Hidden Treasure

Sometimes the jolt you need to boost sales-center traffic is simply buried in the sand, or so Brookfield Homes in Fairfax, Va., found with its recent treasure chest campaign. An extension of a treasure map-themed newspaper insert promising "a bounty of free upgrades," the treasure chests contained scrolls with specific upgrades - such as a free washer and dryer, a free garage door opener or $1,000 toward a kitchen countertop upgrade - that buyers could redeem at any of almost two dozen Brookfield communities in the Washington area. With 20 treasure chests produced for only $100 apiece, the campaign reaped a fortune for the company, resulting in doubled sales-center traffic for a month after the promotion. Janet Howell, vice president of sales and marketing, calls the campaign "a successful and innovative program that we believe went beyond the scope of a traditional ad campaign."