MARTELL SEES VIEW FROM THE TOP

Martell has seen a rising trend in the level of consumption of the Cognac either by itself or as a cocktail such as Martell with green tea or Martell Cool (Martell VSOP with Aloe Vera). Its growth is healthy and promising in trendy bars and discos outside the main stable of karaoke bars and nightclubs. Capitalising on this increased consumption, we wanted to accelerate this trend in the months to come.

Getting the public hyped up was relatively easy, however in order for the media to show a deeper interest in the party, a special direct mail piece was created for the media. Our objective lay in invoking the media’s excitement and eagerness by creating a unique party theme which was “Rise Above”. By managing to create excitement through the direct mailer, we saw a high attendance of media people.

We had to appeal to the media and use the direct mail to show that it was not just an invitation to “another party” since it is common knowledge that media people are most unlikely to attend such events on a weekly basis.

Given the “Rise Above” positioning, we developed a special direct mail piece, in line with the high altitude. Every point of communication stayed true to this positioning, including the party venue which was Mount Faber.

The direct mail invites were designed to illustrate the high altitude of Mount Faber and depict the view the audience will experience from the top. The top tier of the invite shows images of clouds with a top-down view of buildings and the city.

The “Rise Above” communication initiated by the direct mailer was extended to the event as media personnel were taken up Mount Faber via cable cars. Upon arrival at the top, a sign stating “Welcome to the Top” greets them which links back to the direct mailer theme.

Over 200 special media invites were sent out, in conjunction with heavy media coverage including press, TV, magazines, STOMP and various websites including blogs. Total media was valued at approximately $3.8 million.

The results were well above our expectations. The targeted turnout was between 800 and 1000 but over 1900 pax were observed. Event logistics had to be altered as issues with traffic and parking became apparent. The cable car service which was supposed to end at 11pm had to be extended for three more hours.

The direct mail piece succeeded in initiating the “Rise Above” communication and from then onwards this message was communicated truthfully up until the event finished. The direct mailer piece was the foundation for the successful event and subsequent fulfilling of objectives which was ensuring post event reviews and write ups.

In terms of long term goals, the direct mailer piece created the sort of media interest and positive reviews necessary to assist Martell in increasing consumption of its products outside its main stable of karaoke bars and nightclubs.

Name: Adrian Ho
Position: Account Director
Saatchi LAB

THE MAIL
THE OBJECTIVE
Create excitement among the media, build awareness for the party and ensure post event reviews and write-ups.

THE APPROACH
A special invite made for the media that comes in 2 tiers. Tier 1 communicates the launch theme using images of clouds depicting high altitude, while tier 2 depicts the view from the clouds (at Mt Faber).

THE RESULTS
The majority of media attended the Martell VSOP Rise Above party. Post media publicity valued at more than $3.8 million.