The buzzing postcard

Background

The agency was tasked by SC Johnson to create a non-traditional media effort at popular restaurants in holiday destinations during the summer season. The goal was to make consumers aware that there are a lot of mosquitoes in those destinations and drive people to buy OFF! Repellent.

Idea

A postcard was developed with an electronic sound chip, which reproduces the buzzing of a mosquito. Once activated, there was no way to shut it off. To re-create the maddening experience of having a real mosquito buzzing around, the agency worked with the valet-parking personnel of the restaurants to place the postcards under the drivers’ seats before they returned the vehicles to their owners.

While driving, people started looking for the origin of this exasperating buzzing. Eventually they found the piece under the seat, reminding them of the mosquito problem and urging them to buy OFF!

Results

Sales increased by 180% versus the same period in 2007.

The brand won additional and preferential exhibition space with the biggest retailers.

The product sold out in supermarkets during the activation.

The piece generated intense word of mouth and became a viral toy, passing from hand to hand.

Our Thoughts

I love this. Relevant, memorable and, if the numbers are to be believed, an incredibly inexpensive way to more than double sales.

Of course, the trouble with ideas like this is they work brilliantly - once. The second time around, they just irritate.

So to maintain presence means you have to do something new on a regular basis. And that takes hard work and requires decisions, so we salute all clients like SC Johnson Mexico who don’t resort to TV simply because it makes for an easy life