Journalists get a lot of ineffective and boring press kits so when one is really great, we think it's worth mentioning.
This week we offer hats off to Richmond, Va.-based Opus Event Marketing which sent out 25 Tachikara balls and dozens of small, bright containers of Play-Doh as part of its "Let's Play in New York" campaign.
The mini media blitz, to announce that Opus opened a Manhattan office, was accompanied by a to-the-point backgrounder.
About 50 press kits (only half contained the bright yellow balls) were sent to trade press and major Big Apple-based pubs such as the New York Times and the New York Daily News with "Let's Play in New York" written in red crayon, says Jennifer Ebert of Opus.
Since mailing the gifts (at a cost of about $3 per box), Opus has received calls from about 10 trade reporters and a personal note from a journalist who shared a childhood memory.
Not only was the campaign lighthearted and effective, it also had an attractive price tag, adds Ebert.
The entire campaign cost about $150 since Opus is a contracted Play-Doh wholesaler (it has a business arrangement to purchase a certain amount every year and has Play-Doh in stock) and only had to purchase the balls. (Opus, 212/541-4026)