CAMPAIGN MEDIA AWARDS 1998: The Reader’s Digest Award - Best Use of Press - Blockbuster UK

Blockbuster UK, Romeo & Juliet The film, starring Leonardo di

Caprio, was a box-office hit, so it was highly likely to be a popular

video to rent. It already had heavy support across broadcast media from

the distributor, Fox, so this provided an opportunity for Blockbuster to

hit a target of young trendies - an audience it is keen to build. The

answer was a playful campaign designed to run on lonely hearts and

problem pages, which could get to this difficult-to-reach target

audience on a low budget.

Wallis, dress to kill

The media plan used print ads, but only in a handful of carefully

researched core titles, supported by ads in shop windows, on carrier

bags and postcards. A cover-mounted discount card and eight-page

gatefold in Cosmopolitan completed the plan.

Virgin Atlantic, Eurostar ticket offer

The Virgin Upper Class offer was promoted by running a full-page colour

ad - initially in business weeklies - with an envelope containing two

spoof ’tickets’.

WINNER

Title: Blockbuster UK, Romeo & Juliet

Media Agency: Media Solutions Group

Planning Director: Graham Hawkey-Smith

Account Director/Media Planner: Michael Aneto

Creative Agency: TBWA GGT Simons Palmer

Creative Director: Jim Thornton

Account Director: Graham Christie

Account Planner: Neil Amor

Client: Blockbuster UK

Brand/Product: Romeo & Juliet video release

Marketing Director: Siobhan Chatburn

Media/Brand Manager: Piers Skinner

COMMENDATION

Title: Wallis, dress to kill

Media Agency: Motive Communications

Media Director: Steve Clark

Media Manager: Jayne Potter

Creative Agency: Bartle Bogle Hegarty

Creative Director: John Hegarty

Account Director: Steve Kershaw

Account Planner: Shazia Brawley

Client: Wallis

Brand/Product: Wallis

COMMENDATION

Title: Virgin Atlantic, Eurostar ticket offer

Media Agency: Manning Gottlieb Media

Media Director: Colin Gottlieb

Media Manager: Heather Scanlan

Creative Agency: Rainey Kelly Campbell Roalfe

Creative Director: Robert Campbell

Account Director: Judy Mitchem

Account Planner: Andy Nairn

Client: Virgin Atlantic Airways

Brand/Product:Upper Class

General Manager Marketing: Alison Copus

Media/Brand Manager: Breda Bubear.

This article was first published on Campaign