Rescued from the Shredder

Posted on by Chief Marketer Staff

A few morsels from the 1998 scrap heap of column ideas seemed just too delicious not to share before we jump-start the shredder and begin anew.

Zorro-ed Interest: Where better than Mexico for Zorro sightings? The masked protege of Don Diego de la Vega swashbuckled through Guadalajara, Mexico City, and Monterrey, leaving his mark on other people’s billboards and appearing, unsanctioned, on radio and television programs. It was all part of a promotion in which consumers could win prizes for Zorro sightings. Remarkably, Columbia Tristar got the blessing of brands like Ford and Bacardi to deface their outdoor advertising! Such perseverance produced a high-visibility borrowed interest promotion with major budgetary leverage. Wow.

Oops: We chortled when two promotions appeared in one magazine with nearly the same headline: “You could be this close to winning a trip to Super Bowl XXXIII” for Sprint; and “You may be this close to winning a trip to the Super Bowl” for Pringles.

Oops II: Then our own beloved promo carried an ad suggesting that promotions created by the Passage company “kick ass,” followed a few pages later by one extolling Phonecard Express promotions that really “kick butt.” We’re unsure where rump-punting fits into promotion strategy, but if it’s what your brand needs, we urge you to support our advertisers.

Hasta la Visa: We gloated when the Visa folks, who had ardently protested our suggestion (March ’98) that their Read Me A Story holiday promotion was “too politically correct, too safe,” subsequently opted to replace the event with a new Magic Moments promotion – a hard-hitting event based on free money and free stuff.

You Read it Here: We touted the Dove Soap Share the Secret promotion as a real winner – only scant days before an international panel of judges selected it for a World Pro Award.

Flushed with Success: Dove unfortunately followed its award-winner with one of lesser merit, in which it suggested women should wash their faces with “Free Bottled Water.” Puh-lease. It was singled out at the Promo U. ’98 seminar by none less than creative diva Fran Heller of the Flair Agency, who dubbed it a fitting example of de-motion, as opposed to pro-motion. To get the “free” water, consumers were required to buy four bars of soap; complete a certificate; mail it; include an original cash register receipt; circle the purchase price; and include the UPC number from the package – all to get a certificate for $2.50 off the purchase of two bottles of water. While the stiff requirements undoubtedly achieved a desired effect of reducing redemptions, the question posed by the ever-direct Ms. Heller was: “So why bother?”

To Clear the Air: There is no basis to the rumor that Fran punctuated her above remarks with a water-closet sound bite in living stereo. The bloody truth was that her moderator had left his wireless mike on while sneaking out for a nature break. You had to be there. In fact you still can be, at next year’s Promo Expo.

And finally, our submissions for the Best of the Worst:

Gag Me Award: The AT&T nom de plume phone company, Lucky Dog, ran a Get Fixed for Life sweepstakes, abetted by the futher suggestion that we’d soon be “begging to use the phone.”

Dis-Joint Promotion: Sunbeam contracted with the American Medical Association, which agreed to endorse Sunbeam healthcare products. Great idea, until the AMA reneged. Sunbeam sued. Docs hollered. Heads rolled. Cool.

Almost-Greatest Concept: 9 Lives cat food redesigned its entire package in black & white as a kids coloring contest. It was a simply wonderful idea. So why complicate it by overlaying a 50-word essay contest? And first prize a trip to Chicago? Huh?

Fiercest Competition: The phone business. In one showdown, ads in the same magazine for AT&T, WorldLink, and VoiceNet each included a chart demonstrating conclusively that theirs was by far the lowest rate compared to the others. Something just doesn’t ring true.

Pause for Ponder: How does Burger King win a World Pro Award for it’s Free Fries promotion while Dunkin’ Donuts gets nada recognition for its similar Free Donut event? [Ed. note: Entering would have helped.]

Truly, truth is better than fiction. And bloody truth is even better than that. But if you thought 1998 was fun, just wait’ll next year!

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