Belgium at the John Caples Awards: From Zero to Hero
bpost and ACC (Association of Communication Companies Belgium)
Issue 25 | January 2013
Agency
Proximity BBDO Belgium & TBWA/Belgium & Dallas Belgium & Ogilvy Belgium
Creative Team
Strategic Planner, TBWA Brussels: Christoph Vandewiele Art Director, Proximity BBDO Brussels: Klaartje Galle Brand Director, Dallas Antwerp: Steven Van Dingenen Client Service Director, Ogilvy Brussels: An Vandevelde
Other Credits
Advertising Agencies Manager: An Schuurmans Account Manager Agencies, bpost Brussels: Ellen Distave
Date
March till October 2012
Background
In 2011, bpost (the Belgian Postal Service) and ACC (Belgian association of communication companies) realized DM was no longer top-of-mind in the Belgian advertising industry. Proof of this problem: there were 0 (zero) Belgian entries at the 34th International John Caples Awards. In order to bring DM back top-of-mind, they wanted to motivate the Belgian advertising agencies to participate at the 35th International John Caples Awards in New York.
Idea
They sent three ACC (association of communication companies) members to the 2011 Caples awards. Their mission: report back towards the Belgian advertising industry saying that Belgian agencies only excelled in absence. They send handwritten postcards from NYC, wrote articles in the trade press and send a “fake awardbox”. This DM consisted of the box used to send out “the real Caples awards”. It even weighed as much as the real awards. Once opened, there was no award to be found. Instead, there was an invitation to participate in a best of 2012 seminar and to submit their “best cases” for the 2012 Caples awards at the expense of the ACC and Bpost (The Belgian Postal Service). A reminder e-mailing campaign was the icing on the cake.
Results
For the John Caples 2012: There are 25 Belgian entries and counting, comparing to zero in 2011. Are there Gold, Silver or Bronze winners? We will know it the 6th of December 2012!