Video Stamp
Australia Post
Issue 30 | March 2014
Agency
Clemenger BBDO
Creative Team
Creative Chairman James McGrath Creative Directors Jim Ingram Ben Couzens Art Director Jono Fox Copywriter Sophie Beard
Production Team
Creative Technologist Dan Zabinskas Digital Production Gemma Seeto Film Production Lisa Moro Print Production Nick Short
Other Credits
Group Account Director Dan Lacaze Planner Matt Kingston Account Director Lesley Baker Senior Account Manager Kate Callander Account Manager Evan Johnson Chief Marketing Officer Greg Sutherland Head of Parcel & Express Services Marketing Melody Townsend Marketing Manager, Buyer Experience Marina Vaxman Marketing Manager, Campaigns and Promotions Michael Simpson
Date
November 2013
Background
Australia Post makes money by sending letters and parcels. Due to the rise of e-mail, letters have been in decline since 2008. Although the parcels business is growing naturally due to the rise in eCommerce, it is a highly competitive arena with big international players such as FedEx and DHL fighting for market share.
The challenge was twofold:
1. Drive people into Australia Post outlets and encourage them to send their own presents using Express Post, rather than ordering gifts online.
2. Keep the Australia Post brand relevant when it was associated with a history of being slow and bureaucratic.
Idea
The insight behind the campaign was that it is always nicer to give someone a present in person rather than send it remotely.
With that in mind, the question became: can technology allow people to 'send themselves' virtually if they can't be there in person?
The answer was yes, a world-first product innovation, the Video Stamp.
Provided free with all purchases of Express Post, the Video Stamp allowed the sender to attach a 15-second video to the parcel via a unique QR-coded stamp.
This mimicked the trend in 'snackable' video communications as seen in Vine, SnapChat and Twitter.
All the recipient had to do to view and share their Video Stamp was scan it on their smartphone or key in the unique log-in details to watch it on their desktop computers.
The Video Stamp was launched first of all to Australia Post's 30,000 employees through DM, eDM and Head Office activations.
This widened out to include the retail staff at all 4,500 Australia Post stores. In all, 7 million Video Stamps were distributed across Australia.
The idea was seeded on social networks with tecchies and bloggers before being publicised with a national TV campaign.
Results
The Video Stamp helped strengthen Australia Post's positioning as "Future Ready". Positive media attention was generated with hundreds of stories
in press, online, TV and radio around the world. Over 3,000 conversations were started online generating 14 million social impressions.
Other national postal services have asked to licence the technology.
In the launch period alone, the Video Stamp connected people in around 250 cities in 50 countries with 45% of recipients watching their video more than once.
Over the Christmas period, when shoppers often buy gifts online, there was a 133% uplift in videos scanned on December 24th and 25th, indicating a migration from e-commerce to personally packed and mailed parcels.
Our Thoughts
Just when I thought QR codes had been filed in the ‘can’t find a really good use for them’ cabinet, Australia Post and Clemenger come up with an “effing brilliant idea” (says Sarah Fawcett’s tweet featured in the entry film). I agree, especially because having worked on the Royal Mail account in the UK,
I know all too well the challenges of reversing the decline in snail mail.
It is also refreshing that Australia Post embraces and actions ideas like this. In the UK it would probably require an Act of Parliament and the Queen’s permission!
Yes, it had to be pushed through traditional media and yes, Australia Post staff had to be educated and encouraged to promote it but that ensured its adoption and success. The one thing I can’t work out is how the recipient knows the QR code delivers a personal message...
do you have to send an email to tell the recipient?! Anyway, I wish I’d done it.