Turning Pen Theft to Playful PR Campaign with Codex

Launching a creative and engaging ‘Pen Pincher’ integrated campaign, combining radio promotion, on-street activations, and data-driven media outreach to raise brand awareness and engage the public.

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Codex, Ireland’s leading B2B office solutions company, aimed to extend its brand recognition to consumers through the ‘Pen Pincher’ campaign. The idea stemmed from a light-hearted moment on SPIN 1038’s breakfast show, where the hosts joked about missing pens in their office. Codex seized the opportunity by gifting personalised pens and a pen-safe, turning the relatable issue of “pen pinching” into a creative campaign. The initiative unfolded in two key phases

The first part featured a week-long competition on SPIN 1038’s ‘Fully Charged‘ show. Daily and overall prize winners were announced alongside ad spots and live listener interactions on a station with 266,000 weekly listeners. To complement this, the station’s on-street team, the ‘SPINIs,’ distributed branded Codex pens at key commuter locations in Dublin. Passers-by could take part in a fun ‘pick and win’ activity, with the chance to win a premium gold Codex pen, adding an interactive element to the campaign.

The second part focused on earned media coverage. Cullen Communications conducted a survey on pen pinching habits in Irish offices and used the findings to craft a data-driven press release. Insights revealed that nearly nine in ten workers have had a pen taken from their desk, while 70% admitted to taking a colleague’s pen themselves. These statistics created engaging content for media outreach.

By blending paid media, on-street activations, and earned media efforts, the campaign positioned Codex as a trusted office solutions provider. It also boosted consumer engagement and brand awareness among a core demographic of office workers.

Media Relations

Secured, planned and managed week-long radio promotion and competition with SPIN 1038; supported with on-street activations.

Carried out a field survey of Irish office workers on pen pinching habits in the workplace; developed data-driven press release based on the pen pinching survey findings and managed media outreach to Irish national, regional and business media.