In what could be described as one of the boldest advertising stunts in quite some time, DHL managed to get employees of its competitors to deliver packages that said “DHL is Faster.”
Using a sneaky printing method that reacts to changing temperatures, the courier company was able to make the packages appear like a collection of innocuous black boxes. But once removed from a refrigerator and exposed to temperatures above freezing, the boxes started changing and eventually took on the striking yellow and red of DHL. Before long, delivery men from competing companies were recorded delivering boxes emblazoned with DHL’s catchphrase.
Due to its sneakiness, the campaign developed by Stuttgart-based creative agency Jung von Matt/Neckar, has been dubbed ‘Trojan mailing.’
And given that the covert stunt has left several companies red faced, it will be interesting to see how DHL’s competitors react over the next few months.
