The Breakthrough That Won't.

The marketplace had a problem.
With exposure to chloramine, a disinfecting agent in the water, NSF-certified seal materials were degrading at a rapid rate. Seal failure was causing performance issues and warranty claims for water handling equipment manufacturers who use seals in their products. Naturally, Parker quickly addressed the issue and invented a new material that could withstand prolonged exposure to chloramine in water without degradation or swell. (Talk about smart!)

Now Parker had a problem.
It needed to get the word out on the new material in a way that would be both believable and effective. Its solution was to contact McHale & Koepke and hand the problem over to bona fide communication experts. (Another brilliant idea!)

Now WE had a problem.
And we solved it with an ad and a technical bulletin. (click on any of the images to see them larger)

The ad:
Because the communication points were complicated and many, we chose to simplify the ad and build our case for the new material gradually.

• We introduced the problem in the headline, using the night vision effect to both intrigue the reader and illustrate the seals being targeted.
• We further explained the problem in the first paragraph and immediately offered the solution – the new chloramine-resistant seal material.
• Then we backed up our claim for the new seal material by citing the results of the research and offering a copy of the test data. We also pictured the test results, showing a degraded seal next to one made of the new material after 8 weeks of chloramine exposure.

The technical bulletin:
Using the same problem/solution approach, we again simplified the communication.

• We focused on the problem on the front cover, stating it clearly and simply.
• We then illustrated the problem by picturing the degraded seal.
• Inside the bulletin, we immediately countered the problem with the solution copy and undamaged seal photo. We also detailed research testing procedures, as well as the results and implications of the study.
• Comparison photos taken from the research further validated the information presented.