Promo's PRO Award Finalists 2008

#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.