Direct choice: Land Rover

Gus Chalmers, Managing director, Union Direct

August 08, 2007

How long?

1 minute

Direct choice: Land Rover

While it would be easy to have a pop at Land Rover for mailing this pack at a time of consumer concern over potential terrorist attacks, I won't - although you have to question the wisdom of mailing out a plain black carton with a green flashing light sticking out of it

My gripe is actually with the environmental friendliness of the pack. I know that Land Rover doesn't exactly make eco-friendly products, but recently it has tried to make amends by carbon-offsetting the first 45,000 miles covered by its vehicles - an initiative reinforced by the use of a fresh 'offset' logo on its communications, including this one, promoting the Range Rover Sport. This would be fair enough, if it weren't for the pack itself being an environmental disaster zone.

First, there is that green flashing light and battery encased in cardboard, helping to ensure that none of these will be getting recycled anytime soon. Then there is the prize-draw incentive. Land Rover is apparently going to be flying 40 lucky couples to Iceland to test-drive its vehicle. That is almost a whole plane-load. No doubt it will be offsetting that too.

Now, don't get me wrong, I am no eco-militant. But shouldn't an organisation such as Land Rover have the nouse to speak with one, consistent voice across all its marketing communications?

This is definitely a mailing that shouldn't have got past 'go'.

Mailer: Craik Jones Watson Mitchell Voelkel.

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