The idea is as simple as it is brilliant. The best way to determine the quality of an eraser is by testing it.

STAEDTLER Benelux Marketing Manager, Tom Smet, capitalised on this fact and, together with the Belgian direct marketing agency, I DO, formulated a handwritten sales letter in which readers were invited to erase the text with the enclosed STAEDTLER Mars plastic eraser, allowing readers to convince themselves of the quality of the product.

The sales letter was sent to the faculty and purchasing departments of large art schools, enabling the company to reach influential opinion leaders who could then pass along their positive experiences with the product to students and others.

With this b2b campaign for Mars plastic, STAEDTLER impressively and very successfully emphasised the quality of the eraser. 

The mailing had a response of 12%.  In a follow-up telephone call 3 weeks after the letter was sent, all recipients could recall receiving the sales letter. In the end, the direct marketing campaign achieved a success rate of 43%.
The campaign also received an Honourable Mention at the Golden Feather awards ceremony in Belgium, as well as being nominated in the category of best sales letter for the CCB awards, an event regarded in Belgium as the “Oscar” of the advertising industry.

On top of the strong response from prospects, the mailing won some of the most prestigious advertising awards in the world:

• First Prize at the International John Caples Awards
  The John Caples Awards were founded in 1978 in New York, named after the legendary American advertising copywriter John Caples. They honour ‘Creative Solutions To Marketing Problems.’ The Caples awards are, together with the Cannes Lions and Eurobest, a showcase of the worlds best mailings, promotional actions and campaigns.
• Bronze at Eurobest
  The Eurobest advertising festival each year awards the most creative advertising of Europe. An international jury of top Creative Directors gave STAEDTLER a Bronze award in the category ‘Direct’. Only 28 awards were handed out in this category this year.
• Second Honorable Mention at Golden Feather Competition in Belgium
  The Golden Feather Competition in Belgium awards every 2 years the best sales letter. A jury of academics, marketeers, journalists and artists judges more than 200 sales letters and then selects the best 3. One of them wins the Golden Feather. The other two are awarded with a Honorable Mention, which is also a great result in this fiercesome competition.
• Nomination at Belgian CCB-awards
  The CCB-awards are an initiative of the Creative Club of Belgium. It is the Oscar of Belgian Advertising. STAEDTLER snatched up one of the only three nominations in the category ‘Best Direct Mail’.