2014-10-01



Montblanc’s Great Characters campaign ad

Germany’s Montblanc is looking to draw philanthropists from Departures’ audience to highlight the good deeds of the publication’s readers.

Montblanc’s “Great Characters” initiative is housed as a sidebar advertisement on Departures’ mobile Web site where it asks for nominees. Positioned as a special promotion presented by the brand partners, rather than an ecommerce effort, Departures’ readers may be more inclined to click on the mobile ad.

“Montblanc has made an enduring commitment to encourage excellence through cultural advancement, making creative contributions to modern cultural life through supporting the arts, education, literacy and more,” said Mike Giannattasio, president/ceo of Montblanc North America, Murray Hill, NJ.

“We believe our consumers are also passionate about giving back and supporting their communities, similar to the nominees,” he said.

“Departures was a natural choice for the initiative as they share Montblanc’s commitment to timeless and enduring values of both exceptional craftsmanship and generous philanthropy.”

Giving back

Readers who click-through on the Montblanc ad found on Departure’s mobile Web site’s homepage land on page that describes what Great Characters entails. The heading shows readers that the program is part of Access Departures, the travel publication’s partner programs, events and special opportunity initiative.


Montblanc’s Great Characters effort above Departures Philanthropy Honors ad

“Sidebar ads that run on desktops are considered more valuable because they remain on a page for a longer period of time,” said Shuli Lowy, marketing director at Ping Mobile, Los Angeles. “When a consumer scrolls down a page, a top bar ad disappears first while the side bar ad remains on the page for longer.

“However, on smartphones sidebar ads are unusual because the screens are too small to fit a side bar ad well,” she said. “Ads are usually featured on the top or bottom of the page, not on the side.

“These days, when an ad is shown as a sidebar on a smartphone it’s usually because the site is not mobile-optimized. That’s the case here,” Ms. Lowy said. “Departures’ site is not mobile-optimized and therefore the Montblanc sidebar ad is about the size of a thumb’s nail–making it almost illegible without zooming in. This will decrease the amount of people that can consume the content on the ad and consider clicking through.

“Once the ad is clicked on, Montblanc has taken steps to ensure the post click experience is mobile-optimized,” she said. “Those who click on the page will therefore be more likely to complete the form.”

Below readers can learn about Montblanc’s “spirit of philanthropy” and that Great Characters hopes to recognize nine individuals from across the United States who are known for giving back to their community. The next section explains that Departures readers are invited to nominate people in their lives who have made a difference.

To nominate a charitable individual, the reader must submit a short essay explaining the nominee’s qualifications and which causes they support. Given Departures’ affluent readership, its core readers likely know many philanthropic supporters and may even consider themselves as a nominee. Here, the reader can also share the initiative on social media.

Once the minimum 250-word essay is submitted along with the nominators contact information, the nominee is eligible to be selected as one of the nine “Montblanc Great Characters.” The nine finalists will be announced in January 2015 by Montblanc in special profiles in that month’s issue of Departures.

Also, the nine philanthropists selected will be honored by Montblanc with a private fundraising reception in their community. The philanthropists will also be gifted a Patron of Art Edition Henry E. Steinway Montblanc fountain pen.


Montblanc’s Patron of Art Edition Henry E. Steinway foundtain pen

Above the fields to nominate a friend or loved one, Montblanc included its Bespoke 25 collection curated by Departures. Pieces purchased from the capsule collection will benefit the Departures Philanthropy Honors Gala on Oct. 7 in New York recipients charities and Montblanc’s Great Characters program.

The collection includes Montblanc men’s and women’s watches, writing instruments and leather goods. To give a sense of Montblanc’s varied offerings for the collection, the brand included a $900 calfskin leather portfolio case, the 58-piece limited-edition Villeret Chronograph Email Grand Feu for $67,500 and the 14.3-carat diamond encrusted Boheme Royal fountain pen in 18k-white gold for $227,200.

Great Characters collection prompt above the nominee information

Items can either be purchased via Montblanc’s ecommerce channel or by calling the brand directly.

The desktop version of Montblanc’s Great Characters can be found here.

Reader influence

Brands with philanthropic efforts often pair with publications to target readers who may be interested in taking part in the charity’s causes.

For instance, Italian fashion house Gucci promoted the efforts of its charity organization Chime for Change through advertisements on the mobile site of New York magazine’s The Cut.

The ad featured the Chime for Change logo and a click-through lead consumers to the charity’s mobile-optimized site. Gucci likely targeted the social and conscious audience of The Cut through the ad (see story).

Also, Condé Nast imprints joined the fight against mother-to-child HIV transmission through a partnership with charity Born Free Africa.

May issues of Condé Nast-owned publications, such as Architectural Digest and Vanity Fair, included Born Free Africa advertisements to spread awareness about the multi-faceted campaign. Condé Nast’s involvement with Born Free Africa included sponsored events, subscription-based donations and providing exposure for the exclusive capsule collection available at online retailer Shopbop (see story).

An ad that allows for direct interaction may hold consumer interest for a longer period of time and help with conversion rates.

“Luxury retailers often collaborate with a philanthropic initiatives that align with their brand and product,” Ms. Lowy said. “That initiate is used to elevate a static product into an uplifting, inspiring experience.

“Creating a pen line of Great Characters and working to recognize philanthropists elevates the Montblanc’s product from just a pen,” she said. “It transforms it into a tool that aids those who attend to great responsibilities and found impactful movements. It turns it into a status symbol.”

Final Take
Jen King, lead reporter on Luxury Daily, New York

Show more