Godzilla devouring a building. A man ice fishing in his bathtub. Frankenstein's monster barging into a bedroom. These and other silly scenarios were part of RAND Engineering & Architecture, PC's "Been there. Fixed that." cartoon-theme advertising campaign that won first prize in the 31st Annual Marketing Communications Awards.
RAND's campaign consisted of a series of 10 ads featuring illustrations that humorously depicted problems facing building residents and managers, such as leaky roofs, aging heating and electrical systems, balky elevators, and crumbling parapets. The ads ran in Habitat magazine, a monthly publication for board members and building managers of residential co-ops and condos in the New York City metropolitan area. Emily Hopkins, an illustrator whose work has appeared in The New Yorker, drew the cartoons. Catherine Wolcott, a graphic designer, created the template for the ads.
Silly Yet Clever
"Our message was that we've seen all kinds of building problems and that we know how to handle them—no matter how odd or difficult," said RAND's Marketing Director Peter Scallion, who created and directed the campaign. "Using cartoons in the ads allowed us to be silly yet clever, which made the ads stand out. At the same time, the campaign effectively highlighted the breadth of our services."
RAND's "Been there. Fixed that." entry received 48 out of a possible 50 points in the advertising category competition, including perfect 10-out-of-10 scores for Marketing Objective, Creativity, Quality, and Content, and 8 out 10 points in Results. Jurors' comments included "enjoyable illustrations," "good messaging to firm capabilities," "creates excitement for future ads," and "good research and tailoring."
"The campaign took RAND beyond our well-earned reputation for engineering and architectural expertise and presented us as a creative and innovative firm," Scallion said.
The 2008 Marketing Communication Awards, sponsored by the Society of Marketing Professional Services, drew nearly 350 entries in 18 categories from engineering and architectural firms in the United States, Canada, and Australia.
