Advertising: Superhuman Effort to Raise Awareness

Finally magazine faithful have their own Superhero: Captain Read. "Complete with crimson tights, a black cape and a lightning-bolt 'M' for magazines on his chest..."
Beginning the week of July 17, 2006, MPA (Magazine Publishers of America) and the Magazine Marketing Coalition embarked on a two-week guerilla promotion to raise awareness within the ad community of magazines’ strengths and contribution to media plans. The promotion involved a superhero named Captain Read who visited nine advertising agencies in New York City, bearing research materials that tout the super-power of magazines.
Overall, Captain Read met with more than 750 planners, buyers and other agency professionals and disseminated 1,300 copies of each research material, counting leave-behinds.

The entire hoopla with the people posing with Captain Read seems a wee-bit childish, but then a friend with agency experience, tells me that in India too, media planners often have whacko campaigns designed to get their attention.
And I know of a technology magazine launch where a man in a Robot costume served chips and snacks to visitors. Thankfully, it was good eight years ago.

While the MPA site shows happy pictures of people who posed with Captain Read, Simon Dumenco of Advertising Age does not take a kind view of the situtation in his article: You Have Got to Be Kidding Me! (Please Tell Me You Are)

Happy Reading !