Background
Sheridan Systems, world-renown manufacturer of newspaper mailroom systems, was in the
process of adding a new component to its systems offerings. They had recently purchased a
company that manufactured newspaper stackers and were re-designing the product to add improvements in critical areas.
The new stacker would not be ready for distribution until after new capital budget money was
released for most of their prospective customers.
 Objective
The objective of the advertising campaign was to capitalize on Sheridan’s reputation and delay stacker purchase decisions until Sheridan’s new stacker was available for demonstration. If that was accomplished, subsequent advertising material would need to create brand preference by effectively communicating the critical improvements and benefit to the enduser.
Methodology
OIA first developed a teaser ad that was designed to capitalize
on the Sheridan reputation and promise the buyer something newer and better in order to stop the flow of stacker purchases from the competition.
Building on the teaser ad’s design, OIA followed with a direct mail piece that unveiled the new stacker both literally and figuratively. When the recipient opened the brochure, it showed the new stacker with the veil dropped to the floor. The direct mail piece also highlighted the critical improvements. The ad featured the center spread of the direct mail in order to reinforce the message and save production and creative costs.
Results
Within three-months of the first ad’s appearance, more than
100 Olympians were ordered (an unparalleled feat for capital equipment in the newspaper industry). It became the
fastest-selling stacker in the industry.
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