The Princeton Review - College
Case Study: Maxim Spring Break (Beauty, the beach and…test prep?)
Client: The Princeton Review - College Marketing
Media Used: Print, Internet, grass roots
Objective:
Create a media and promotional opportunity that will aid the ongoing effort to give The Princeton Review brand a little more attitude over its competition among college students.
The Challenge:
How do you make a bunch of college students interact with an educational product while on spring break?
The Solution:
What is the one time when students think the least about school…Spring Break! What is the one thing college students think about most on Spring Break…the other sex! We wanted to continue to build The Princeton Review into the vernacular of the college student as a brand, not just a test prep service. We designed the ‘Worst Job of the Week’ interactive sweepstakes and cross-promoted it in Maxim Magazine and on Maxim Online. Maxim readers were asked to write in and describe their worst job ever. After sifting through descriptions of butcher shops and airplane lavatories, the Maxim editors picked a winner who won a trip for two to the Maxim Magazine Spring Break Party in Cancun.
Once in Cancun, we developed a “Be Prepared” competition. Participants were asked random and ‘entertaining’ questions about being prepared around the opposite sex while on spring break. “Winners” were given various Princeton Review branded beach items.
The Results:
There were over 20,000 people who took the time to write in their “Worst Job” experience. The lucky winner and friends were flown to Spring Break to enjoy sun, fun and…test prep. They, along with thousands of other college students, interacted with the Princeton Review’s brand (and Maxim models) with numerous games and giveaways. The “Be Prepared” events in Cancun were one of the most visited Maxim events (we are sure it had nothing to do with the Maxim models there).