July 28, 2014
Veuve mail
LVMH-owned Veuve Clicquot is sending a branded truck around the United States and encouraging individuals to send hand-written letters to friends and family.
The signature yellow truck is honoring Madame Clicquot, the woman who helped create the brand, and her letter writing style behind the business. The truck will travel the U.S., bringing awareness to the brand and the unique packaging style the brand has adopted.
“I think tying in the history of Madame Clicquot’s letter writing is done nicely and helps to tell the story,” said Brittany Mills, director of digital marketing services at Mobiquity, New York.
“There is plenty of content to help support that theme - the mail truck, social content, site story and videos,” she said.
Ms. Mills is not affiliated with Veuve Clicquot, but agreed to comment as an industry expert.
Veuve Clicquot was unable to respond by press deadline.
Snail mail
The Clicquot Mail Truck will be delivering surprises around the country between July and October. The journeys of the truck can be followed on the brand’s Twitter and Instagram page.
The concept was announced on social media and the brand’s Web site. A YouTube video was created to show all the places that mail can carry the Champagne bottles.
Veuve Clicquot tweet
Madame Clicquot took over the business when her husband died in the early 1800s. She conducted all of the brand’s business through letters to suppliers and agents, so this mail campaign alludes to her correspondences.
The brand created a vintage American mailbox in Veuve Clicquot yellow, complete with a red flag. The box is the perfect size for a bottle of Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label Brut.
Veuve Clicquot has developed several techniques for packaging its Champagne so that people all around the world can experience it. The Clicquot Envelope is a wrapper box that holds the look and style of the Champagne’s wrapper.
The Clicquot clutch looks like an envelope-style clutch, but is raised in the center to contour around the bottle of Clicquot Yellow Label Brut.
Naturally, Clicquot is an environmentally friendly package that is made out of potatoes and recycled paper and can keep a bottle chilled. The Tam Tam resembles a 1960s stool and once opened transforms into an ice bucket.
Vueve Clicquot's Suit Me package is meant to resemble a garment bag and an umbrella.
Suit Me packaging
Another packaging speaks to the maiden name of Madame Clicquot, Ponsardin. Her family’s coat of arms is a play on the name and features a bridge and a sardine. The pertaining package is a sardine can that is the size of a Champagne bottle.
The mail truck hosts a special photobooth, food, a live DJ and Veuve samples. The truck also encourages visitors to write and mail a letter.
According to the brand’s Twitter page, the truck has been to New York, the Hamptons, Cape Cod, Nantucket and Washington.
Veuve Mail YouTube video
People who see the truck in transit are encouraged to upload pictures to Instagram and tag the brand’s handle. The brand is also using the hashtag #ClicquotMail to encourage fans to post on social media.
Branding roadtrip
Traditional commerce involves the consumer traveling to a store to purchase a product. Brands like Veuve Clicquot have decided to switch up this practice by taking their brands on the road to see consumers with similar campaigns.
For instance, German automaker BMW looked to boost test-drive registrations with an interactive video campaign that showed ordinary people in various countries driving the i3 for the first time.
The “BMW i3 Experience” campaign centered on a microsite that let fans go for a drive with regular people that have never had an experience with an electric vehicle. The open-ended nature of the campaign allowed the brand to travel from country to country to appeal to new markets (see story).
Also, Italian automaker Maserati continued its collaboration with Italian fashion house Ermenegildo Zegna to celebrate the launch of the Quattroporte Zegna Limited-Edition.
The celebration led the brands to international locations to bring awareness to their vehicle. The brands will also focus on the photos taken at each event for photography books that will commemorate the events and likely create future awareness of Maserati and its ideals (see story).
Creating a traveling campaign can attract new consumers who might not have ordinarily interacted with the brand.
“The traveling mail truck is a nice addition because it supports the overall message and connection to Madam Clicquot’s letter writing and helps to drive awareness not only by driving around, but through Twitter and other social channels,” Ms. Mills said.
“I think it creates a great story that represents the brand’s history and personality,” she said. “There are a lot of different elements to keep a visitor engaged — not to mention the line is witty and cleverly designed.”
Final Take
Nancy Buckley, editorial assistant on Luxury Daily, New York
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