Global UPS Push Comes From the 'Heart'

UPS today launched its first global campaign, dubbed “We [Heart] Logistics,” which touts the many worldwide services the brand offers.The campaign, a first by UPS' new agency Ogilvy & Mather, has kicked off in the U.S., China and the U.K., and will debut in Mexico next week. It follows a move by the package delivery company to build a bigger global presence and to promote its services.“We [Heart] Logistics," UPS’ biggest ad push in three years, centers on the power of logistics and how it helps large and small businesses succeed in a global marketplace. The effort includes TV, print, social and digital media channels, as well as outdoor executions. There is also a microsite, TheNewLogistics.com, which houses customer testimonials.The headline on a full-page print ad running in the Tuesday and Thursday editions of The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times reads: "Why Logistics Is the Most Powerful Force in Business Today. (And Why You Should Understand It.)" Meanwhile, a 60-second spot introduces business owners to the same idea. “Logistics make the world work better,” one UPS worker says. A woman’s voice -- in the form of a song -- explains to businesses just how that has come to be.Maureen Healy, vp of advertising, brand and customer communications at UPS, said the initiative stemmed from the observation that UPS, despite its large-scale brand reach, didn't have a global brand campaign until now. And many businesses don't know that corporate acquisitions over the last 10 years have grown UPS' service offerings. “We’ve developed a broad portfolio that we think is unmatched in the industry,” Healy said.In the past, the package delivery company typically ran different campaigns in the U.S. and overseas. The most recent one, “Whiteboard,” featured The Martin Agency’s Andy Azula, the creative director that worked on the account, explaining the company’s products and services on a whiteboard. That campaign aired in the U.S., while “Deliver More,” which touted the company’s international offerings, simultaneously ran overseas.“We’re at a point in our history where we want to relaunch with a global brand campaign and a global brand idea,” Healy said, adding that “logistics” is a term that's globally understood by business owners.The campaign comes at a time when many businesses are emerging from an economic downturn. Thus, the ads focus on efficiency and how partnering with UPS enables businesses to run more productively, said Betsy Wilson, the company’s global advertising director. (The company spent $85 million on advertising last year and $37 million through the first six months of this year, excluding online, per Nielsen.)UPS isn’t the only advertiser tapping into such insight. Earlier this month, Xerox launched a campaign that centers on how its business services enable clients like Procter & Gamble, Target and Marriott Hotels, among others, run more efficiently.Benjamin Jones, svp of creative for Digitas’ b-to-b unit, said the UPS campaign illustrates the "challenges of trying to do mass b-to-b" advertising. Companies with complex supply chains may already be well aware of what logistics consists of, while smaller businesses may still be grappling with the idea, Jones said. But overall, he said, "the light, playful tone with the complex global message is a good evolution for UPS."

Brand Marketing

Global UPS Push Comes From the 'Heart'

Elaine Wong

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Elaine Wong