Playboy and Miller: Bunnies, Beers and the Big Game.
That was the subject line for an e-mail campaign last month promoting a Super Bowl sweepstakes by Miller Brewing Co. and Playboy. Sent exclusively to males, many ages 21 to 27, it is no surprise that the click-through rate was 142 percent “above our average for all of our e-mail campaigns to date,” said Melinda Krueger, relationship marketing manager at Miller, Milwaukee.
“We are always looking for some value proposition and something of interest to the young male,” she said. “The best thing to focus on is fantasy games, sports, music and scantily clad women.”
The sweepstakes' grand prize, valued at $4,000, included VIP invitations to Playboy's Super Saturday Night Party, two tickets to Super Bowl XXXVII, round-trip coach air transportation for two and four days/three nights accommodations in San Diego, the site of the Super Bowl.
The e-mail went to several hundred thousand names in Miller's database, and 20,000 to 30,000 registered for the sweepstakes. About 30 percent of recipients were in the 21-27 age group.
“They drink more beer and at a time when brand loyalty is developing,” Krueger said of that demographic. “But we didn't exclude the older groups. We only excluded women, who represent 25 percent of our database.”
“Score the touchdown of a lifetime! Go to Playboy's 4th annual Super Saturday Night Party and the big game in January” appeared in the e-mail along with images of scantily dressed women, the Playboy logo and a bottle of Miller Lite along with the brand's logo.
Following the personalized salutation, the opening text reads: “How's this for a mix? Take one part ice-cold Miller Lite, add a few Playboy Playmates, throw in one hell of a lucky guy and what do you get?”
A link led to a mini-site that described the party and included pictures from last year's event as well as the registration form for the sweepstakes. Register to Win and Send This to a Friend options were at the end of the e-mail. About 1,300 used the Send This to a Friend option.
“If they registered, it tells us they were not offended by the Playboy e-mail,” Krueger said. “Having registered for the sweepstakes indicated that it didn't bother them and they could be targeted for similar offers in the future. It also tells us they're responsive to our offers and e-mail, generally.”
