Trojan Horse
Issue 15 | June 2010
Agency
Arc Worldwide, Malaysia
Creative Team
Executive Creative Director:Tan Kien Eng; Creative Director: Valerie Chen, Theresa Tsang; Art Director: Phianphon Sitichaidecha, Koh Siok Yee, Theresa Tsang; Copywriter: Benjamin Chen, Gauri Dalvi, Valerie Chen, Nik Faraliza; Illustrator: Khairul Anuar
Production Team
Production Manager: Ong Chee Hin, Liew Kam Yong; Studio Manager: Fok Soop Chin
Other Credits
CRM Director: Jason John; Brand Executive: Kristin Chong
Date
31st October 2009
Background
The Direct Marketing Association of Malaysia wanted a call for entries for its annual awards show which would not just encourage greater participation from direct marketing, digital and advertising agencies but also elevate the status of direct marketing as an effective marketing tool alongside traditional advertising.
Idea
The team wanted to show how a single idea, well crafted and executed, can break through seemingly impenetrable walls to reach its target and achieve success.
The story of the Trojan horse was the perfect example of this and the agency’s creative leap was to dramatise the metaphor with a mailing of a scale model of the equine original.
To demonstrate the power of direct marketing, the address label, poster, booklet and letter were all personalized and the imagery also included references to both the recipient and his or her agency.
The not inconsiderable expense of the mailing was underwritten by sponsorship from Takeo, Fuji Xerox and Pos Malaysia respectively, users and evangelisrts of DM themselves, keen to push the envelope for breakthrough direct marketing.
Results
The attention-grabbing mailer and radical personalization resulted in a doubling of the number of participating agencies from the previous year (from 8 to 16 agencies). With over 200 entries, there was a 9% increase from 2008, a great achievement considering the cuts made by clients to their marketing budgets and the cuts made by agencies to their awards budgets.
Our Thoughts
This mailing arrived in an enormous box turning the morning post into a major dramatic event. The girls looked at it and wondered. And when we pulled the horse out, there was laughter and intrigue. There have been few campaigns of late of which I could say the same, that they brought a sense of theatre to direct marketing.
In some ways this idea is insanely extravagant but full credit to the creative team for not just thinking big but being able to persuade their client to foot the bill for it all. It’s an idea that certainly sells the sizzle as well as the sausage, if you see what I mean.