This Ford (1) B2B mailing piece is in the style of a hanging file, the idea being that after the message is read you file it under 'hassle free'. I'd have thought the office green suspension file in Ford's blue would have been nicer, but the client in me suspects the final decision was a budgetary one. Fleet Managers get inundated with expensive gimmicks, so you need to be careful and either have something spectacular or steer clear of gimmicks altogether. Here's a successful compromise.
The Citroen (2) C4 Picasso pack has a rather clever use of the gatefold format, with text across all the folds. I'm not keen on poster-sized packs for retail consumers, a prejudice borne out by a colleague who saw it and said 'their proposition's clearly showing'! Both copy and art direction focus heavily on the merits of the high windscreen, one of the vehicle's unique selling points.
Surprise gave way to excitement when I saw this mailing from Vauxhall (3). It is always exciting to receive things in boxes, but I'd be interested to know how many of these actually made it through the letterbox and how many had to be collected from the postal depot. Pop-up books are always fun and a clever way to make the recipient work to engage with the brand. You just can't help but pull and twist those tabs. The mail piece show-cased the car's benefits and the copy was well-written and informative. I think the letter should have been personalised and more integrated with the pack. But overall, it's an excellent, high-quality piece.
The customers who got this Peugeot (4) mailer will have noted the unconventional theme of gambling and finance, but I think it works. While the creative team decided to play down the Peugeot branding, it still caught the eye. The sensitivities of linking gambling and finance so closely will have sparked some discussions, but it does make finance more engaging. The number of playing card puns included was outstripped only by the number of variable fields in the letter that acknowledged what Peugeot knows about its finance customers.
Nissan's (5) pack for the Qashqai is a beautifully integrated piece that sits comfortably with current TV activity. It's slick and interesting. The self-loading DVD with film, screen-saver, wallpaper and links to the Nissan site was a nice extra, and illustrates the car's features well. The matt stock and pack assembly make it a high-quality pack, but with a grungy, urban feel. Overall, a great pack that should work well for its audience.
Send samples of work in any medium, along with a print-quality scan to: Claire Foss, senior reporter, Marketing Direct, 174 Hammersmith Road, London W6 7JP
1 FORD
Objective: To make businesses aware of contract hire packages available
for vehicles such as the S-MAX, Mondeo and Transit, and gather data
through a response questionnaire
Target audience: UK small to medium-sized businesses with low-contract
hire rates and comprehensive support service
Client: Ford
Agency: Wunderman
Art directors: Anthony Cliff and Mark Dickens
Copywriters: Ken Richman and Jon Tompkin
2 CITROEN
Objective: To promote the innovative features of the new Citroen C4
Picasso model
Target audience: Existing and prospective drivers of multi-person
vehicles who are looking to buy or replace the family car
Client: Citroen Picasso
Agency: Kitcatt Nohr Alexander Shaw
Art directors: Jamie Tierney and Paul Davies
Copywriter: Simon Robinson
3 VAUXHALL
Objective: To raise awareness of the launch of Vauxhall's Corsa model
within its secondary audience and to generate quality leads
Target audience: Corsa customers and prospects such as people looking
for a second family car and young mums
Client: General Motors UK - Vauxhall
Agency: DraftFCB London
Art director: Lou Ellis
Copywriter: Phil Blackmore
4 PEUGEOT
Objective: To get Peugeot customers who have purchased their car through
the Passport finance deal to renew their agreements early
Target audience: Peugeot customers who have bought their car through the
Passport finance deal and have eight months to run on their agreement
Client: Peugeot
Agency: Clark McKay and Walpole
Art director: Mark Greenwood
Copywriter: Mark Blanchard
5 NISSAN
Objective: To introduce the Qashqai from Nissan and encourage prospects
to request a test drive
Target audience: Young urbanites who are not city types, and existing
Nissan customers who are looking to repurchase
Client: Nissan Europe
Agency: Tullo Marshall Warren
Art director Denise Bacon
Copywriters Adena Graham and Daren Kay