September 28 2006
Property Developer Runs Up Über-Tab
posted by Ana Samways at 3:33 pm
Last Thursday night at Soul (it’s a bar in Auckland’s Viaduct Harbour area) Zoe Chapman made a bet with an unidentified property developer, who, with a skin-full (and money to burn) was confident he could take Zoe home that night.
Thinking on her feet and armed with her video pxt phone, Zoe made a bet with him. If she didn’t go home with him, Mr Property would have to buy champagne for a month, for her and any women who walk through the Soul Bar doors.
Zoe managed to stay immune to his wonky charms, he admitted defeat and stumbled into the night leaving his credit card with the bar manager. Zoe then spread the word far and wide. Her email reads:
“Due to an interesting agreement I made last night there’s a free glass of French champagne at Soul bar waiting for you and any other girls who walk through the door — all you gotta do is tell the bartender “whack it on the platinum” and he’ll give you a free glass! This is totally legit…”.
A notice on Soul Bar’s website concurs:
“To clear up any speculation (and our phone lines), we can confirm the rumours are true. The owner of the now famous Platinum Amex Card is remaining true to his word. He has agreed to shout one free glass of Laurent-Perrier champagne to every woman who comes to Soul Bar and says “Whack it on the Platinum” till 22 October. And who are we to complain? His only condition being that he wishes to remain anonymous so please stop asking. Our only condition is we can only oblige between 5pm and midnight”.
As Zoe said in her email: “Let’s bankrupt him!”… Only in Auckland; or more accurately — only at the Viaduct.
September 28th, 2006 at 3:58 pm
haha, great story. (or very clever marketing)
I’m telling all the girls at work.
September 28th, 2006 at 6:23 pm
hey guys,
I’m 99.9% sure its a Amex marketing scam in cahoots with the drink and the bar. There are always the usual tell tale signs.
1. It actually makes no sense at all.
2. the bet Zoe makes is something not even a braindead parnell bimbo would come up with.. only a coke addled ad exec could
3. it’s for a short period of time.. gee like a campaign you mean?
4. i didn’t hear it from a friend telling me in person. it was viral.
5. platinum usually refers to Amex for heavy users. so its not that subtle at all.
welcome to my cynical world.
love
ant
September 28th, 2006 at 6:53 pm
Lure in the female punters with free booze? Sounds like Soul Bar’s attempt at a high-class month-long version of ladies night.
September 28th, 2006 at 7:08 pm
Campbell Live are covering this inane story tonight. A few agency lads will be opening very good bubbly tonight.
September 28th, 2006 at 7:31 pm
Sounds like someones got the viral marketing bug.
September 28th, 2006 at 7:33 pm
Yep, Belinda Henley got her free glass of champers courtesy of Mark the barman, looks legit.
Although I have to err on the side of Amex viral marketing.
September 28th, 2006 at 10:17 pm
American Express is not the only credit card company who offer a platinum card – Visa and Mastercard do too (and others overseas).
Besides, AmEx isn’t even named, but look what product is – the champagne…
September 29th, 2006 at 12:49 am
Oh, Amex is mentioned on the Soul website, but not in Zoe’s email. But I reckon if it were anything to do with the credit card, then “Zoe” would have name dropped it too.
September 29th, 2006 at 8:20 am
Yeah, it can’t be true, what woman in her right mind would pass up an evening’s exertion with a property developer? I ask you.
September 29th, 2006 at 9:21 am
Liar, liar pants on fire: I am all for clever viral marketing, but I think those involved shouldn’t lie when asked by the media directly. Either your promotion is clever enough and original enough not to be suspected, or you come clean once the media gets involved.
A PR I spoke to had this to say: “I agree – virals are meant to be fun, clever and engaging and if they connect on all levels – you pass them on…But we are in danger of crossing an ethical boundary if deception is involved and if media challenge the legitimacy of the content if would be foolish to sustain the deception
However – in this instance – I suspect the risk of Soul Bar offending the audience through deception is offset by the offer of a free glass of French Champagne.
The most telling part to me about this is once again we are seeing the power of the e-mail network and when word of mouth and internet combine – it’s a powerful force!”
September 29th, 2006 at 9:55 am
If it is a marketing scheme and everyone’s talking about it then it must be working. If it’s for real then it’s a classic story. Either way, Im pretty happy with my free champagne.
September 29th, 2006 at 10:03 am
I am willing to bet the remaining amount on my credit card limit that this is a marketing promotion for Amex. And I don’t bet in an environment I can’t control.
P.S. A similar promotion in New York a few years back backfired. These coke snorting ad execs don’t learn!
September 29th, 2006 at 11:52 am
I am 99% certain this is a marketing ploy. Last year at the same time the same champagne company in conjunction with Soul Bar ran a month long campaign of the first glass free to all ladies. Out of all the champagnes the “property developer” could have chosen he decides on the one that was free last year too – I don’t think so. Well done to Soul Bar though as last year they had to send email invites out to get the ladies down there – this year it was on the telly – very clever!
September 29th, 2006 at 11:52 am
“Coke snorting ad execs” bit 80’s don’t ya think? I say go the bubbly and go the chick who got it there.
September 29th, 2006 at 12:33 pm
Just been speaking to our PR person at work – and they said this was definitely a promo between Soul and the champagne company…
September 29th, 2006 at 12:51 pm
Really… how would your PR person know for sure though…? Are they associated with Soul?
September 29th, 2006 at 1:20 pm
Either way I think it’s genius!
September 29th, 2006 at 1:22 pm
Naff……they had the same promotion last year………same champagne
September 29th, 2006 at 1:31 pm
ok so usually if its free – theres always a catch, in this case there is, so who really cares! the point is: its FREE champagne!!!!!
keep it simple aye guys……
September 29th, 2006 at 1:34 pm
Naf Gaz only cause you’re a guy..free champers for chicks..hard life really.
September 29th, 2006 at 1:35 pm
I agree with Kate. Legendary.
September 29th, 2006 at 1:46 pm
agree the free champagne is great (from memory its a small glass though).
September 29th, 2006 at 1:54 pm
From memory (last night) it’s a normal sized glass and it’s a very good drop too!
September 29th, 2006 at 2:23 pm
While it’s cute, I’m really not a fan of viral marketing attempts when the marketers try to pass it off as anything but marketing.
Eg – the 40 Below ads that popped up on YouTube were funny, cool and worthy of viral ‘buzz’, but there was no attempt to pass them off as anything but clever ads. On the other hand, Cokes fake ‘Zero’ blog was a cynical ploy to sucker bloggers into endorsing the product. Not Cool.
Point is: if you have a campaign that is funnny enough (or involves free booze, hell!) you probably don’t need to lie about it to achieve the same effect.
September 29th, 2006 at 3:59 pm
Why not do something interesting and different which gives people something to speculate about? I mean it’s hardly hurting anyone. I think some people take life a bit seriously.
September 29th, 2006 at 4:14 pm
Bubbely, bubbely, bub. Cheers everybody – I think this is the best thing ever. Fake or real, who cares.
September 29th, 2006 at 4:36 pm
I am with Amanda, at the end of the day who cares??? bring on free bubbles….
September 29th, 2006 at 4:46 pm
Yay – free champaigne!
September 29th, 2006 at 5:07 pm
bring it on!!
September 29th, 2006 at 5:08 pm
The end justifies the means. I’m def gonna check it out!!
September 29th, 2006 at 5:16 pm
give zoe a big kiss from all the girls…. party party party
September 29th, 2006 at 5:17 pm
yesh you go girlfrien!
September 29th, 2006 at 5:26 pm
yeah quit the “marketing this and that” babble zoe whoever you are the ladies of auckland say cheers!
September 29th, 2006 at 5:37 pm
This is interesting – Olivia, Amanda, Steph, Renee, Nats, Lucy, Mel and Jane all made a series of pro-promotion posts in a short period of time.
Even if they were all real people expressing real opinions, it doesn’t even come close to selling me on the idea of going to that bar and uttering the embarrassing phrase “Whack in on the Platinum”. Ugh.
September 29th, 2006 at 5:38 pm
Lots of chicks, Lots of alcohol. Lots of shagging. Who’s complaining?
September 29th, 2006 at 5:41 pm
Yeah blogging is so much more fun than champagne ugh.
September 29th, 2006 at 5:42 pm
Hey Robyn: You forgot to say “Girlfrien”…
September 29th, 2006 at 5:45 pm
robyn sonbbin, relax darling, go and get yourself a glass of champayne pleassssssse x
September 29th, 2006 at 5:49 pm
yeah robyn – come on, we not complain!!
September 29th, 2006 at 6:47 pm
Even the comments on this post are a jack up, Ana. Sick! PR Bullshit and it takes a bullshitter to spot one!
September 29th, 2006 at 7:45 pm
If it is bullshit you guys (both negative and positive) are doing a great job of building hype and publicising it. At this rate the marketing team will surely get the last laugh (and no i’m not one of them).
September 29th, 2006 at 8:08 pm
This is hilarious! The anonymous harem of booze hags are trying to peer pressure me into their girly web of free booze.
If it makes me a snob, then so be it, but I’d much rather head down to my local at Mt Eden and buy a pint of lager than have to go into town and say “Whack it on the Platinum” for one glass of free champagne.
September 29th, 2006 at 9:39 pm
Nat, Mel and co. LMFAO.
September 30th, 2006 at 2:37 pm
You have said that already Robyn. But thanks for reminding us all..you are very cool, Have a pint on us.
October 2nd, 2006 at 12:19 am
Righto. Shall I say, “Whack it on the Jane”?
And of course I’m cool. I have no other operating mode.
October 2nd, 2006 at 3:20 pm
One glass of French champagne. Pfft. Viaduct sux.
October 2nd, 2006 at 3:56 pm
The only reason the viaduct ’sux’ is because there’s simply not enough girls who call themselves ‘hottie’ going there.
Lucky for the Pakuranga Cock & Bull, otherwise they’d go out of business.
October 3rd, 2006 at 10:16 am
Robyn, you should say “whack it on my arse” as that’s really what drinking beer will result in.
October 4th, 2006 at 2:55 pm
well i’ll be there every day until the 22nd of October @ $25 per glass i’m not complaining! Cheers
October 6th, 2006 at 2:11 pm
I went down and asked if it was true and got very blatant ‘ yes it’s true’ from the staff. Is that allowed if it’s a marketing ploy?
Do we still care?
All good points raised here by the way.
October 7th, 2006 at 11:08 am
Heh. If saying “whack it on the platinum” gives me a freebie to kickstart my good time evening, then I and my girlfriends are in to that! What’s the definition of “hottie” anyway? And should I care?
October 11th, 2006 at 8:53 am
I say cheers for the free plonk and well done to the clever marketing crew. Everyones a winner with this one!
October 11th, 2006 at 11:24 am
Yeeeeha!! This girl deserves a gold medal! Good looking out for the sista’s girlfriend!!
thanks for the free champas
October 13th, 2006 at 8:09 am
I must say that this is all a little contrived/tacky/simple/effective etc…
Free champagne for girls = lots of drunk girls = lots of drooling suits looking at drunk girls.
Guys love to be around lots of drunk girls. And of course they have to drink dont they, its a win win situation for promoters. So there are two ways to look at it. 1) Its tacky and semi sexist. So dont go then!
2) Its fun and free and what the hell, give me free bubbles! And if the viaduct is your cup of tea then its no big deal anyway.
So what about the guys then?
When do we get our free scotch for a month promo?