The Printing House Ltd. (TPH) has embarked on an epic quest with a series of online videos that feature The Printz, an old world Nordic warrior who always offers the perfect printing solution.
“The industry is perceived as a little archaic and a little behind the times, and quite honestly it’s the reverse… We also want to show we’re not a dry printing company,” said Marc Petitpas, vice-president of TPH.
Each episode starts with The Printz and his co-worker Keith discussing the pitfalls of day-to-day work activities like smoke breaks and using the office microwave. The Printz then delivers a dramatic tale from his homeland followed by a short non-sequitur sales pitch before returning to the storyline. The videos run two-and-a-half and three minutes and end with the TPH logo and URL.
The first two episodes were sent to current and prospective clients along with a Printz calendar. Recipients are encouraged to follow The Printz on Twitter (“Do you also usher in the New Year by rolling a giant burning wheel down a hill?”) or through his Facebook page.
The attempt to go viral is a departure for TPH’s marketing, which traditionally relied on print and direct mail. But social media allows the company to speak to its customers “in a way that’s modern and advanced because our customer is already there,” said Petitpas.
However, TPH is also supporting the campaign through a national print campaign set to launch Jan. 16.
While the creative concept, print ads and scripts were developed in-house, TPH partnered with Hooligan Filmworks and Rooster Poster for production and post-production work, respectively.
TPH will produce as many as 12 videos over the next year, said Petitpas. The third installment launches on Monday.
