Targeting upscale frequent flyers by their sushi consumption was the idea behind branding chopsticks for a recent airline campaign. Patrons at select Japanese restaurants in Manhattan received the chopsticks with their meal.
To find out how to get your client’s message placed into the hands of diners while they’re out on the town, read on.
This is one in a Media Life series on buying the new out-of-home venues. They appear weekly.
Fast Facts
What
Advertisers’ logos on chopstick wrappers at Asian restaurants.
Who
GoGorilla Media, headquartered in New York.
How it works
Ads are printed on the wrappers that sheath chopsticks when they’re handed out to patrons.
The program launched with a campaign for Continental Airlines promoting its new route to Japan. The chopsticks were distributed primarily at Japanese restaurants in New York.
The wrappers are printed on both sides and branding is the goal. The advertiser provides the creative.
In the case of Continental, the airline’s logo with web address was printed on a blue background alongside the slogan, “Sticking it to the competition. Work Hard. Fly Right.” Says vice president Joe Bonadio: “Humor is a key element.”
On the back was a message about Continental’s rating from a Zagat airline survey: “Rated top premium U.S. airline for comfort, service and overall performance.”
The 150,000 sets of branded chopsticks were distributed over a month. The original plan called for a three-month distribution period.
“They cleared out in a month. We intended longer exposure, but in the end we got the eyeballs,” says Keith Klein, assistant media director at New York's MediaVest, the agency that placed the chopstick campaign for Continental Airlines.
The branded chopsticks were one element in a multi-media campaign.
Markets
Branded chopsticks are available in any urban market. The program launched in New York.
Numbers
For the Continental Airlines program, 150,000 sets of branded chopsticks were distributed through 70 Japanese restaurants.
How it is measured
Impressions are based on the number of chopsticks distributed.
What product categories do well
Food, beverages and travel are all natural categories for placement on chopsticks.
“Using humor, I can see it applying to anything that has the creative to support it,” Bonadio says.
Demographics
Consumers can be targeted by zip code. “This medium also has potential for reaching youth targets, urban targets and those who order Japanese food at home. This goes into every takeout package as well, which is a niche when talking about New York life,” Bonadio says.
Making the buy
Lead time is five to eight weeks. Cost is determined by the number of pieces distributed.
Who’s already on chopsticks
Continental Airlines was the first national advertiser to use the format.
What they’re saying
“The ability to geo-target was what made this campaign most successful. We identified certain zip codes in Manhattan to have the highest concentration of frequent business travelers. As with any first-time effort, there is a small learning curve. The chopsticks were distributed at a much faster rate than we anticipated. However, the program was a success as the Continental messaging was placed directly in the hands of our target consumer in an innovative fashion where the message did not compete with other advertising. In summary, while the actual period of media was shorter than originally planned, the exposure quantity and impact was huge. Now that’s ‘Sticking it to the competition.’” – Keith Klein, assistant media director for New York-based MediaVest
Web site info
GoGorilla at www.gogorillamedia.com
