Description: A collectible coin
Main Pitch: "Commemorate the pope's first US visit"
Main Offer: $19.99 for the coin with case and certificate
Bonus: The People's Pope Medallion (free)
Marketer: Tristar
Watch the spot
With Pope Francis set to visit the US for the first time later this month, this was somewhat predictable. A commemorative plate and cross have also been released. (I write about the latter, which is from a different marketer, in the upcoming issue of Response.) This is pretty much a template in DR that seeks to capitalize on any significant event that people might want to commemorate -- from royal weddings (2011's Royal Heirloom Ring) to historic elections (2008's Obama Victory Plate and Presidential Coin) to tragedies (the controversial 9/11 coin).
S7 Analysis: There is no S7 criterion that explains the strange attraction collectibles have on certain people. They definitely aren't needed, but the targeted buying group must be big enough or these campaigns wouldn't work well enough to get repeated again and again.
