Street View Unpaid Bills
JC Decaux
Issue 32 | September 2014
Agency
BBDO Belgium
Creative Team
Creative Directors Arnaud Pitz Sebastien De Valck Art Director Toon Vanpoucke BBDO Belgium Copywriter Sebastien De Valck
Other Credits
Account Supervisor Isabel Peeters JC Decaux Client Veerle Colin
Date
April 2014
Background
JC Decaux is a multinational poster contractor best known for its bus-stop advertising systems and its billboards.
The company had been using technology to update its out-of-home offer to major advertisers and wanted to get existing customers to agree to meet and learn about their new digital features.
Idea
JC Decaux billboards were not only visible on the streets of Belgium but also on
the streets of Google Street View. Which meant that many brands had been given years of free media space.
53 major advertisers were mailed a screenshot of their billboard in Street View with a huge bill for the exposure.
Of course, this was not an attempt to collect money but having startled the clients, an invitation to meet the sales team to learn more about JC Decaux's digital capabilities.
Results
There was an immediate response from 60% of the list (32 advertisers). After the sales team had followed up the mailing with a phone call, 95% of the target group agreed to meet.
Our Thoughts
The DMA has said somewhere that 50% of the success of any DM campaign is down to good targeting, 13% is due to the offer, 9% to timing and just 5% to creativity.
Targeting is pretty fundamental, I agree. But identifying the top 53 advertisers is one thing; getting them to make space in their diaries to talk to a salesman is quite another.
The fact that they got 50 CMOs to do just this is a testimonial to the relevance and cleverness of the idea. Got to be worth the other 50% at least.