Breathing in the smell of success

<p>What is the common factor behind seasoned upholstery in a 1955 </p><p>Porshe Spyder, St Andrews golf course and a freshly ironed </p><p>newspaper? </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Prestige and success. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The very images that Visa sought to associate its Visa Platinum </p><p>with. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Launched in Asia last year on an invitation-only basis, the Visa </p><p>Platinum was aimed at individuals with a minimum annual income of </p><p>US$100,000. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Since the product would only interest Asia's most affluent consumers, </p><p>the aim was to reach out to them in a way that would appeal to them, </p><p>while using the core media they consume, according to Visa's media </p><p>agency, Zenith Media. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The communication strategy was designed to say, "This product is only </p><p>for a select few." </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>To reach this select few, Saatchi & Saatchi Singapore devised a creative </p><p>strategy that zeroed in on the target audience's knowledge and </p><p>appreciation of the very best things in life. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The agency gave a new twist to the technology behind the scented strip </p><p>of cosmetics and fragrance advertisements, which have become a common </p><p>feature in consumer magazines. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Much in the same way that the fragrance-laced strips allowed readers to </p><p>"sample" the product being advertised in a bid to prompt purchase, </p><p>Visa's "open and sniff" strip concept featured the scent of success and </p><p>prestige - seasoned leather upholstery in a Porshe Spyder, </p><p>freshly-ironed newspapers and the smell of freshly-cut grass from St </p><p>Andrews golf course in Scotland. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>With these scents, the campaign brought to life the hallmarks of </p><p>prestige, which the target audience could identify with. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Complementing the creative brainwave, Zenith chose regional print media </p><p>for the campaign, describing the choice as a "natural fit" for the Visa </p><p>Platinum since the majority of readers were in the top 10 per cent of </p><p>Asia's income bracket. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"As there are so many messages in regional media targeted to Asian </p><p>affluents, we needed to impact them in a unique and innovative way to </p><p>reinforce the creative message, to ensure the message was not lost. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"It was not enough to just run a simple advert. As Visa Platinum is 'the </p><p>ultimate', we needed a more expensive, more intelligent media </p><p>approach." </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>As it turned out, the strategy of using and updating a traditional media </p><p>idea of fragrance-laced strips turned out to be a breakthrough </p><p>concept. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Far fewer media inserts were needed to generate awareness, making it a </p><p>very cost efficient campaign, according to Zenith. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>- This ongoing National Geographic Showcase series features selected </p><p>material from winners and other entries in the Best Use of Media </p><p>category in MEDIA's Agency of the Year Awards 1999. </p><p><BR><BR> </p>