PPB June 2020

Goldstar San Diego, California Gold Winner OBJECTIVE: To bring fun and creativity to the company’s culture, while promoting brand awareness DETAILS: Supplier Goldstar created a spoof on the movie Step Brothers to shape company culture and brand awareness, and communicate the message that the company is a fun and creative partner that’s easy to work with. Delivering the message were the “Simplicity Brothers,” the movie’s characters personafied by Goldstar’s Charles Duggan, MAS+, national sales manager, and Kenny Ved, vice president of sales, who attended industry-related trade shows dressed in matching outfits. To further their image, they brought cardboard cutouts of their likeness to trade shows and offered custom boxes with official Simplicity Brothers merchandise to engage attendees. Promotional items included a Simplicity Brothers pen kit, socks (from Strideline) and a towel, featuring the “brothers.” RESULTS: The campaign’s success grew sales by more than 56 percent in its targeted audience while delighting and engaging trade-show attendees and clients. Self-Promotion Campaigns Insights from Charles Duggan, MAS+, national sales manager: How much fun was this promotion? “It was a lot of fun! The Simplicity Brothers are not only award-winners but now they are known globally. Kenny Ved always puts a smile on my face, and when we’re together is where the magic is really created.” Why was this campaign so successful? “People can relate to having fun. We are in the promotional products business and even in challenging times, it’s OK to laugh even about simple things. And that can be as simple as me and my brother-from-another-mother on a water bottle.” 2020 PPAI Pyramid Awards | FEATURE | JUNE 2020 | 21