A group of misfit toys that debuted in a Kia Motor America Inc. Super Bowl commercial is providing some extra mileage for the automaker.
Muno, a red cyclops from kiddie show “Yo Gabba Gabba,” a sock monkey and other pals from the commercial have been showing up elsewhere in Kia’s marketing.
The characters first appeared in a Super Bowl ad for the automaker’s Sorento crossover utility vehicle in which they come to life and have a little fun bowling, hot tubbing, riding a mechanical bull and partying in Las Vegas.
The commercial was created by El Segundo-based David & Goliath. It continues to air in 60- and 30-second spots on primetime and cable television.
Kia is using the characters as part of its ongoing print, mobile and direct-mail advertising.
“They weren’t a one-hit wonder,” said Michael Sprague, vice president of marketing at Kia, part of South Korea’s Hyundai Kia Automotive Group with its U.S. base in Irvine.
Muno and the sock monkey from the commercials were on hand at February’s Chicago Auto Show to introduce the Kia Rio subcompact.
“We brought them to add a little levity and capture the attention of the journalists,” Sprague said. “We want to let people know we are a fun, youthful and energetic kind of challenger brand by disrupting the norm.”
The characters appear larger than life in New York on Kia’s ad space in Times Square, which the automaker grabbed after General Motors Co. pulled out.
Expanding with Allergan
Costa Mesa-based Pacific Communications, a healthcare marketing agency that’s part of Allergan Inc., has landed another product from its parent company.
The ad shop is working on Aller-gan’s Sanctura XR, a treatment for overactive bladders.
Pacific is handling business-to-business and doctor interaction work as part of a co-promotion arrangement Allergan entered into with North Carolina-based Quintiles Transnational Corp., a contract research company.
Allergan picked up Sanctura XR in 2007 as part of its acquisition of New Jersey-based Esprit Pharma.
Pacific Communications competes for work from Allergan. The Sanctura win comes after the company won accounts last year for Allergan’s Ozurdex, a treatment for swelling of the retina, Acuvail, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, and cosmetic eyelash treatment Latisse.
Grocery Account
Laguna Niguel-based agency review consultant Blank and Associates completed a review for Raley’s Family of Fine Stores, a supermarket chain based in West Sacramento.
Blank and Associates was brought on three months ago to conduct a review of the grocer’s advertising account.
The account was awarded to Hoffman/Lewis of San Francisco.
Other finalists were San Francisco-based Baker Street Advertising, San Francisco-based Swirl Integrated Marketing and Raley’s incumbent, Sacramento-based MeringCarson.
Raley’s runs 134 stores in Northern California and Nevada.
Blank and Associates has done agency searches for a number of companies, including Carlsbad-based Jenny Craig Inc.—whose $60 million account was awarded to the Irvine office of Young & Rubicam Brands Inc.—and Villeroy & Boch USA Inc., part of Germany’s Villeroy & Boch AG, whose work went to Irvine-based RiechesBaird.
“I love doing agency reviews because it exposes me to all the great agency talent that is out there and I expand my network,” said Hank Blank, president of Blank and Associates.
Blank said he sees more companies looking to conduct agency reviews after the downturn.
Pizza Press Release
San Clemente-based OC-IT.com put its money where its mouth was with its latest publicity stunt.
The technology support company delivered pizza to a number of Orange County newspapers and magazines as part of its two-hour guarantee for support, even on weekends and holidays.
It’s a riff on the “30-minutes or it’s free”
promotion pizza delivery companies have used.
The company hired Huntington Beach-
based Juve Creative Inc. to handle pizza delivery duties and ongoing public relations support.
“There are so many IT companies out there, and they didn’t want to get swept under the radar,” said Patricia Margosian Terrell, director of communication at Juve.
In addition to the pizza stunt, Juve also has helped OC-IT.com with public relations, print collateral and Web site work.
OC-IT.com is the offshoot of San Clemente-based Lightning Technology Inc., a company that sells and leases computer products to businesses.
No word if the OC-IT.com will use the same approach to attract potential clients.
