Plasters Pack Unbelievable Value
Up! & Polo
Issue 30 | March 2014
Agency
Proximity London
Creative Team
Creative Director Jo Jenkins Copy Writer Sally Skinner Senior Designer Simon Coupe
Production Team
Senior Production Manager Neeta Norton
Other Credits
Account Director Emma Cox Senior Account Manager Gareth Bench-Capon
Date
September 2013
Background
Under the umbrella of its 'Unbelievable Value' campaign, Volkswagen had a couple of new finance offers to promote.
Although financial incentives of this sort are usually quite dry, Volkswagen has a history of talking to its customers with gentle wit.
Idea
The thought was, because the offers were so amazing, the public might need protecting from the physical effects of shock.
The outer demanded attention as well as setting the tone of the piece. 'Please open away from sharp edges'.
Inside were details of the shockingly good offers with a sheet of VW-branded sticking plasters 'just in case...'.
An email was sent out in tandem with the DM pack. Dramatising the idea that the reader might faint or fall over after reading the offer, the body of the email was rotated by 90-degrees.
Results
Results pending
Our Thoughts
‘Direct mail is dead...long live direct mail.’ Call me sentimental but this offering from my old agency is a good example of classic DM bringing to life a rather dry insurance offer. In a world where digital now dominates, VW still believes in CRM delivered through the tactile and personable medium of mail. Hurrah!
The whole-life customer communication strategy that VW has followed so consistently for so long still has mail playing a central role and I imagine will continue to do so. Although it is unlikely that anyone would actually use the plasters enclosed (I have to admit to a bizarre desire to do so) mailing something of practical use is also a good idea.