Came across the story of one of the strangest marketing campaigns I’ve ever heard of.
Years ago, Quaker Oats gave away millions of actual land deeds to customers in boxes of cereal.
So in the 1950s,
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Years ago, Quaker Oats gave away millions of actual land deeds to customers in boxes of cereal.
So in the 1950s,
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the cereal industry was super competitive. It was the “Golden Age of Cereal.”
There was an explosion of new cereals, esp designed w/ the goal of appealing to kids.
Trix, Cocoa Puffs, Special K, Frosted Flakes, Corn Pops, Honey Smacks.
All born in the ‘50s along with
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There was an explosion of new cereals, esp designed w/ the goal of appealing to kids.
Trix, Cocoa Puffs, Special K, Frosted Flakes, Corn Pops, Honey Smacks.
All born in the ‘50s along with
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colorful, fun marketing mascots like Tony the Tiger.
Establishing brand loyalty through stand-out marketing & advertising was the “sunshine that made the business plant grow,” according to cereal guru C.W. Post.
And that's the challenge faced by Quaker Oats and their
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Establishing brand loyalty through stand-out marketing & advertising was the “sunshine that made the business plant grow,” according to cereal guru C.W. Post.
And that's the challenge faced by Quaker Oats and their
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Chicago-based ad agency. Their account was managed by ad man Bruce Barker.
Bruce was desperate for a miraculous idea to reverse falling sales and save the account.
At the time, Quaker sponsored a radio/TV show called Sgt. Preston of the Yukon, about
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Bruce was desperate for a miraculous idea to reverse falling sales and save the account.
At the time, Quaker sponsored a radio/TV show called Sgt. Preston of the Yukon, about
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a Mountie and his faithful husky saving the day in the Yukon.
What if kids could own a tangible piece of that?
Bruce proposed buying land in the Yukon territory and giving it away in Quaker boxes, just like the other little toys that
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What if kids could own a tangible piece of that?
Bruce proposed buying land in the Yukon territory and giving it away in Quaker boxes, just like the other little toys that
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Came in cereal boxes, but more original.
"WTF are you thinking?" Brand execs scoffed. Their lawyer warned it would be a legal nightmare.
Amazingly, after a little research and a trip to Canada to work out the logistics, it was determined that the idea just might work.
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"WTF are you thinking?" Brand execs scoffed. Their lawyer warned it would be a legal nightmare.
Amazingly, after a little research and a trip to Canada to work out the logistics, it was determined that the idea just might work.
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The brand bought the land, located off the Yukon River, for $1k and established the Klondike Big Inch Land Co, to manage the affairs.
Then 21 MILLION paper deeds were printed up.
(These were even larger in size than the square inch of land they represented.)
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Then 21 MILLION paper deeds were printed up.
(These were even larger in size than the square inch of land they represented.)
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The campaign kicked off with a radio announcement and ads in 93 US newspapers in 1955.
“Own your own piece of gold rush country, just like Sgt. Preston!”
It was wildly successful.
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“Own your own piece of gold rush country, just like Sgt. Preston!”
It was wildly successful.
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The boxes sold out in a matter of weeks.
The promo was featured in a TV game show where a contestant was flown out to pan for gold on their square-inch of land as a grand prize.
And celebrities, like film star Mae West, were photographed proudly holding deeds.
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The promo was featured in a TV game show where a contestant was flown out to pan for gold on their square-inch of land as a grand prize.
And celebrities, like film star Mae West, were photographed proudly holding deeds.
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But very few checked the fine print.
Customers didn’t notice that each deed holder was responsible for keeping up w/ the land taxes.
Ten years after the promo launched, Canada repossessed all the land for about $37.
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Customers didn’t notice that each deed holder was responsible for keeping up w/ the land taxes.
Ten years after the promo launched, Canada repossessed all the land for about $37.
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Still, thousands of people have come forward since then asking about their land.
The official response from Quaker is that the deeds never had any “intrinsic value,” just “romantic appeal.”
Oddly, this wasn’t the first time Quaker gave away promotional land deeds.
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The official response from Quaker is that the deeds never had any “intrinsic value,” just “romantic appeal.”
Oddly, this wasn’t the first time Quaker gave away promotional land deeds.
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In the early 1900s, they gave away deeds to tiny plots of land in Milford, CT.
The marketing was in partnership w/ a developer who wanted people to claim multiple plots of land and hire the dev to build them a house.
That land, called Quaker lots, was also repossessed
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The marketing was in partnership w/ a developer who wanted people to claim multiple plots of land and hire the dev to build them a house.
That land, called Quaker lots, was also repossessed
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So I need to know, was this one of the weirdest campaigns you’ve ever heard of or am I the only one who'd nvr heard of it??
(And if you love hearing stories about marketing & ad campaigns over the years, subscribe to my newsletter to get more.)
chantellemarcelle.com/marketing-news…
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(And if you love hearing stories about marketing & ad campaigns over the years, subscribe to my newsletter to get more.)
chantellemarcelle.com/marketing-news…
(13/13)
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