MIDDLE EAST
18 THE NINE
23 November 2008
DIRECT MAILERS
One man’s junk mail is another man’s treasured marketing opportu-
nity, and with ever-decreasing attention spans threatening to obliter-
ate brand messages faster than you can say ‘skim read’, agencies are
being forced to dig deep into the creative goodie bag to come up with
ways of guaranteeing a response. From live fish to broken pottery,
here are nine direct mailers that at least made it past the circular file.
1
Lonely no more,
Wunderman Dubai
A preposterously unforgettable
mailer that saw bemused IT manag-
ers presented with a live goldfish.
Why? Because once they’d signed
up for Microsoft’s new Forefront and
System Centre, their IT workload
would be dramatically reduced and
they’d be lonely and bored down in
their IT dungeon and would need
something to occupy themselves
with. An inspired mailer, though with
some of the IT marmosetery that
Media Week has witnessed in the
past, we’re more likely to trust the
fish with our computers.
2
Baby on boaroard,d, JWT Dubai JWT Dubai
‘Baby on Boarrd’ stickers mean motor-
ists everywhereree driv drivee e exxtrtra careefullfully ay as s
they realise the car in frin front contains not ains not jusjust
an ordinary human being, but a being, but a babybaby, which , which
is so much more importportant than a regularegular
person. “By adding the wthe word ‘‘somesome--
where’ to the usual mesmessasage of ge of
‘baby on board’, we implied that implied that
the interior of the Merercedeedes s
Benz GL Class was so so
spacious, one could
lose one’s child
inside,” trilled JWT
honchos. See what
they did there? 32 of the f the
target audience (Merrcedesedes
M Class owners) did.d.
3
We know who you are, Bates Pan Gulf
Dubai
To get new customers to sign up for Dubai First
4
iCity balloon, Paragon Marketing Commu-
Credit Card, the pranksters at Bates sent a couriered nications, Kuwait
letter to the target audience, who were asked to sign A stylish CD-sized envelope opens to reveal a balloon
for the delivery. Upon opening, the package revealed emblazoned with “You’re invited!”. And it’s so much more than
aa letter pointing out that a criminal could theoretically just a balloon, enthuse Paragon creatives, who enlighten us
steal their identity with just their address and signature further with the revelation that this inflatable is “a multi-
ssample. Around 4.5 per cent of the target audience were purpose object that ignites curiosity and blowing it up is an act
sso terrified by this heinous thought that they promptly of participation in celebrating the opening of the latest iCity
ssigned up for the fraud-deflecting credit card. showroom”. A balloon might inspire overjoyed gurning in some
people—preschoolers, say, or journalists—but it’s still not
quite an invitation to the opening night of Atlantis, is it?
www.mediaweekme.com
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