“Freeze”

Background

The task was to reactivate lapsed and inactive MTS TV customers and remind active ones to order through their convenient Video On Demand service from the comfort of their own homes in the harsh Manitoban winter, instead of going into town to rent movies from their local video store.

Idea

A postcard was used to engage customers with a simple, yet powerful demonstration of what it feels like to rent movies from a video store in winter. Using thermal ink, the message was revealed by the near-zero temperatures of their freezers and fridges.

A second wave of postcards was sent out, this time without the special ink. The reverse contained a sticker, sized to fit the width of an MTS TV remote with instructions on how to use MTS Video On Demand in three simple steps.

Results

Wave 1: Freezer – 40% of lapsed and inactive subscribers reactivated their Video On Demand service.

Wave 2: An additional 20% response rate was achieved by the Reminder postcard with instructional sticker.

A response rate of 68% was achieved from active subscribers overall.

Our Thoughts

Good job I wasn’t the creative director on this job as I would have killed it. “Come on,” I would have jeered. “How many recipients are going to be bothered to put the post-card in their fridges and then wait to see what happens? None.”

Maybe this is further proof that Canadians are strange (charming, talented and clever too, I hasten to add) or further proof that when it comes to cinsumer behaviour none of us really knows anything.

I applaud the fact that the creatives set out to get their target audience to become participants in the idea. That’s how to turn a post-card into an event.