• by Aaron Baar , September 21, 2011

In the second year of its efforts to convince the world that it makes more than copiers, Xerox is showcasing how it helps two new businesses in different ways while looking to get more people involved via a Twitter contest.

"[We're] expanding upon that same story to reinforce the fact that Xerox is not just a technology company," Barbara Basney, vice president of global advertising for Xerox, tells Marketing Daily. "We're showcasing how we're helping companies behind the scenes with services that most people don't know we provide."

In a continuation of its "Ready for Real Business" marketing campaign, the Norwalk, Conn. company is introducing two new television commercials featuring Michelin and Virgin America.

In addition to the new commercials, Xerox is launching a Twitter-based sweepstakes, encouraging people to complete the line: "To me, real business means ....", and add the hashtag #FlyWithXerox. One winner will win two round-trip tickets on Virgin America.

"We were looking for a fun and unexpected way to expand the 'Ready for Real Business" campaign," Basney says of the Twitter contest. "It's more fun and exciting than just providing a press release."

In the commercial for Michelin, the company's mascot character Bibendum is interrupted from his work fighting (by heaving tires) a gas pump monster by two accountants. "I can see that you're busy, but you were going to help us crunch the numbers for accounts receivable today?" asks one of the accountants. "I know that this [defeating the gas pump monster] is important, but ... this [the receivables] is important too." A voiceover explains that Xerox helps manage Michelin's finance processing "so they can focus on keeping the world moving."

The second spot for Virgin America airlines showcases how Xerox has taken over the company's call center operations and increased the division's productivity by 10%. Xerox launched the campaign last September with vignettes featuring clients as diverse as Procter & Gamble, Ducati Motorcycles, the New York Mets and Marriott.

"The more stories we can tell, the more powerful it is in helping people understand we are a business services company," Basney says. "Each one of these ads is showing a different way we're helping real customers. I think we have a lot of runway left to do that."