Friday, February 17, 2017

The Genius of Burpee: Advent Calendar Promotion

Every once in a while I come across something that deserves an award in promotions & marketing. This year the award goes to the Burpee Seed Company.

They created an advent calendar for the 2017 holiday season and mailed it to garden writers and journalists. The calendar features the Burpee Seed House (which is listed in the National Register of Historic Places) and behind each of the 25 windows of the advent calendar is a tiny packet of seeds. Each package of seeds is a sample of a new Burpee variety.

You can applaud now. Isn't that the cutest idea ever?  It is clever, interesting, unique and builds anticipation. It actually transcends marketing and would be a fantastic item to sell in gift shops and garden centers. I mean it! I can think of a lot of people that would love to get this whimsical gift.

I have to tell you that I have not opened all of my windows yet. My move was scheduled just after Christmas and I was nervous that I would lose the seed packets in the chaos. My dormant treasures are still safe behind the paper windows. When I am ready to sow seeds I will open them all with abandon.

My all-time-favorite-advent-calendar came with an informative booklet that includes a photograph, a description of each new seed and the plant's attributes. Genius.
I have to mention something that is so interesting about the historic Burpee Seed House on the calendar. The booklet explains that the seed house was designed and built in the late 1800's to let in as much natural light as possible in late summer/early fall. It wasn't a safe environment for candles so the employees worked by the natural light from the windows to wash, grade, sort and catalog the seeds. Isn't that wonderful? 

I love everything about this advent calendar promotion:
  • It is beautifully designed and therefore fun to display
  • It builds anticipation for growing season in the darkest time of the year
  • It is informative and tells you everything you need to know about the product
  • It blends the history of the company while including the latest products they offer
Bravo, Burpee! I can't wait to try out some of your latest and greatest seeds. 

No comments: