The City Blitz was targeted to take advantage of the heavily outdoor nature of the markets to reach the intellectually curious target who is constantly on the move. By blanketing each city with its iconic red branding, The Economist was hard to miss. Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Minneapolis, Philadelphia, and Seattle were identified as having the greatest concentration of the target. Placements included high-profile OOH– all culminating with the launch of a “Hot Potato” Food Truck, which distributed baked potatoes, branded with contentious issues, that literally put The Economist subject matter in the target’s hands. The OOH came full circle, as the conversation was driven online with the target, which started conversations with @TheEconomist on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, while receiving support with rich digital executions.

Energized differentiation of the brand – how consumers view the brand as unique and relevant among its category competitive set – increased by 12.9%. Overall brand awareness in each market improved by 6.6%. Media outlets wrote about the campaign, and potential subscribers ate hundreds of potatoes before taking to Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to share the experience where @TheEconomist continued conversations around #HotPotato issues. The event-style activation became a tangible example of the wit and zest served up each week by The Economist.