Successful Promotions: For More Than Just the Sniffles

Tissues deserve a lot more credit besides saving a person from the occasional sneezing attack.

To raise awareness of the powers of promotional tissue, AdPack USA- the New York-based out–of–home marketing company–initiated its first Tissue Tactics Contest, which encouraged creative agencies to design a campaign for an existing brand using a tissue pack and an insert space on the back.

"Tissue pack advertising works," AdPack President Steve Jacobs said. "It's among the least expensive promotional tools you can buy." AdPack specializes in intercept marketing and place-based advertising through the company's line of promotional facial tissues, towelettes and wet towels.

Barefoot, a participant in the contest, garnered the third-place prize of $500 for its "Tissue Aid 2007" campaign. The firm, located in Cincinnati, represents industry biggies such as Mercedes-Benz North America and Proctor & Gamble. Designed for Wonderbra, Barefoot's entry features pink tissue packs with the front slogan, "Out of our bras, but not out of our minds." Flip the package for a nostalgic and rallying cry to reunite with what was once a girl's best friend before the introduction of the Wonderbra: the tissue.

"The idea of a bra manufacturer telling people that tissue manufactures needed help because the Wonderbra was so wonderful that you didn't need to put tissues into your bra anymore was clever and humorous," Jacobs said of Barefoot"s submission. A panel of seven judges, consisting of experts in the marketing, advertising and academic fields, evaluated the approximately 500 entries on overall design, creativity and distribution strategies. "We challenged the organization to come up with ideas that they thought would be smart, creative and talk-worthy," Barefoot CEO Doug Worple said of his company's design. "It clearly skewed toward women, but even if it got into a male's hands, it would be something they would find funny and pass along to someone who'd find the message more directly relevant."

As a tribute to the long-gone days of tissue-stuffing breast enhancement, one side of Barefoot's coupon insert offers Wonderbra-inspired tips for keeping tissues near and dear to the heart. (See illustration)

Worple said that although his organization has expressed great enthusiasm towards the design, there are no plans to implement the marketing strategy at this point.

AdPack is reaching out to the approximately 500 contestants to see how many will put their design strategies into effect. Citing the success of its first run, Jacobs hopes to revive the Tissue Tactics Contest next year.

-Elaine Wong