Enter the Next Dimension of Advertising

EGC Brings 3D to Life in Summer Product Launch

Q: What do the Masters Golf tournament, Major League Baseball’s Home Run Derby and the launch of Brother International Corporation’s new multi-needle home embroidery machine all have in common?

A: They were all broadcast in 3D, ahead of what is sure to be a furiously winding curve of 3D integration in entertainment and advertising.

That’s right, 3D isn’t just taking its place at the head of the class at the movie theatre with blockbuster hits like Avatar and Alice In Wonderland, but it is also quickly finding its place in mainstream entertainment with the introduction of 3D television sets and programming, as well as in advertising.

Advertising heavy hitters Visa and Samsung both tossed their hats into the 3D advertising ring earlier in 2010, with outdoor and television advertising in 3D that promoted their products. EGC client Brother International Corporation joined them this summer as the first company in the sewing industry to use 3D to attract customers to their new high-end, 10-needle home embroidery machine, the Entrepreneur® Pro PR-1000.

“At Brother, we pride ourselves on being innovative, always ahead of the curve, so announcing this new product in 3D just made sense. This machine has incredible features that have to be seen to be believed, so we really wanted potential customers to be able to see them up close and personal,” said Dean F. Shulman, Senior Vice President of Brother’s Home Appliance Division.

As more advertisers dip a toe into the 3D pool, they will likely encounter the same questions and challenges as EGC in developing effective 3D marketing.  How do you promote a 3D launch that distinguishes the product and makes the launch as much about the PRODUCT as the delivery method? How do you efficiently get 3D glasses into the hands of your core prospect? And most importantly, is all the effort required for 3D worth it?

EGC teased the launch with a range of marketing tactics that teased the fact that the launch was in 3D, while also teasing key features of the new product. Every piece—from online banners and emails to lenticular in-store counter cards and print ads—used color-shifted anaglyph-friendly embroidery imagery to convey the message that this was about both embroidery AND 3D. Pieces encouraged prospects to sign up through a dedicated teaser microsite to receive 3D glasses, necessary for viewing the launch of “the next dimension in embroidery.” Upon arriving at the site, prospects were greeted to a Flash piece that replicated the effects of 3D, and a simple consumer-friendly sign-up form that allowed them to easily request glasses.

For the 3-minute launch video, EGC developed a detailed frame board that guided the video production company through every visual and transition, handing the board over just six weeks before the live August launch. And then came the hard part for everyone—waiting! 3D rendering is a lengthy process and requires patience, which in the fast-paced world of advertising is something no one is used to. The first 0:37 seconds of the video took weeks to produce and render—but were well worth the wait. Upon delivery of the final video, everyone could finally understand why 3D will become the next big thing.

During the time the video rendered, EGC was busy developing launch materials for the Entrepreneur® Pro that would continue “the next dimension in embroidery” positioning, as well as ensuring 3D glasses were delivered to prospects in time for the launch. To deliver the 6,000+ glasses to those who opted-in affordably, EGC developed a simple self-mailer with perf-off glasses, rather than sending full glasses in an envelope, which would increase production and postage expenses. This allowed for First Class mailing of the piece, rather than risking the delay of Third Class. As glasses started arriving in homes the week before the August 16th launch, bloggers and Fans of BrotherSews on Facebook started commenting that they couldn’t wait to see the new machine.

Brother hosted their annual dealer conference, Back to Business, in Nashville in August, where the 3D video was played live in front of an audience of 400+ dealers, employees and media representatives. Sporting Brother-branded 3D glasses, the audience cheered wildly during and at the end of the video. The video, as well as a 2D version for those who did not want to opt-in for glasses, was released to the public at noon the same day, viewable on the dedicated product site.  Over 6,000 people viewed the video the first day, with over 10,000 viewing it the first week it was available.

Was the effort for the 3D launch a success? By all accounts, yes. Excited posts to Brother’s Facebook page noted how exciting the video was, with dozens of people saying they wanted to buy the machine before ever seeing it in person!  Pre-orders for the machine have exceeded expectations, and again, Brother has shown their customers that their innovation extends far beyond their incredible product line.

To view the 3D video, visit www.brother-usa.com/nextdimension. For information on how EGC can help you enter the world of 3D advertising, contact us today!