X Marks the Top

A trio of campaigns touting the launch of Microsoft Corp.’s Xbox racked up five awards for two agencies in the Promotion Marketing Association’s 2002 Reggie Awards.

New York City-based PMA announced its list of finalists in early February (judging took place in January), then unveiled their placement as Gold, Silver, or Bronze winners at the association’s annual Update conference in Dallas last month.

The following is a description of the finalists. The standings by category will be published in May.

BMW Films In-house at BMW of North America, Woodcliff Lake, NJ

To keep the brand hip and its customer base youthful, BMW eschewed the typical tie-in by directly commissioning five Hollywood directors for a series of Internet shorts focused on a driver-for-hire concept and starring various BMWs — along with Madonna and other big-name stars. An online/offline p.r. campaign (which generated $20 million in free media), a radio DJ program, and broadcast and print advertising (from Minneapolis-based Fallon) supported. More than 38 percent of the 2.1 million unique visitors to bmwfilms.com were bona fide prospects, including 525,000 who fell within the target age of 25 to 44.

Taco Bell Xbox Promotion Wunderman, Irvine, CA, for Taco Bell

Rightfully expecting Microsoft’s Xbox to be one of the hottest products of the 2001 holiday season (especially for males 18 to 24), Taco Bell put Wunderman in charge of a sweepstakes that offered one game system through each of the chain’s 6,755 outlets. Entries were distributed in store and supported by TV, radio, print, P-O-P, and online advertising (much of which was handled by ad agency FCB) that took full advantage of Xbox graphics and design style. A corresponding p.r. campaign exploited Microsoft’s knack for gaining media attention. Per-store sales increased 6.7 percent and more than 575,000 consumer e-mail addresses were collected via sweeps entries.

The Big Pick Surge @ DraftWorldwide, Chicago, for Kellogg Co.

Leveraging the popularity of partner Cartoon Network’s annual back-to-school campaign, The Big Pick (which lets kids select future programming), Surge developed a promotion that would let consumers choose which network series got its own cereal SKU. In-pack premium giveaways and mail-in offers on 12 breakfast brands supported, as did a variety of TV, print, online, and in-store components. The effort generated a 500-percent increase in feature/display dollar sales compared with the previous year. Cartoon Network’s ratings rose five percent as 1.4 million kids entered votes.

Be a DiGiorno Delivery Guy 141 Communicator and FCB, Chicago, for Kraft

In a campaign that reinforced the brand’s “It’s not delivery. It’s DiGiorno” tagline last summer, Kraft Foods and Communicator hatched the Be a DiGiorno Delivery Guy instant-win game, which had consumers calling a toll-free number with codes found in-pack to see if they’d won a $100,000 “salary,” a Chrysler PT Cruiser, and $1,500 for a cell phone and service. A dedicated national TV spot, a “Want Ad” print insert in People, an FSI, and P-O-P materials supported. Incremental volume jumped 90 percent and base volume 10 percent as the brand scored the highest share week in its history.

Shrek it Out Norm Marshall & Associates, Los Angeles, for Baskin-Robbins

A tie-in to DreamWorks SKG’s smash hit began with the chain’s annual Free Scoop Night, which last year featured special Hot Sludge Sundae and Swamp Fizz product offerings. A two-month campaign highlighting special products ensued, supported by TV spots (created by VitroRobertson) with help from the studio’s animation team. An array of P-O-P materials (from Bartel Design Group), radio promotions in 20 markets, and in-theater activities in 12 cities supported. Participation in the May 2 Free Scoop Night rose 17 percent to 3.5 million. Store sales rose 9.4 percent in May and 8.3 percent in June.

Nintendo Cube Club Big Fat Promotions, New York City, for Nintendo of America

To introduce its new GameCube to trendy teens, Nintendo enlisted Big Fat to stage pre-launch sampling parties by renting out venues in 12 markets. Before the events, Hype Teams visited malls, skate parks, and other teen destinations to sample and deliver the invitations — which were also distributed through a special Web site. Media partners ranging from gaming titles to men’s magazines hosted various events, which were also supported by local radio tie-ins. Parties featured music from well-known DJs and hardware from partner Panasonic. The 10-week fall effort generated 116 million media impressions and helped drive awareness levels beyond 90 percent. The events drew 91,000 attendees.

Live Like a King Clarion Marketing, Greenwich, CT, for The History Channel

To increase viewership for Egypt: Beyond the Pyramids, Clarion Marketing and Communications put a new spin on the old watch-and-win tactic by distributing 22 million decoder gamepieces players held up to TV screens to reveal instant-win messages during the mini-series. To deliver the gamepieces, History Channel employed a resourceful plan that included 70 cable affiliates, the network’s Time Machine mobile tour and its merchandise catalog, print ads, and such partners as the Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas (which passed them out to guests) and America West Airlines (which gave them away in headset bags). Ratings for the series were 40 percent higher than projected.

Moulin Rouge In-house at Twentieth Century Fox, Los Angeles

The Oscar-nominated film was once considered a very risky property, which makes the partnerships Fox forged all the more impressive: Bloomingdale’s created branded boutiques in its New York and Los Angeles stores, and got 30 designers to provide exclusive merchandise; Christian Dior developed a special lipstick color and make-up counter promotions that extended efforts to all 23 Bloomie’s stores; Stefano Canturi Jewels and Christie’s took a key piece of jewelry from the film on tour, then auctioned it off; Pernod created a special absinthe and hosted screenings for bartenders in key markets and parties in four cities.

The Great Gatsby GEM Group, New York City, for A&E

To create inexpensive exposure for A&E’s original film, GEM Group (then Vertical Mix Marketing) constructed a partner-reliant program that featured P-O-P displays in Pathmark from Clairol, prize barters and retail tent cards from Waterford Crystal, and prize barters with Visit Florida and Godiva Chocolatier. More than 200 cable affiliates hosted sweepstakes and premiere parties; radio stations in 16 markets held trivia contests; teachers videotaped students acting out scenes for a contest overlay; and libraries developed themed sections. The result was more than $10 million in free media and ratings which exceeded expectations.

The Coming Attraction Source Marketing, Westport, CT, for Clairol

Looking to target new Herbal Essences Color to Gen Y and Gen X in a highly competitive environment last spring, Source created a multi-pronged effort featuring a national sweeps tied into MGM’s Legally Blonde, alternative distribution through fashion chain XOXO, an online free-sample and coupon offer, in-theater P-O-P displays, and a guerrilla team of models that hit high-traffic locations in 11 markets. The effort helped produce the most successful launch in Clariol history, as the product earned 43 percent of the category’s new-dollar sales. Retailers ordered 23,000 displays. More than 425,000 people entered the sweeps.

Xbox Odyssey GMR Marketing, New Berlin, WI, for Microsoft Corp.

GMR turned a pair of semi-trailers into a 106 foot-long, two-level mobile game park containing 200 video stations with enough room left over for a VIP lounge — all housed under a 3,500-square-foot inflatable dome. Heavy p.r., partner promos, radio tie-ins, celebrity outreach efforts, and guerrilla raids (away from the trucks) generate buzz. In the first six markets it visited, the tour played host to about 35,000 gamers, scored $2.8 million in radio promotional value, and delivered 15,000 people to xbox.com to enter a corresponding sweeps.

Xbox Unleashed GMR for Microsoft

Before Odyssey came Xbox Unleashed, a 48-hour gaming marathon held two weeks before launch in Los Angeles and Manhattan. The events featured competitions, live performances by national acts, prize giveaways, and free refreshments from partners Taco Bell and SoBe. The competition prize pool included a Ford Explorer Sport Trac tricked out with a built-in Xbox. Tie-ins with KROQ in L.A. and KROCK in New York City provided two weeks of advance promos, remote broadcasts, and shock jock Howard Stern sampling the system on-air. The events drew a combined 20,000 attendees.

Fundraiser In A Box Civic Entertainment Group, New York City, for A&E

Lacking any media support for a two-part Biography special on Impressionist artists, A&E and Civic Entertainment enticed 64 art museums to host fundraising events around screenings of the program. Participants received kits containing everything they’d need to host events (as well as publicize them), including a voucher for a cheese-and-crackers platter and two cases of wine provided by partner E. & J. Gallo. An estimated 250,000 museum patrons were exposed to P-O-P, and 38,000 attended the events. The show’s ratings were 32 percent higher than Biography’s average.

Master Lock/WCW Back-to-School Cramer-Krasselt, Milwaukee, for Master Lock Co.

Shooting at the teens for which most padlocks are purchased, Cramer-Krasselt tied Master Lock to World Championship Wrestling for a year-long campaign spawned through sponsorship of a pay-per-view match in July 2000. The program included packaging customized as collectable cards, an on-pack premium offer, and the introduction of an “X-treme” product line. The trade was enticed with WCW wearables and tickets to events along with a variety of packaging options; key accounts were offered in-store appearances by wrestlers. Sales increased 22 percent as Master Lock scored 35,000 shelf displays.

America’s CPAs Start Here. Go Places. Wunderman, New York City, for the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants

Looking to reverse a 10-year decline in accounting majors, Wunderman developed two initiatives. A high-school curriculum program dubbed “Be a Music Mogul” gave students a $1 million budget to manage a stable of music acts. The program was marketed to teachers in a partnership with Scholastic, Inc. and conducted online in a pact with MP3.com. Meanwhile, “Win a $10,000 Dream Internship” (run in conjunction with on-campus TV network Burly Bear) gave undeclared college students a chance to win a summer job. More than 1,000 high-schoolers acted like moguls and 755 entered to live the dream as AICPA gained unprecedented exposure levels.

Monsters, Inc. In-house at Walt Disney Studios/Buena Vista Marketing, Burbank, CA

To face off against the intimidating Harry Potter/Coke alliance last November, Disney linked up with a bevy of blue-chip partners: McDonald’s ran a Happy Meal giveaway; sisters Pepsi-Cola and Frito-Lay worked jointly through an on-pack offer for discounts on Hasbro toys; Kellogg hosted a sweeps and numerous premium offers; Toys “R” Us gave away premiums at theaters; Kraft Foods and Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream offered special products and packaging; Ralphs dangled free tickets; and Monster.com delivered a grand-prize winner to the premiere. A total of $175 million in support helped the film earn $250 million-plus.

Kraft eSolutions Integrator EMarketing, Scottsdale, AZ, for Kraft

Kraft wanted a user-friendly way to give retailers a “syndicated” version of its Interactive Kitchen content. After developing a turn-key database of content, eMarketing began working with online and promotion reps from key accounts to customize and execute programs bringing relevant “meal solutions” recipes and promotional offers timed to seasonal and/or merchandising events. The service attracted eight leading grocers including Ahold, Albertson’s, Giant Eagle, Shop Rite, and Safeway in its first six months, gaining Kraft incremental merchandising in exchange for the content.

Personality Momentum, St. Louis, for Boise Cascade Office Products

In keeping with Boise’s award-winning “infotainment” style, Momentum mailed out 300,000 sales catalogs containing a “color personality-typing tool” recipients could use to identify their personality and “color coordinate” with those of co-workers. Recipients were also directed to the Internet to take a personality test. Supporting sales materials including a six-foot replica of the personality wheel for use at open houses, tabletop shows, and other customer presentations. The campaign generated $39.3 million in sales of promoted products, a 15.8 percent increase from the previous year; traffic to Boise’s Web site jumped 30 percent.

Work Around the World Momentum for Boise

Using an international theme, Momentum tapped five global “guides” to share stories about corporate culture in their countries to spice up Boise’s direct-mail catalog. A catalog insert provided five international postcards and a pocket reference book on overseas travel. An Internet overlay included additional information provided by partner ExecutivePlanet.com and links to hundreds of airlines, hotels, rental car companies, and travel services. Sales reps received fake passports, luggage tags, and flags to pass out to customers. Sales of promoted products hit $41.1 million, 7.6 percent better than the prior year.

History’s Lost & Found Auction Block In-house at The History Channel, New York City

In a move to converge on-air and online content (while increasing ratings), the network brought its nightly History’s Lost & Found series to life in a partnership with online auction house eBay. Each Monday, an historical item was introduced and viewers were directed to historychannel.com or ebay.com to enter bids. (Items included letters from Harry Truman, a pair of Frank Sinatra’s slippers, and the oldest pair of Levi’s jeans.) Each subsequent show reintroduced and kept tabs on the bidding. Ratings for the program increased 26 percent as advertising activity generated more than 572 million impressions.

Citizen Cool Centra Marketing & Communications, Westbury, NY, for Ben & Jerry’s

To promote the new Concession Obsession flavor along with Ben & Jerry’s social conscience last summer, Centra staged a national “casting call” for Citizen Cool, a documentary that would celebrate three unsung local heroes. The call for nominations was made nationally through P-O-P displays (complete with a compliance incentive), an FSI, p.r., and online activity; and in major markets through sampling events, radio tie-ins, account-specific direct mail, and other efforts. The film was made available to schools and nonprofit organizations (at a self-liquidating cost). The campaign sparked a 20-percent increase in incremental sales.

RIF StoryTraveler CMI, East Rutherford, NJ, for Coca-Cola Co.

As part of its Harry Potter-inspired education initiative, Coke partnered with Warner Bros., Scholastic, Inc., and Reading Is Fundamental for a three-month RIF StoryTraveler Tour. CMI conducted 739 reading events in 41 states, visiting schools, community centers, retail outlets, migrant worker camps, Native American reservations, libraries, and hospitals to encourage reading among kids. Shows, which were hosted on customized Coke route trucks, featured storytelling, puppet shows, magicians, and other activities. Participants received free books and bookmarks. The tour reached 222,000 children and nearly twice as many adults, and will be revived this year.

Truth Outbreak Tour Arnold Brand Promotions, Boston, for ALF

The American Legacy Foundation’s Outbreak tour brought the anti-smoking message to 6.5 million attendees of 754 events in 158 cities last summer. Truth ambassadors had personal conversations with 969,000 teens and distributed more than 1.5 million pieces of branded merchandise over 13 weeks. Crews visited two lifestyle venues per day to spread the word in an entertaining environment featuring music, dancing, trivia contests, videogaming, skateboarding — and polygraph tests. P.R., celebrity outreach efforts, and media tie-ins helped the campaign generate more than 455 million total impressions. It also made good on its goal of reaching minorities.