Experience the POWER OF THE PARTNERSHIP by visiting your local R2D2 mailbox at a street corner near you. Partnering with another business is nothing new in marketing but it's how you utilize that partnership that can create a powerful force.Take for example the new partnership between LucasFilm, LTD. (the creators of Star Wars) and the United States Postal Service (USPS). To generate buzz about the 30th Anniversary of Star Wars, these two organizations have plenty of options to choose from. Options such as creating a new series of stamps, displaying promotional materials in post offices across America, and having mail men/women handout promotional toys to children on their routes. But all of that has been done before. When partnering with another organization, you need to find a way to set yourself apart from all those marketing efforts that have been previously done. You need to ask the questions, "What is our hook?" and "What will make this special so people will take notice." It appears that LucasFilm and the USPS have answered these questions.
There are thousands of USPS blue mail boxes all over the United States. Most have prime real estate with heavy foot traffic. The problem is that most of these mail boxes have faded into the background. You just don't see them anymore. That is why this partnership is brilliant. R2D2 (actually written in the film script as Artoo-Detoo) is the perfect shape for a USPS mailbox which easily displays the promotional website www.uspsjedimaster.com. Beginning March 28th, clues will be posted on the site for a surprise promotion. If you visit the site, you'll be able to watch a specially modified movie clip that ends with an option of receiving an email reminder. This is a great way to measure the response rate to this partnering effort.So on the journey to find your nearest R2D2 mailbox, remember what See-Threepio (C-3PO) said, "Artoo! Artoo-Detoo, where are you?"
