If Austin Powers arrived at your office in a box, chances are you'd take notice - and then probably call the police.
But 26 top-tier business reporters and editors didn't need to alert the authorities when a life-sized, albeit cardboard, Austin Powers showed up in the mail more than a week ago as part of a press gimmick by software company Chumbo. Equipped with a motion sensor, the faux Powers spits out phrases made famous by the movie character when someone meanders in his direction.
The Austin Powers "standees" were sent by the Internet-based software creator for OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) to drum up Chumbo name recognition from hard-to-court journalists. Recipients included writers at Fast Company, Wired, Business Week, PC Week, Red Herring, The Wall Street Journal and Phillips (owner of PR NEWS) publications. (Chumbo markets Austin Powers game software.)
The reason for the Powers play? The company announced a deal with Planet Direct last week and wanted the Chumbo name to be fresh in journalists' minds when the alliance was made public. Text 100 Public Relations, Boston, handled the project.
And it seems to be working, according to Text 100 Public Relations Senior VP Andy West. "I can't name names, but an example of the reactions we're getting is this: for about six months, we've tried to get face time with one particular [high-profile] editor. He sent us an e-mail saying he loved the standee and would be looking out for our news."
West admits that the tactic, while cheeky and fun, wasn't meant to turn a hefty ROI; rather, it was intended to do precisely what's it doing - build the Chumbo brand. "Our president, David Prais, is an Englishman and a quirky fellow and has a long background in branding, with Dell and Gateway. We thought this campaign would fit our style and open the press' eyes to our business culture," West says.
The entire campaign cost about $3,000. It included buying the standees at wholesale, working out the mechanics and shipping each package at $35 a pop. (Chumbo, 617/723-1044)