TUL Pens: Handwriting Analysis
Draws Appeal
DDB of Chicago created the TUL Pens Graphological Initiative, a tongue-in-cheek online ad promoting a line of private label pens designed, developed and distributed by OfficeMax. 
The Test of TUL
Using graphology as a framework, the piece initially seems clinical as visitors are invited to take a handwriting analysis conducted by host, Dr. Gerard Ackerman, Graphologist.
As humor and the decision tree draw you in, you realize it’s a farce and the doctor isn’t real, but feel compelled to complete the simple test and see what the analysis reveals about you.
Noon
I took the test, writing down the handful of words as directed, and chuckled at Dr. Ackerman’s feigned professional demeanor and delivery as he walked me through the analysis.
3:00 pm
Engrossed in my work, three hours had passed since I’d taken the test. I pushed back from my monitor, stretched my legs and my gaze rested momentarily on my desk where I saw written 5 times:
“I truly need a new pen.”
I’d been told the words contained a cross-section of characters suitable to delivering a proper handwriting analysis, and I’d subconsciously come to believe it. And now, on my desk—in my own handwriting—was an advertising come-on. I smiled in appreciation.
Fun and Informative?
Clever and transparently strategic, there was no overt sales pitch. My responses to a series of questions linked to a “personalized” narrative culminating in a specific pen selected from the TUL line to suit my particular writing style.
Fun enough to forward to a friend, yet amid the humor, a part of you wonders if the analysis is valid, leading a colleague to write:
“While the doctor’s analysis was nonsensical, by the end I was convinced that the pen shown really was the best one for my writing style. I felt special—the pen was selected for me.”
The TUL Pens Graphological Initiative is a well-penned bit of online marketing.
Tags: Retail Inspiration, Social Marketing, Featured, Products, Branding, Marketing, Advertising
