Our Work & Case Studies
Entertainment Case Study:
Staples & "The Office"
Objective
In October 2006, Staples Inc., based in Farmington, Mass., introduced a new shredder to the consumer market – the Staples MailMate – which shreds unopened junk mail, bank statements, CDs and credit cards and is designed to be used in a kitchen or home office.The MailMate shredder is designed to blend into the kitchen environment, with a compact size that fits neatly on a kitchen counter. Its design and stainless steel trim offer the look of a high-end appliance and the power of a 20-sheet shredder.
The shredder is available online at www.staples.com or at the company’s retail stores.
We were charged with identifying, developing, and executing a scripted television integration on behalf of Staples that would support the launch of the new shredder. Working with the client, we developed three (3) goals for the program:
1. Reinforce Staples’ positioning as easy and innovative;
2. Build awareness and drive sales of the Staples Mail Mate shredder through on-air activation with the product; and,
3. Increase traffic to the Staples website (www.Staples.com) and The Office landing page.
Strategy
Strategically, we agreed that the program would need to be relevant to the brand while enabling activation and achieving our objectives. An integration program with NBC’s popular show “The Office” was an ideal platform from which to build around.We worked closely with the show’s producers to integrate the MailMate shredder into the theme of the November 16, 2006, episode of “The Office.” Amid impending layoffs, one of the show’s key characters showcases his value to the company through his role as a “master shredder” using his newest tool: The MailMate shredder from Staples.
WATCH THE CLIP HERE.
David Goetzel, a media and marketing writer for Media Daily News, described the integration as follows:
In the Nov. 16 episode, the character Kevin, a low-key but mischievous accountant at paper company Dunder-Mifflin, somewhat morosely says how little responsibility he has on the job. But, he adds: “They do let me shred the company documents, and that is really all I need.”
He then ferociously begins using the MailMate – Staples says it offers “ferocious shredding power for identity theft protection” – while speaking to the audience at the same time (”The Office” is done in faux documentary fashion, where the characters often speak to the camera as if they’re being interviewed by a journalist.)
Barely able to restrain himself, Kevin (played by Brian Baumgartner) says: “This thing is so awesome! It will shred anything!”
On the show, the whole scene is funny and effective–and it fits in organically. After Kevin has shown the machine’s practical benefits, in keeping with the wonderfully twisted humor of “The Office,” he drops salad leaves into the MailMate.
Then, he pulls out the bottom refuse bin which has a full salad ready to eat. After pouring on dressing, a coworker enters and asks, “Where’d you get that salad?”
“Staples,” he says.
Perfectly wry, perfectly in character. A seamless punchline to a first-rate product placement.
In addition to multiple brand mentions and logo shots, the product’s functionality was showcased during the show.
To extend the integration, Staples activated around it by creating a 360-degree promotion that included:
- In-store signage
- A micro-site featuring information and a video showing the shredder in action, as well as information about its placement on “The Office;”
- Email blasts;
- A newspaper circular;
- DRTV; and,
- Banner ads
Results
- Objective #1: Reinforce Staples’ positioning as easy and innovative.
By nature of how the shredder was integrated into the show – with a key character demonstrating its uniqueness and ease of use – we achieved our first goal. Further, according to Brand Tracker, Staples scored higher on the following attributes among those who viewed the episode:
o “Staples is a company I trust”
o “Staples is an industry leader”
o “Staples makes me feel wanted as a customer”
In addition, 75 percent of customers said they not only “enjoyed watching the episode,” but thought it helped “make the company different” (41%) and increased the likelihood they’d shop there (42%).
- Objective #2: Build awareness and drive sales of the Staples Mail Mate shredder through on-air activation with the product.
- Objective #3: Increase traffic to the Staples website (www.Staples.com) and “The Office” landing page;
In addition:
o The integration was one of the top-ranked product placements of the week, according to measurement firm iTVX.
o The integration’s value in terms of on-screen exposure was valued at $386,000.
o The program generated more than 5M pre- and post-show media impressions as the media buzzed about the integration.
Further, one article described the integration as “the holy grail of product placement.”
There was significant amount of blogging following the integration. In fact, according to Technorati, an internet search engine dedicated to tracking weblogs, a total of 21, 317 blog links included a mention of Staples and “The Office.”
In a November 28, 2006, posting on his “Brandtique” blog, David Goetzel wrote:
“A marketer looking to use product integration to help it tear up the competition might take a page from Staples. The office-supply giant’s insertion of its potent MailMate shredder into a recent episode of NBC comedy “The Office” was about as good as it gets in branded entertainment.
“Not only did Staples insert what it bills as “The Junk Mail Destroyer” into the show in such a way that a consumer would hardly know it was a paid plug, but it engineered what could be the Holy Grail of product placement: A demonstration of how cool (for lack of a better word) the MailMate is. And making something as generic as an office shredder seem appealing is no small feat.”
