WHAT has direct marketing to do with the Trojan War?

The Direct Marketing Association of Malaysia (DMAM) is using the Trojan Horse as a symbol for the DMAM Awards, to be held in Petaling Jaya on Dec 4.
Its president Sreedhar Subramaniam says in a statement that the Trojan horse, instrumental in the Greeks’ victory over the Trojans, was adopted as the theme for this year’s awards because it is, like direct marketing, “an effective weapon.”
Arc Worldwide Malaysia is organising the DMAM Awards this year. According to its creative director Valerie Chen, the Trojan horse is a great example of creativity and effectiveness.
“The intriguing packaging, brilliant strategy, critical customer insight, and beneath-the-radar modus operandi makes it the perfect weapon, or direct marketing piece if you will,” she says.
The call-for-entries direct mail campaign saw 200 or so three-dimensional, 2ft-high cardboard Trojan horses being sent to creative directors or senior personnel at agencies as well as to clients. A small envelope illustrated with a picture of Greek warriors can be found in a compartment within the horse, and it bears the letter of invitation.
“Using a dimensional Trojan horse was necessary in creating impact and capturing the attention of a target audience who is exposed to plenty of creative work and who is typically very hard to impress. We also had to get them excited enough to participate in this year’s DMAM awards show,” says Arc creative director Theresa Tsang. Besides this eye-catching call-for-entries pack, Arc has also created an entertaining website (www.mytrojanhorse.com) with a “movie trailer-like intro which sets up the Trojan horse parallel nicely,” Tsang says.
In 2005, the last time Arc was given the task to organise the DMAM Awards, the theme was The Greatest Show on Earth. The call-for-entries pack then came in the form of a dimensional circus caravan personalised with an individual circus troupe name for each agency and client.
The entry deadline for this year’s DMAM Awards is Nov 16.
(source: the star)