The objective

The Blitz September 2004 DM campaign for the launch of MSN Premium to Sympatico users made protecting your computer fun. The objective was to generate awareness, ultimately shore up subscriptions as part of a larger multimedia campaign and to drive sales.

The strategy

Remember that plastic-like material in 3D glasses back when you were a kid? When overlapped onto part of the Blitz mail-out, it ‘decoded’ some previously illegible copy, which then read: ‘VIRUS! With MSN Premium Internet Software, detecting most viruses is easy.’ CD Roehl Sanchez says the quirky design was a new way to approach a familiar topic. ‘We needed something creative for you to pay attention to the [campaign].’ The inside flaps used clear, straightforward copy to explain the different features the new service offers. About 450,000 were mailed out across the country.

The results

With the industry average hovering around 2.5%, says Lee, the client was quite impressed with the response rates: a decent 3.8% in English Canada and about 11.5 % in French-speaking Canada.

Client: Bell Sympatico

Agency: Blitz Direct Data & Promotion, Toronto

VP CD: Roehl Sanchez

AD: Noelle Naguiat

Copywriter: Graham Mutch

Account services: Wai Ching Lee, Jason Korte