Lights, Camera, Artie!
Mesirow Financial Real Estate wanted “something different, something original” to target its young, hip, urban market for its high rise, R+D659. Taylor Johnson & Olesker suggested an interactive campaign that would begin on the internet and culminate in an on-site event. Mesirow’s ad agency came up with the idea of a fictitious character, “Artie,” who had been a butcher and lived in the building 100 years ago when it was in the meat packing district of Chicago. The agency created a series of emailed video blasts, print ads, and direct mail about Artie and how he was destined to live in this cool 21st century building.
For the event component of the campaign, TJO transformed the sales center into a night club by situating bouncers with walkie talkies at the front door, dimming the lights, hiring a DJ to spin, and serving a signature cocktail. Every half hour Artie’s video series would play on a large flat screen television.
The final video episode debuted on the big screen as Artie, himself, interacted with the video. The guests had a lot of fun hanging out with Artie and many had their picture taken with him, requesting an autograph as a keepsake of the occasion.
