“Burn” Campaign Wins DMA ECHO Award for Pii and COUNTRY
Unusual mail marketing piece recognized as Leader in insurance marketing competition
Bloomington, Illinois, October 24 — Judges were fired up at the ECHO awards about an attention-getting mail piece created by Progressive Impressions International (Pii). The mailer, a promotion for COUNTRY homeowners insurance, was designed to look like it survived a fire. The “burnt” effects were achieved with special graphics, plus a finishing touch with a real blowtorch.
The innovative design earned a Leader award in the insurance category at the 2007 International ECHO Awards, part of the annual Direct Marketing Association show, held October 13 to 19 at Chicago’s McCormick Place West. Ceremonies honored winners among 1,124 entries from across the U.S. and 37 other countries.
“Our goal was to create the most interesting piece of mail you would receive that day,” said Brian Phipps, creative vice president at Pii. “And a lot of credit goes to our clients at COUNTRY Insurance and Financial Services. They came to us for a bold approach to a traditional product, and we delivered.”
The mail piece combined different techniques to create a convincing overall effect, explained graphic designer Brian Castelli. “We used a little of everything, from software-generated effects to plain old combustion. The section we charred with the blowtorch actually crumbles if you rub it between your fingers.”
The ECHO awards recognize the year’s best efforts in direct marketing, singling out the most innovative and technologically sophisticated campaigns. Awards are given in 24 categories, ranging from Automotive to Travel. All entries are evaluated on the basis of strategy, creativity and results.
Established in 1993 in Bloomington, Illinois, Pii is a marketing company with expertise in sender and receiver personalization of newsletters, greeting cards and all forms of direct mail. Pii clients include seven of the top 10 insurance companies in the U.S.