Ticket For Speeding

Background

Reebok wanted to generate traffic to their stores in the capital to boost sales of the new Reebok Z-Quick.

But what was Reebok Z-Quick?

It was a specialised shoe designed for serious running and training, created with the same technology used to develop the tyres of racing cars. The shoe had been tested at speeds of 70mph and over. That was a lot faster than driving in Mexico City, where speeds averaged a paltry 7mph.

Idea

In a city with such low average speeds, it was almost impossible to break the speed limit. And that fact inspired the idea of a false speeding ticket.

All those runners on the mailing list who received the ticket would have been shocked before being delighted to discover the message, 'With Reebok Z-Quick, you will break all speed limits.'

The 'fine' was, in fact, a 15% discount on a pair of new Reebok Z-Quicks when bought in-store.

Results

Not yet known

Our Thoughts

I'm sure what made this successful was the shared joke. Most advertisers talk at people. They simply shout about their product's attributes, add on an offer and think that sales will fall from the sky.

It's when you talk with people that good things happen. Everyone knows that traffic in Mexico City is close to being the worst in the world. It really is faster to run than it is to drive. The irony of this piece would not have been lost on its recipients. The real incentive to go in-store wouldn't have been the 15% discount so much as the opportunity to talk to someone about the gridlock.