The chocolates were originally handed out at parties the magazine threw earlier this year to celebrate its million-strong circulation, together with explanations matching each chocolate in the selection with a different selling proposition for the title. The success of that prompted The Economist to turn it into a full-blown regional campaign.
Economist-red chocolate boxes, labelled 'Rich Pickings', will be sent out to about 1,000 high value advertisers and media agencies in the region. Besides an array of chocolates will be information such as 'Minted -- the average personal income of an Economist reader is US$151,000'. The campaign was devised by OgilvyOne, which may expand the campaign outside the region. "Other offices around the world may pick this up," said OgilvyOne account director Greg Carton.