The $76 million, 13,500-member Carolina Collegiate Federal Credit Union partnered with The Daily Gamecock student newspaper at the University of South Carolina for a 13-week promotion called The Garnet Ticket, based loosely on the Golden Ticket in “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.” Through the fall semester at the Columbia, S.C., campus a “Garnet Ticket” was placed in one of the 50,000 daily newspapers delivered each week. Whoever found the ticket won cash prizes from Carolina Collegiate and prizes from other sponsors. 

“We were looking for a unique way to create excitement within the student community for our new branch on campus” said Anne Shivers, CEO of Carolina Collegiate FCU. “We knew that this was not a 'build it and they will come' kind of project. We needed to get students talking about us.” 

Shivers said the campaign and the opening of a student-run branch on campus has helped drive new account openings well past that of previous years. The Garnet Ticket promotion was developed by your marketing co. in of Greenville, S.C., in conjunction with The Daily Gamecock. (Garnet and black are the university's colors.)