The Brief
The DMAM Awards celebrates the best of DM ideas among ad agencies. Yet up to 2009, participation in the show has steadily declined. Beyond creating the call-for-entries mailer, how do we revive participation in DMAM 2009 and raise the status of direct marketing as an effective weapon alongside traditional advertising?
The Solution
The fabled Trojan Horse is a great example of how a single idea, brilliantly crafted and executed, can break through seemingly impenetrable walls to reach its target and be remembered forever. And by bringing the iconic secret weapon to life on the awards submission website, we jolted jaded agency folk to “write their names into history” with their own powerful ideas. The Results The Trojan Horse proved to be the perfect metaphor for direct marketing, and indeed, the perfect weapon for us. Our attention-grabbing approach resulted in a 100% increase in participation, with a mix of 16 advertising, digital and DM agencies taking part (only 8 the previous year), and over 200 entries received. It was a remarkable achievement considering the budget cuts from clients and agencies due to the economic slump.
Title
Trojan Horse
Client
Direct Marketing Association of Malaysia (DMAM)
Product/Service
Direct Marketing Awards 2009
Creative Director
Theresa Tsang, Valerie Chen, Tan Kien Eng
Art Director
Phianphon Sitichaidecha, Koh Siok Yee
Copywriter
Benjamin Chen, Gauri Dalvi
Client Service
Kristin Chong, Jason John
Illustrator
Khairul Anuar
Print Producer
Ong Chee Hin, Fok Soop Chin
