Creative coupons draw consumers

Though I've only been "self-supporting" for a few months, I already practice regular coupon cutting. It holds great potential in saving money. However, one of the pitfalls of cutting coupons is the advertising to which I willingly submit myself.

One such Sunday, I mentioned to my co-workers that I planned to buy a Sunday paper. They excitedly told me about one specific coupon in that Sunday's paper. I purchased my copy of the newspaper, and dug through it to find the coupon. Once I found it, I was entralled.
It was a coupon for Viva paper towels. Inside the two-page inserted advertisement was glued a single sheet of the paper towels.

I've never purchased Viva paper towels because I've always been in favor of the generic fifty-cent-per-roll kinds. However, I was fascinated by this ad. A free sample. It was soft. It felt super-absorbent. I wanted to buy it.

I am usually sensible with coupons. I study whether it would be cheaper to get the generic brand or the name-brand with a coupon. I operate by the rule that I won't buy it just because I happen to have a coupon for it.

The ad is a great ploy to entice consumers to try the brand. I told several people about it myself, because of the unusual tactic. Therefore, Viva not only obtained the attention of the coupon cutters, such as myself, Viva also benefited through word of mouth by interested people who didn't even buy the newspaper that day.

All in all, I think it was incredibly clever, and I would've loved to have the opportunity to design that particular ad. It is definately outside the box, and it heightened the profit from advertising to the waning audience of newspapers.