Promo's PRO Award Finalists 2008

#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.