• by Aaron Baar , September 12, 2011

DHL is out to show business leaders that it knows the international world better than any of its competitors in a new advertising and marketing campaign that touts the company as the "International Specialists" who operate at "the speed of yellow."

"We are continually looking at ways to strengthen our leading position as the industry's International Specialist, and the new advertising campaign showcases how we are doing this against the backdrop of a complex international network," Christine Nashick, VP of Marketing for DHL Express U.S., tells Marketing Daily, in response to e-mailed questions. "The International Specialist brand campaign demonstrates the company performing Express tasks, delivering goods and enabling business expansion across the globe, with speed, versatility and efficiency."

Set to the tune of "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," a video ad (which will run in elevators) depicts a DHL van leaving a pick-up point and turning into a beam of light that snakes through various international locations and different businesses (such as small restaurants and car assembly plants). The lights are also shown shooting through the air and landing in disparate areas like the arctic (where a film crew is working), even to a space station to deliver tools. A voice over calls the service "the speed of yellow," and concludes with the line, "Excellence. Simply Delivered."

"The advertising messages are conveyed through unique illustrations and by leveraging the power of music driving the action and energizing the brand," Nashick says. "The campaign is supplemented by a series of customer service tags that bring a friendly, local face to DHL Express' global positioning as the 'International Specialists.'"

In addition to the out-of-home elevator video, the campaign includes digital, print and airport advertising to reach the company's target of small- to medium-sized businesses. Print advertisements, using the company's signature yellow color, use headlines like, "A dress is stitched in Hong Kong. The next night it's applauded in Paris," and "A contract is signed in London. By 10:30 a.m. the next day, it touches down Wall Street."

The campaign will appear in 19 U.S. markets as well as 42 global markets. Translated into 25 languages, the campaign is the largest in DHL's history, Nashick says.