotion

Take Off & Tune In
Agency: Civic Entertainment Group
Client: A&E Television, Southwest Airlines
See Category #10

Tooheys New World Record Wallabies Mosaic
Agency: Momentum Worldwide
Client: Lion Nathan Australia

To rally support for the 2007 Rugby World Cup campaign of the Wallabies, one of the most popular rugby clubs in Australia’s New South Wales, Tooheys NEW Beer and agency Momentum conceived an integrated campaign to highlight the brand’s attributes and deliver an emotional call to action. Complicating the task, Tooheys was not an official sponsor of the cup, and thus the campaign could not mention it specifically. Instead, Tooheys conceived of a drive to set a Guinness World Record for the largest digital and physical photo-mosaic, targeting not just rugby fans, but all Australian men in their 20s and 30s. Custom packaging, POS materials, outdoor ads, kiosks, print and TV spots all drove traffic to www.TooheysNewWorldRecord.com.au. Users could upload their photos from browsers, via mobile phones, and through street teams sent to register fans and take photos at pubs, local rugby games and events. Once their photos were placed in the mosaic, which was designed to be a Wallabies team portrait, each fan was sent its coordinates, allowing them to find themselves in the grid. The campaign ultimately increased awareness of Tooheys’ support for the team by 55%, 10 percentage points more than the target. The Web site got 1 million hits from 108,000 unique visitors, and while 50% of participants registered online, 37% did so from kiosks, in-bar promotions or at events—20% more than expected. And the campaign did set a photo-mosaic record: 65,412 images in a 5,670-square-foot portrait.

2007 Monopoly at McDonald’s
Agency: The Marketing Store
Client: McDonald’s

For the latest iteration of its Monopoly promotion, the quick-service chain and The Marketing Store aimed to increase sales but also wanted to overcome consumer cynicism about their chances of winning the game’s cash prizes. To remedy that, the 2007 October campaign showcased winners more dramatically than in the past—on packaging, in TV spots and in videos shown on the game Web site, www.PlayatMcD.com. Prizes were restructured from a single $5 million into four weekly prizes of $1 million, including an instant-win award the first week. The Web site, which had been revamped in 2006 to allow second-chance play, enhanced its appeal in 2007 by sending a free starter code via e-mail and traditional media, and by reconfiguring the in-store game pieces to show buyers their codes more prominently than the legal boilerplate. The site was also revamped to load faster and to showcase McDonald’s menu items appropriate to the time of day the visitor was playing the game. As a result, codes entered online posted a 226% increase over the 2006 record level. Fifty-six percent of customers receiving a free code entered it—almost triple the expected rate. The Web site drew three times the visitors achieved by any McDonald’s online campaign, including previous Monopoly games, and those visitors averaged more than 40 minutes on the site. Meanwhile, in-store sales during the campaign exceeded 2006’s already record results by 5.4%.

Degree/24
Agency: Mindshare
Client: Twentieth Century Fox Licensing & Merchandising

Twentieth Century Fox teamed with Unilever for a promotion meant to benefit both sales of the latter’s Degree for Men deodorant brand and the May sweeps ratings for the former’s hit spy-thriller show, “24.” The campaign produced high-quality original Web content and interactive online elements that let visitors step into the shoes of Jason Blaine, a rookie agent and office gofer at the Counter-Terrorism Unit offices where the show’s Jack Bauer does his super-agenting. Online audiences watched Blaine pursue menial errands that escalated into high-stakes risks and escapes with his cool intact and the coffee still hot. The Webisodes ran on a microsite created for the campaign, www.cturookie.com, where visitors could also explore the CTU offices and the desk of rookie Blaine, and were teased with both in-store displays and print, online, mobile and TV teasers that drove visitors to the Web site. The site had 1.4 million Webisode views, which held viewers for an average of more than 5 minutes on the site. Webisodes were also posted to YouTube and shared virally. The result was a year-over-year increase in audience for “24” during the May sweeps. And Degree for Men sales rose 29% due solely to the program tie-in.

#12. Best Multicultural/Ethnic Campaign

Wonka Arte Dia de los Muertos Program
Agency: Bromley Communications
Client: Wonka

Starting in 2005, Wonka saw an opportunity to break out of the Halloween-candy crowd with U.S. Hispanic teens and a campaign centered on Nov. 1, the “Day of the Dead” in Mexico and many other Latin countries. The “Wonka Arte Dia de los Muertos” initiative aimed to introduce Hispanic teens to the range of Wonka candy products while echoing Spanish culture and tradition. The 2007 campaign integrated a national plan to promote trial and purchase of Wonka candy among that audience from September to November with a regional effort centered on Los Angeles. The main www.Wonka.com Web site featured a national virtual altar-building sweepstakes and promoted it with rich media on Web sites for Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, Disney and others. A microsite promoted ground-level events in the Los Angeles area, including 13 Superior Grocer locations. These events included decorating traditional sugar skulls, premium giveaways, a WONKAMobile van and street teams, and sweepstakes registrations. The PR agency also partnered with community organization Plaza de la Raza to run altar-building workshops and publicize the event on its Web site and other venues. Univision Radio supported the event with remote, van visits, e-mail blasts and distribution of Wonka materials at Univision events. In the end, more than 15,300 people entered the virtual altar sweepstakes. Eighty percent of the home page traffic occurred while online promotional media was live. Wonka candy sales during the campaign grew by 46% in Los Angeles and by 37% nationwide compared to the prior year, with 100% sell-through at participating in-market retailer Superior Grocers.

ESPN Deportes en Vivo
Agency: LatinSphere Experiential
Client: ESPN Deportes

In 2007 ESPN Deportes, the channel’s sports brand targeting Spanish-language consumers, wanted to shore up its position as its audience’s number-one sports destination against encroaching competitors. The resulting campaign was a brand experience that emphasized the adrenaline of sports fandom by bringing a large, inflatable stadium replica into Hispanic communities. The stadium replica let consumers interact with virtual games and tour a replica of the SportsCenter booth. Brand ambassadors registered entering guests, amassing a consumer database available for later use, and gave each a “Playing Card” that let them play the interactive sports video games for chances to win prizes that ranged from T-shirts to flat-screen TVs. Guests were awarded points per activity and could view their rankings on the digital leaderboard; the guest with the most points at the end of the day was awarded the plasma TV. Advertising partners such as AT&T and Comcast were also able to connect with guests as they exited the replica stadium. The promotion delivered more than 25.4 million brand impressions for ESPN Deportes and its network/affiliate partners. Branded premiums reached more than 43,000 Hispanic households. The brand planned a 10-event “ESPN Deportes en Vivo” road show in 2008, with a broad range of advertisers asking to take part.

National Urban League and Walgreens Wellness Tour
Agency: Marketing Werks
Client: Walgreen Co.

The 6,000-unit Walgreens pharmacy chain launched its first traveling health screening and education vehicle campaign, the “Walgreens Wellness Tour,” in 2004; it partnered with the Urban League for the first time in 2006 to focus on urban communities underserved by health providers, mostly in African-American and Hispanic neighborhoods. In January 2007, two buses sponsored by Walgreens and one by the National Urban League began a 12-month tour of 28 U.S. cities with strong Urban League affiliates. The goal was to give 30,000 free health screenings and interact with 250,000 customers. (Another Walgreens vehicle served Puerto Rico.) In the customized, 38-foot mobile units, customers interacted with six crew members, including two certified medical technicians, to get five free health tests—for cholesterol, glucose, blood pressure, body mass and bone density. Individuals could ask general health questions and get their test results on the spot. In most visits, a Walgreens pharmacy rep was also available to assist with patient consultations. Locations included Walgreens stores, Urban League offices, parks, senior and community centers and churches. Stops were promoted with in-store announcements and updated weekly on a Web site, www.Walgreen.com/wellness, and a toll-free number. In the end, the campaign conducted more than 58,000 health screenings and interacted with almost 480,000 customers, about doubling its initial interaction target. The tour’s 207 events garnered more than 50 million media impressions, primarily in nonpaid media coverage.

Scott “Comparte tu Dicho” Dichonario
Agency: MASS Hispanic Marketing
Client: Kimberly-Clark, Scott Brand

The Scott bathroom tissue brand wanted to extend its general-market identity as the “common sense” choice into the U.S. Hispanic market. The vehicle chosen was a campaign to compile Spanish dichos, or folk sayings, into a bilingual multimedia dictionary of proverbs. “Comparte tu Dicho” (“Share your common sense”) invited consumers to submit as many dichos as they wished on a Web site, www.ScottSentidoComun.com, at live events, in stores, through the mail, and by calling in to local radio shows. Web visitors could also browse submissions and send “e-dicho” cards to friends encouraging them to enter their own sayings. The campaign was launched with PR events in Los Angeles, Houston and San Antonio featuring mariachi bands integrating dichos into their repertoires. In-store and parking lot events offered digital dicho games, product sampling, and a chance to submit dichos via video. Door hangers with activity booklets, coupons and product samples also supported the campaign. As a result, sales volume in the Los Angeles focus market grew 34% among Hispanics compared to the same period in 2006, and 27% among Los Angeles consumers overall. During the four months of 2007 that the Web site was active it received more than 2 million hits and almost a million page views with average engagement of 12 pages per visit. Almost 100,000 dichos were submitted in all channels, and more than half a million consumers took part in live events at almost 1,000 store locations.

#13. Best Campaign Targeting a Micro Audience

Detox Seattle
Agency: A Squared Group
Client: Method
See Category #2

Pedigree Dog Adoption
Agency: Catapult Action-Based Marketing
Client: Pedigree Brand Food for Dogs
See Category #1

The Meow Mix Acatemy
Agency: Grand Central Marketing, Inc.
Client: Del Monte Foods
See Category #2

AT&T World’s Loudest Pep Rally
Agency: The Marketing Arm
Client: AT&T
See Category #9

#14. Best Campaign Generating Brand Awareness and Trial Recruitment

7-Eleven/Simpsons Movie Kwik-E-Mart Experience
Agency: Freshworks
Client: 7-Eleven, Inc.
See Category #3

Charmin NYC Restroom Experience
Agency: Gigunda Group, Inc.
Client: Procter & Gamble

In a return engagement last Christmas, Charmin re-opened a branded, operational pop-up restroom in Times Square, next to the Virgin Mega Store. From Nov. 19 to Dec. 31, the event offered New York City residents and visitors 20 spotless, luxurious themed restrooms in a 12,000-sq.-ft. space. Messaging promoting Charmin’s new bathroom tissue lineup, Ultra Strong (red) and Ultra Soft (blue), was carried through in the décor of the bathrooms, including red and blue carpeting, and in family photo ops with the red and blue Charmin bears racing toboggans. Brand ambassadors in letter jackets and toilet costumes kept the installation clean and sped around Times Square on Segways. They also helped visitors log hometown information onto a “Flush-O-Meter” interactive map, visible on the 20 flat-screen monitors placed around the event. Visitors were also invited to pull a handle for the Charmin brand of their choice and received a coupon for taking part. Events included actress Molly Shannon cutting the tissue ribbon to open the site, a wedding with a bride dressed in bathroom tissue, and “Final Flush” ceremonies during the New Year’s Eve celebration. The site hosted more than 400,000 visitors, averaging 10,000 a day, and almost all voted for their Charmin brand favorite. The event also produced 825 million media impressions and 45 user-generated videos on YouTube. Charmin brand ambassadors distributed more than 310,000 coupons to guests.

Amex OPEN Plum Card Launch
Agency: Momentum Worldwide
Client: American Express
See Category #10

SoBe Life Water National Sampling Day
Agency: Vivid Marketing
Client: Pepsi-Cola North America

Pepsi determined to make its SoBe Life Water enhanced beverage line the target product of its 2008 National Sampling Day initiative, setting a goal of distributing 3 million samples on March 19. Variety-driven trend seekers 18-34 were the initial target, but other demographics were also pinpointed. The promotion activated in 320 markets, with more than 5,000 employees from Pepsi corporate and its bottling systems division managing 2,300 events nationwide. Locales ranged from commuter stations and offices to college campuses and retail chains, and included concerts, St. Patrick’s Day festivals and spring break locations. Local markets in 42 states partnered with radio and TV stations, some of which did live remotes from the sites. New York and Chicago were targeted for heavy sampling efforts. In Chicago, the agency sent teams to five high-traffic commuter locations and two college campuses and handed out more than 18,000 samples. In New York, Vivid built a stage in Times Square and mounted a performance of the “Thrillicious” SoBe commercial with Naomi Campbell that debuted during the last Super Bowl, using 55 dancers and four costumed lizards and posting a video of the performance on YouTube. While the campaign succeeded in handing out 3 million samples nationwide, the Times Square event and 15 New York sampling stations accounted for 132,000 samples on their own.

#15. Best Campaign Generating Brand Volume

My Tonka Boys
Agency: Alcone Marketing Group
Client: Hasbro

To celebrate Tonka’s 60th anniversary and raise awareness of its new toddler product line, Tonka conducted a nationwide search looking for families with real “Tonka Boys” via an essay contest for parents on the question, “What makes your son and/or your boys Tonka Boys?” Essays were posted to and made available on the Web site www.tonka.com/contest. The prize, which was awarded by popular and judged vote among five finalists, was a home visit from a life-size Tonka truck full of $2,000 worth of Tonka and Hasbro toys. Additionally, during the promotion period, 250,000 package stickers offered consumers of select Tonka Products a free personalized license plate for their Tonka truck. The full-size Tonka dump truck was also used to collect toys for the Marines’ “Toys for Tots” charity in metro markets around the country. The campaign and the new product line created a sales increase for Tonka of more than 49% year over year. The Tonka Web site received 199 qualified entries and a 300% increase in online results ranging from page views to visits and unique visitors.

Listen Up
Agency: Draftfcb
Client: MilkPEP

In 2007, MilkPEP set out to extend its “Body by Milk” campaign, launched the previous year, to increase engagement with teens and increase teen milk consumption. The “Listen Up!” campaign was built on the insight that 75% of teens 12 to 17 spend two to three hours a day downloading and listening to music online, and 60% get free music or redemption codes for downloads from friends. Signs in 41,000 school cafeterias nationwide put forth milk’s healthy weight message, encouraged purchases, and drove teen audiences to www.BodybyMilk.com for free unlimited MP3 downloads from artists such as Rihanna, Taylor Swift, Plain White Ts and Lifehouse. The campaign also offered a streaming music widget that teens could upload to their social network profile pages, behind-the-scenes video content, artist biographies, wake-up calls IM icons and wallpapers. A featured-artist sweepstakes offered autographed guitars and portrait/ CD frames. The campaign drove traffic to the Web site through online messages on teen-favored music sites, and grassroots PR on featured-artist fan sites. As a result, milk servings per student in March 2008 were 8.6% above the 2007 spring semester. The “Listen Up!” site had more than 250,000 online visitors over the 14-week promotion, saw 53,900 MP3 downloads versus a target of 35,000, and achieved deep engagement with teens, who spent an average of 12 minutes on the site—up 50% from the previous semester’s teen program.

Bon Appetite & Bon Voyage
Agency: Eric Mower and Associates
Client: Lactalis USA

To raise awareness of its gourmet cheese products outside the holiday season, Lactalis launched a promotion in July and August 2007 aimed at women 25 to 44 who visited the deli/specialty cheese departments of their local supermarkets. The campaign partnered with Disney/Pixar around the theatrical release of “Ratatouille,” linking its President brand brie and feta cheeses and its Rondele spreadable products to an in-store promotion tied to the concept of travel abroad. Deli managers were given a POP kit with President branding, visuals of the movie’s lead characters, and artwork suggestive of Paris. The package included consumer sweepstakes entry forms for a trip to Paris, along with a pad of recipes and $2-off product coupons. The managers themselves were encouraged to bring together all the President products in a display and use all the POP elements. They could also upload a photo of the display to a promotional Web microsite and compete in a retail display contest to win one of 15 grand prizes—a $200 American Express gift check for a gourmet dinner. Almost 600 display contest entries were submitted, while more than 15,000 consumers entered to win the Paris trip sweepstakes. AC Nielsen Scantrack showed that the campaign lifted distribution 11.4%. for weeks 22 to 32 of the promotion; sales volume for the President gourmet brands was 12% more than the same period the year before.

2007 Monopoly at McDonald’s
Agency: The Marketing Store
Client: McDonald’s

See Category #11

#16. Best Loyalty Program

Detox Seattle
Agency: A Squared Group
Client: Method
See Category #2

TripRewards Mystery Hot Spot
Agency: Campbell-Ewald
Client: Wyndham Worldwide

TripRewards, a Wyndham hotel loyalty program with 7 million active members, wanted to brand itself as a “different” frequent guest program to attract customers who were less likely to join or take active part in loyalty programs. TripRewards used the summer promotion platform to communicate its unique role while boosting hotel-stay volumes with a multi-level prize sweepstakes and an instant win game. A newly redesigned Web site at www.triprewards.com/mystery also offered new user-generated content opportunities, with a way for users to tell each other about their favorite mystery hot spots and a gallery in which to vote for “real” or “fake” hot spots. A coupon book given to guests at check-in extended $300 in national coupon offers, along with a value message, thus rewarding customers immediately for their stay. Online and offline media promoted the campaign, and the monthly e-mail newsletter, member activity statements and branded hotel communications all incorporated Mystery Hot Spot messages. The sweepstakes received more than 120,000 unique registrations (average 1,000 daily), and about 145 registrants opted to join TripRewards. The instant-win game received more than 719,000 plays (average, six plays per registrant), while more than 1,400 user-content submissions were received. All told, the Web site saw about 1,000 new visitors and 4,000 repeat ones per day, with an average session visit of 12 minutes and a typical five visits during the campaign.

Listen Up
Agency: Draftfcb
Client: MilkPEP
See Category #15

Charmin NYC Restroom Experience
Agency: Gigunda Group, Inc.
Client: Procter & Gamble
See Category #14

#17. Best Dealer, Sales Force or Business-to-Business Campaign

DVD Mailer
Agency: AMC
Client: AMC

Having developed a new branding around movie “classics,” AMC saw a chance to convey that re-branding to clients (media buyers and planners) through its already-successful DVD of the Month franchise. The two-stage campaign launched in Q4 2007 with an offer to let AMC’s existing client list add to their personal collections of movie “classics.” Recipients received a pack of Twizzlers, the classic movie candy, and a note from AMC general manager Charlie Collier inviting them to log onto a Web site, www.amctv.com/yourclassics, and select three titles from a list of 150 movies. The three films they selected were mailed out as a boxed DVD set in AMC-branded packaging. Two additional mailings went out to the list in the first half of 2008. The first offered a choice of titles from a selection of Oscar-nominated or Oscar–winning films (“Awards”), while the second extended a list of movies about popular and underdog heroes (“Heroes”). Along with the latter, clients were offered the chance to have AMC make a $1,000 donation to the charity of their choice. The DVD mailer campaign has been successful in both phases, with an average response rate of 31%. Two more mailings are planned before the end of this year.

United Suite Dreams
Agency: Arc Worldwide; BDM; Starcom
Client: United

United Airlines wanted to raise awareness of its international premium travel offering—newly furnished with 180-degree flat beds, cuisine designed by a world-famous chef, fine wines and personalized onboard entertainment. Recognizing that 70% of all international premium airline bookings come through members of the National Business Travel Association (NBTA), United and its agencies worked to create an NBTA trade show event that conveyed the tranquility United was bringing to the usually frenzied overseas travel experience. Airport banners, branded hotel keycards and gift bags greeted the NBTA show attendees as they arrived in town for the conference. On the trade show floor, United offered a unique art gallery with videos, refreshments and paintings of the new amenities, and a pianist playing the United signature tune, Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue.” At the same time, a one-day media blitz used billboards, print ads and takeovers of homepages and relevant Web channel pages to deliver expandable rich media ads about the new, luxurious United experience. The ads and NBTA show collateral drove visitors to www.suitedreams.united.com, a microsite that told the story of the new services in rich media animation. The campaign lifted online ad awareness by 5.6% in one day, and drove more than 517,000 visitors to the site in one day, exceeding target by 185%. National TV and print media ran features, including the four broadcast networks in United’s hub and top feeder markets. First-tier papers in United’s hub markets ran the story—often quoting the CEO on the new flatbed seating.

Amex OPEN Plum Card Launch
Agency: Momentum Worldwide
Client: American Express
See Category #10

Green Is Universal Agency Initiative
Agency: The Michael Alan Group
Client: NBC Universal

NBC Universal wanted to establish its eco-friendly credentials with agency media buyers to make them aware of its internal “Green Is Universal” conservation initiative, and to establish itself as the place for top brands to align themselves with the green movement. Co-branded vinyl cling stickers were created for each targeted agency, and featured logos from both the agency and the “Green Is Universal” campaign. Designed in white and shades of green, the stickers were made to attach to appropriate surfaces in the agencies’ media buying departments and to be removed without residue at the end of the campaign. They carried messages about assorted environmentally responsible office practices, such as shutting off lights, reducing print copies and sharing elevators. NBC contacted office managers at each of the targeted agencies, asking for permission to send a representative around on the Friday before the “Green Is Universal” campaign launched to place the stickers. The reps went back to the agencies on the Monday of the campaign launch with baskets of locally produced, organic baked goods to alert workers to the messages and the programming. The campaign gained entry to 24 agencies in five markets and generated an estimated 10,000 impressions among agency executives.

#18. Best Use of P-O-P

Power of the Letter
Agency: Civic Entertainment Group
Client: HBO
See Category #1

Crown Royal “Legends of The Purple Bag”
Agency: Colangelo
Client: Diageo

This promotion was aimed at the true Crown Royal loyalist. People were prompted by a contest to make quilts, reupholster chairs or create any other variety of crafty fare out of the iconic purple bags the whisky comes packaged in. The winner actually refurbished an early ’50’s Oldsmobile by reupholstering the bench seats with the Crown Royal bags.
The name of the promotion, “Legends of the Purple Bag,” played into the grand prize, termed a “legendary” trip to both Los Angeles and New York. A weekend in Los Angeles included a movie night with Hugh Hefner and a private tour of the Playboy mansion with a bunny. The weekend in New York featured a day of VIP treatment at the ESPN Zone and a tour of ESPN headquarters in Bristol, CT. The marketing was impressive. Crown Royal insiders reupholstered a lounge chair with the bags and then used the image on P-O-P materials that read: “Now show us what you can do.” At a dedicated Web site, The “Purple Bag Calculator” spit out the number of bags needed for a given project. An e-mail blast was sent to members of the Society of the Crown loyalty club, giving them a two-week head start. Radio and print also supported the promotion. And somehow, National Football League star NFL great Jerry Rice caught wind of the promotion and was seen sporting a suit lined with Crown Royal bags at the ESPY Awards.
The promotion ran for six month, up to and through the holidays. For all its efforts, sales during the promotional period rose 4.4% over the previous year.

7-Eleven/Simpsons Movie Kwik-E-Mart Experience
Agency: Freshworks
Client: 7-Eleven, Inc.
See Category #3

Venus Embrace Launch
Agency: Marketing Drive/P&G/Mechtronics, Inc./Alliance
Client: Procter & Gamble

In 2008, Gillette introduced the latest version of its razor designed specifically for women: the Venus Embrace. It was the largest new product launch since the Venus brand was introduced in 2001. The challenge? To make this new five-bladed razor stand out in a very crowded category that includes Gillette’s top competitors, Schick and BIC. Another concern, its core consumers—ages 15 to 24—were reluctant to trade up. The answer? Pitch the new shaver on P-O-P as a “beauty product” while showcasing its technological wizardry. The campaign employed communications at every point of contact that featured beauty images, curvy shapes and soft forms on displays and P-O-P. The messaging highlighted the product’s attributes by leveraging the line: “Reveal Dramatically Smoother Skin.” The razor was tethered to floor-stands so consumers could actually touch the product. For the launch in February, the firm shipped 49% more displays for Venus Embrace than the previous new launch for Venus Breeze. Wal-mart liked the displays, designating its first semi-permanent endcap for the launch. The displays also got top locations at Walgreens, CVS, Costco, Target and Sam’s Club.

#19. Best Premium-Based Promotion

Shrek The Third
Agency: Brigandi+Associates, Inc.
Client: The Kellogg Co.

Kellogg took the big, lovable Shrek character and whirled him into a mix of premium-based promotions that drove sales for the company’s cereal, frozen, toaster pastries and snacks brands. The eight campaigns played out across 35 countries and included mail-in and insert offers that featured Shrek, Donkey and Puss ’n Boots where kids could get Swamp Soccer Balls, Boogie boards, safety helmet covers, night lights, milk straws, cereal bowls with ogre ears, and talking key chains. Three games based on healthy eating were also developed that played out on the packages of 100 million cereal boxes. A bilingual promotional insert highlighted Puss ’n Boots, Shrek’s Latin sidekick. Dozens of merchandising elements were developed to support the promotions. As a result, 125,000 cereal bowls were redeemed, 85,000 Boogie boards, 43,000 helmet covers, 37,000 talking key chains and 16,000 soccer balls.

Kellogg’s All-Star Campaign Fall Tailgating
Agency: Career Sports & Entertainment
Client: The Kellogg Co.

If you’re looking for guys ages 18 to 44, it must be time to throw a tailgate party. Kellogg did just that with help from its 2007 All-Star team that included Hank Aaron (Major League Baseball Homerun Champion and Baseball Hall of Famer), Troy Aikman (Football Champion and Hall of Famer), David Robinson (Olympic and Basketball Champion), Kristi Yamaguchi (Olympic Champion Figure Skater), Peter Jacobsen (Golf ambassador), Lenny Wilkens (Basketball Hall of Famer – Player and Coach), and Kyle Busch (2007 Kellogg’s #5 NASCAR team driver). The name and likeness of each of the sports stars was tied to an “All-Star” snacks brand and an instant-win game. Consumers who bought Cheez-It or Club crackers or Fudge Shoppe cookies could find one of the 20,000 hand-signed trading cards seeded inside 13 million packages. Some 18,500 P-O-P displays and a Web site promoted the premium offer. The program produced double-digit lifts off of both display and shelf versus the base periods.

Stein Mart Platinum Rewards Pre-Season Kick-Off Contest
Agency: Don Jagoda Associates
Client: GE Money

This campaign was all about getting the employees who worked for discount clothing chain Stein Mart to participate in a promotion to increase the number of applications for the Stein Mart Platinum Rewards MasterCard offered through GE Money. A printed program description was handed out at staff meetings. Store managers randomly handed out scratch-off game cards to any employee each time they processed a new application. Each store had a pyramid of prizes with top level, mid-level and lower-level logoed merchandize. Employees would scratch-off to see which prize they received, including gas cards, umbrellas, canvas totes, lunch coolers, stainless steel travel mugs, stainless steel tumblers, and Blockbuster and Starbucks gift cards. During the one-month promotion there was a 23% lift in credit applications over the previous period, resulting in a 26% lift in new accounts. Additionally, this campaign was dubbed the “most successful” contest for the store due to the 40% lift in sales from new accounts.

Ozzfest 2007
Agency: Monster Beverage Company
Client: Monster Beverage Company

The Monster Energy drink brand used its sponsorship of the 2007 Ozzfest tour to launch an on-pack promotion that offered free tickets to the concert by using a special code printed inside Monster multipacks. The tour featured Ozzy Osbourne and up-and-coming metal bands. A complete P-O-P package supported the campaign, including static stickers, posters, case stackers and header cards, channel strips, sell sheets and replacement tearpads. In the convenience channel, four-packs grew 41.4% and increased by six points versus one year ago. Eight-packs grew 345.6% and increased by one point versus the previous quarter (eight-packs were not available a year ago). In the grocery channel, 4-packs grew 60.3% and increased 20 points versus a year ago. Eight-packs grew 52.3% and grew 7 points versus a year ago.

#20. Best Retail/Co-Marketing Campaign

Littlest Pet Shop Pajama Rama
Agency: BARD Advertising
Client: Hasbro

Littlest Pet Shop is a $600 million business for Hasbro, and it wanted to make sure it hung on to its status as a leading brand in the girl products category. All it took was a carefully crafted pajama party staged at the world’s largest retailer, Wal-Mart, and a $2.4 million budget. The one-day, three-hour events took place in February 2008 at 2,000 toy departments at Wal-Marts across the country. Some 1.4 million mailers were sent to households with girls ages six to 11 that invited them to come and see new Littlest Pet Shop products. Once there, the kids got free goodies, which included branded Pajama Rama posters, stickers and tattoos from brand reps dressed in Pajama Rama T-shirts and pink slippers. Some stores also had a photo opportunity where people could get their picture taken with their favorite pets. The program was also cross-promoted at walmart.com on the toys page. Radio Disney commercials were aired during the weeks leading up to the event date and were customized based on region of the country and in-store execution.

M&M’S/NASCAR/Kroger Paint the 38
Agency: Catapult Action-Biased Marketing
Client: MARS Snackfood

This is the story of M&M’s, NASCAR and Kroger. The three got together to build sales for M&M’s, stress M&M’s sponsorship of NASCAR and the No. 38 car, and leverage Kroger’s support of the racing series in the Detroit market. An exclusive promotion was crafted that gave consumers who bought participating M&M’s products a code at checkout. The codes sent people online to www.painthe38.com, where they could enter a contest to design their own racecar and then be entered to win four tickets to an upcoming race. Winners also received autographed #38 merchandise. A custom NASCAR pallet display was designed for Kroger that communicated the promotion’s details. A full-scale event day at Kroger was orchestrated in Detroit where, one week prior to the promotion’s kickoff, No. 38 driver David Gilliland made an appearance, signed autographs and handed out photos. Some 5,000 people lined up around the building to see him. The microsite received nearly 20,000 hits in a two-week period, with over 50,000 page hits and more than 5 minutes spent on the car-design page.

7-Eleven/Simpsons Movie Kwik-E-Mart Experience
Agency: Freshworks
Client: 7-Eleven, Inc.
See Category #3

The Winners’ Circle
Agency: G2 promotional marketing
Client: CoverGirl

Target just happens to be one of CoverGirl’s strongest distribution channels, a place where the brand has been a category leader. However, the P&G CoverGirl customer team felt that the merchandising and marketing needing sprucing up. A reinvention called “The Winner’s Circle” began to build brand prestige by focusing on award winning products, innovation, boutique offering and trends. Endcap displays leveraged the idea of award winning products endorsed by top industry beauty publications. Packaging was created to reflect the creative theme of the endcap and to give products a more premium, limited-edition look and feel to instill a sense of urgency to make a purchase. Stickers were created for all of the value packs highlighting the beauty magazines and the specific awards bestowed upon the corresponding CoverGirl products. To help drive traffic out of store, a national FSI featured a high-value coupon. The campaign brought in more than $1.9 million in sales over an 8-week period. CoverGirl experienced a 60% increase in product sales during the promotion, and the total program drove an 87% overall increase in incremental sales for the brand in Target.

#21. Best Campaign on a Budget (under $250,000)

Play Ball with Kmart
Agency: 361 Experiential
Client: Kmart

Discount retailer Kmart was looking for ways to catch some attention in an environment where competitor Wal-Mart kept shouting “low prices!” and Target was pitching its hip and trendy image. The “Play Ball with Kmart” campaign focused on eight Indianapolis-area locations and tied the Indianapolis Indians baseball games directly back to Kmart. Starting in August, shoppers received a “K” card at checkout to display at an Indians game during a strikeout (The “K” is also the symbol for a strikeout). They also received a coupon for $5 off a purchase of $50 or more. In-store displays and store employees wearing Indians hats and buttons informed shoppers of two additional in-store offers: two-for-one ticket vouchers for the Aug. 29 “Kmart Night” Indians game, and free Kmart/Indians branded merchandise with the redemption of an Indians ticket stub and Kmart receipt. At each of 14 home games, Kmart brand ambassadors distributed “K” cards and coupons to attendees. In addition to standard stadium signage and jumbotron branding, a customized 20-second “K” animation whipped the crowd into a frenzy with every Indians pitcher strikeout. Stadium activity was supported by frequent PA announcements and two appearances by Kmart’s mascot, Mr. Bluelight. Kmart also partnered with two top local radio station DJs to provide live endorsement spots for the promotion, a live radio remote broadcast from a Kmart store, and exclusive on-air features/giveaways. Coupons distributed at the ballpark redeemed at 3.7%.

Inspire Change
Agency: Alcone Marketing
Client: Seeds of Change

To understand why this promotion works, you must first understand Seeds of Change. The company began selling organic seeds in 1989, and expanded to offer certified organic pasta sauces, frozen entrees, salad dressings and other food products made from organic ingredients. It wanted to boost awareness and sales in Boston, support local retailers, and get some samples into the hands of people who were likely to buy the products. It focused in on what it called the “Green Line” train that carried highly educated professionals with high household incomes to and from work. The Green Line is a play on the “Green” lifestyle and the brand’s mission. The theme of the campaign “Inspire Change” was wrapped on 10 bike pedicabs that circled through stations. Twenty-one sampling events were held at various stations across seven days. About 28,500 full-size samples were given to commuters at meal times. Another 41,000 recipe cards were handed out. Event signage, radio spots, e-mail blasts and a Web site also support the promo. The buzz caught on: Total brand sales at a major retailer increased by 69% in September – November as compared to same period in 2006, with no changes in distribution.

Stick It To Charter
Agency: BFG Communications, Inc.
Client: DIRECTV

This guerrilla campaign went after consumers in the St. Louis market likely to switch cable providers—that would be to DirecTV. The campaign decided to have some fun with DirecTV’s competitor Charter, which was losing favor with some subscribers and receiving unfavorable coverage in local newspapers. While education about the brand and benefits of subscribing was a key goal in bringing in new subscribers, this agency had another plan too. A giant 21-ft. Voodoo Doll was erected for four days at the local Oktoberfest and Rams Stadium, where people could write down their grievances with Charter and stick them to the doll. Street teams hit local streets handing out 9,000 branded fliers, 1,000 posters, 7,500 packs of gum (called “Stick it to Charter”) and 2,300 mini Voodoo Dolls. No word on what Charter thought of the promo.

TBS My Boys Crowley’s Takeover
Agency: Zoom Media & Marketing
Client: Turner-TBS

This promotion literally took over local bars in New York, Chicago, Atlanta and Los Angles to promote season two of “My Boys” on TBS while re-creating a favorite watering hole featured in the comedy. The weeklong takeovers included branded barware items (napkins, glasses, table tents), signage, activities and a special happy hour. Brand reps were on-site each evening from 5 to 11 p.m. to chat with bar patrons, hand out drink tokens, play games, and inform visitors about the new season of “My Boys.” T-shirts and custom-branded makeup bags were also given out. The events were promoted near the bars by 1,000 fliers distributed to passersby and 50 posters hung around the area. Promos on local radio also got people interested. Close to 6,000 people attended the events. TV.com Critic & Viewer Ratings for the premiere and first four episodes was 8.857 out of 10.0.

#22. Best Idea or Concept

Disney Dream Job
Agency: Disney Parks
Client: In-House
See Category #6

House of AXE
Agency: GMR Marketing
Client: Unilever AXE

In this promotion, the Axe brand truly lived up to the image its creators have long been plying. The core brand idea was that the Axe Vice line of body sprays, deodorants and shower gels turns “nice girls naughty.” The agency picked the perfect location to run an event, Sin City at the 2007 Vegoose Music and Arts Festival. On Halloween weekend, the 1,500-square-foot haunted “House of Axe” was supposed to scare girls into staying nice, but didn’t turn out that way. People entered in groups of six wearing 3D glasses to view, among other things, illustrations of nice versus naughty girls. And if that wasn’t enough to get someone needing a bit of deodorant, a walk through the Vice Lab had a male test subject being overtaken by naughty nurses who had been exposed to the seductive powers of Axe Vice. Outside the house, the Axe Naughty Shop offered Naughty goodies such as Axe-branded devil horns and tails, handcuffs, candy necklaces, lip tattoos and green M&M’s. “Naughty Axe Angles” roamed the grounds handing out devil horns and tails and posing for photos. Also on hand was Justin Kan, host of Justin.TV, who conducted live video feeds inside the House of Axe and around the festival, kept a daily blog of his Axe Vice experience, and sent 10 Twitter messages to his core network describing his experience. On-pack sweeps offered the ultimate Naughty VIP experience in Vegas during Vegoose weekend. About 1,900 people went through the house spending an average of 20 minutes.

The Meow Mix Acatemy
Agency: Grand Central Marketing, Inc.
Client: Del Monte Foods
See Category#2

GRAMMY Concert in the Sky Sweepstakes
Agency: The Recording Academy
Client: In-House
See Category #8

#23. Best Creative

United Suite Dreams
Agency: Arc Worldwide; BDM; Starcom
Client: United
See Category #17

Pedigree Dog Adoption
Agency: Catapult Action-Biased Marketing
Client: Pedigree Brand Food for Dogs
See Category #1

The Other Lunch Break
Agency: Momentum Worldwide, London
Client: MINI
See Category #1

7-Eleven/Simpsons Movie Kwik-E-Mart Experience
Agency: Freshworks
Client: 7-Eleven, Inc.
See Category #3