Valentine’s Day
Issue 14 | March 2010
Agency
Shackleton, Madrid
Creative Team
General Creative Director: Juan Nonzioli, Executive Creative Director: Alfonso Marian, Creative Director: Alvaro Gonzalez, Copywriter: Iñigo Reyna, Art Directors: Nieves Barrajón, Ana Molina
Production Team
Production Manager: Itxaro Vicuña, Production Assistants: Ana Pérez, Susana Herráez
Other Credits
General Manager: Marta Gutiérrez, Account Supervisor: Zaida Vázquez
Date
February 2009
Background
The TV channel Calle 13 specialises in action, mystery and thrillers. During its 10 years of broadcasting in Spain it has carved out a distinctive brand identity through a series of daring and memorable advertising campaigns.
With this in mind, the agency was asked to come up with an equally provocative idea to excite media planners and journalists about Calle 13’s scheduling for St. Valentine’s Day.
Idea
St. Valentine´s Day is the most romantic day of the year. Men and women give and receive presents from their partners so the agency thought Calle 13 should give presents too. But, of course, the channel is more about action and drama than soppy love stuff so two completely different mailings were created.
One for male planners, buyers and journalists and one for females.
Both were heart-shaped boxes and both had this message on the outer: ‘On February 14th spend a night of thrills and action with your spouse/partner’.
Inside the recipients found something that would spark off a night of suspense and drama, alright. Women found a man’s cufflink in their package and a letter suggesting they leave it on the table on their husband’s side of the bed. Men were invited to leave the earring they were sent beside their wife’s bed.
Details of the programming on Valentine’s Day were also enclosed.
Results
In terms of the brand communication, it was gratifying when Anuncios, the Spanish advertising and marketing magazine, described the campaign thus. “As expected, calle 13 celebrated Valentine’s Day in its own particular way. Black humour at its best.”
In terms of the business, Calle 13 got a 154% increase in advertising revenues for St. Valentine’s Day.
Our Thoughts
Sorry if I sound like a stuck record sometimes but the most direct response you can ever get is a laugh when you open the pack. And this would certainly have created much amusement in media agencies. But it’s not just a Valentine’s Day gag, it’s a relevant reminder of all the channel’s values – which revolve around action, suspense and things that go bang. Another wonderful example of vertical line thinking, that is to say direct marketing that both describes and reinforces the brand. If I was a client with a headache, Shackleton would be one of the first agencies I would want to visit for pain relief.