Thesis

Background

The aim was to get university students to subscribe to The Press - Christchurch’s daily newspaper. The Press is one of the country’s best quality newspapers and should be daily reading for any intelligent person.

Idea

AIM Proximity deduced that if students weren’t currently reading The Press, they must be reading tabloid rubbish instead. They set out to illustrate how not reading The Press every day could have a detrimental effect on their intelligence by creating the first page of a personalised thesis composed entirely from Hollywood gossip magazines. The accompanying letter went on to explain that the students would be much smarter reading The Press and offered them a special student deal that they would have been mad not to accept. They also created an ambient element by scattering bibliography pages citing Press articles around university libraries - such as on photocopiers and printers - as students love to know where other people get their sources.

Results

The thesis mailer was sent to 827 students from which it generated 364 12-month subscriptions and 62 three-month subscriptions - a 50% response rate. The total cost of the campaign was NZ$13,447 and the ROI was NZ$75,664, or 562%.

Target Audience

Students

Size

827 packs

Our Thoughts

How do you get students to subscribe to a quality newspaper rather than the redtops they flick through in the student common rooms? In New Zealand, you take the piss. Even when you’re a serious brand, you don’t take yourself too seriously down-under.