2011 Bronze Best use of business to consumer direct mail

Client first direct

What is wonderful about this work? As the UK's most recommended bank, MGM is a logical way for first direct to recruit new customers. Pass on the name of great wine, yes...but a bank? We re-imagined the mechanic as pass the parcel. Our average cost per response was £816 and a high percentage said they'd recommend to a friend.

What details of the strategy make this a winning entry? At any given time only about 7% of people are thinking about switching banks. Against a backdrop of financial turmoil, we can only assume this figure's even lower. However, luckily for first direct, they have one advantage over other banks: they are the UK's most recommended. A member-get-member approach seemed the simplest and most logical way to target a warm audience and play on this readiness. But with all the considerable barriers before us, we couldn't rely on their goodwill to pass on our good name. Key was generating serious cut-through and talkability, to help customers introduce first direct into conversation. To encourage them, we also offered £50-worth of iTunes vouchers for every friend who joined. Not forgetting the new customers, who got £100 just for switching.

How did creativity bring the strategy to life? Our primary aim was to get existing customers on board in the personal, warm and friendly way that first direct love. Pass the parcel made the message exciting, unexpected and playful. This idea could only work in DM: we used several layers of real newspaper to make the pack feel extra special and tactile. Under each layer, we hid messages to build the experience (and the suspense). Once unwrapped, customers were rewarded with a harmonica, which highlighted the offer of a £50 iTunes voucher for every friend (just pass on the form and let them do the rest). Every detail was lovingly crafted - from tags under each layer to ensuring each parcel was string-bound. Even the newspaper featured stories about first direct for those who paused to read the small print. The whole pack was designed to reflect the brand's distinctive black and white look, from the wrap down to the harmonica, which was fittingly steel-brushed. When the whole world's gone digital, it's refreshing to see an idea that couldn't be delivered any other way.

Results The complete pack (with bells, whistles and harmonica), plus a lower-cost Maltese-cross format, were mailed to 21,000 customers. Average cost per response: £816. Average cost per new customer: £2,450. Results indicate a high percentage of those contacted would recommend first direct to a friend.

Team Daren Kay, Ian Spanky Fryer, Cindy Gingell, Domonic Moore, Darren Jackson, Tom Harman, George Bell.