FT launches innovative campaign aimed at media buyers

The Asian edition of the Financial Times has launched a desktop widget "themed around the pursuit of knowledge" as part of its year-long campaign to educate regional media planners of its advertising opportunities.

Financial Times' agencies, Tribal DDB and OMD, designed its FT Wisdom widget to look like a rotating Chinese Juniper Bonsai tree that displays a customised roster of FT stories throughout the day depending on the user's interests.

In a shrewd marketing move, FT sent live bonsai trees to select media planners in Hong Kong and Singapore. According to regional marketing director of Financial Times Jocelyn Cripps, these bonsais will be sporadically maintained by crews sent to these media offices by the FT, who will also educate the bonsais' owners of the FT's offerings.

''The FT wisdom campaign is a dynamic programme designed to appeal to media buyers and planners to enhance their awareness and understanding of the FT,'' Cripps said. ''Themed around the pursuit of knowledge and enlightenment, it will help provide an engaging platform to access FT information and the latest news on their clients.''

The campaign will further feature banner ads on sites across Asia.