Netcom: FREE RIDE

Credits & Description:

Category: Flat Mailing

Advertiser: NETCOM GSM

Product/Service: TELECOM

Agency: McCANN OSLO

Date of First Appearance: Dec 8 2009 12:00AM

Entrant Company: McCANN OSLO, NORWAY

Art Direction: Einar Nonstad (McCann Norway)

Copywriter: Einar Fötschl (McCann Norway)

Account Director: Janne Espevalen (McCann Norway)

Account Manager: Tone Bøygard (McCann Norway)

Art Director Assistant: Rune Gabrielsen (McCann Norway)

Media Manager: June Paulsen (Netcom GSM AS)

Media placement: Personally Deliverd - Personally - 08.12.2009



Describe the brief/objective of the direct campaign.

Norwegian telecom operator, NetCom, wanted to invite their 70 most important customers to the launch of the world's first 4G wireless broadband net.



Explain why the creative execution was relevant to the product or service.

Inviting VIP’s in any business is usually done with some sort of extravagance. But NetCom are well known for its ability to do the unexpected in a simple manner. So how to attract these VIP’s to spare some valuable time on an ordinary Monday, in the middle of a busy working day, and with no real funds? Doing it simple was quite obvious, but how about “unexpected”?

A personally delivered receipt for a free ride, to an unknown event, made the VIP’s feel like VIP’s in a simple way – a way that is completely in sync with the NetCom brand.



Describe the creative solution to the brief/objective with reference to the projected response rates and desired outcome.

A courier, in the shape of a sharp dressed man, delivered a simple black folder to the customer personally. The folder contained a pre-paid taxi receipt, confirming date and pick up time, which was set, according to the individual travel time to the destination.
In addition a letter, signed personally by NetCom’s CEO, explained that you were invited to the unveiling of something professionally ground-braking. And that exactly what it was, had to remain a secret for the time being, but that it would be one of those moments, you would refer to as “I was there when…”



Describe the results in as much detail as possible with particular reference to the RESPONSE of the target audience including deliverability statistics, response rates, click throughs, sales cost per response, relationships built and overall return on investment.

70 VIP’s were invited. 70 invitations personally delivered. 50 turned up (72%). NOTE: But every single one of the VIP’s responded! Those who weren’t able to attend phoned in regretting it!

Bare in mind that this was an actual world premiere, and that NetCom didn’t actually have any money to spend on the invitation. An e-mail would be the obvious choice, but it wouldn’t quite be “The NetCom way”. Pockets were emptied for the taxies, and the folders and two couriers. So basically, we made really something out of almost nothing.