Volcom LLC, looking to shed its surf-only brand image, hired Georgia May Jagger, daughter of Mick Jagger and Jerry Hall to be the Costa Mesa-based footwear and apparel manufacturer’s new global brand ambassador.
“We’re so stoked to announce that @georgiamayjagger is our new global brand ambassador! #welcometothesquad #VolcomWomens #VOLCOMxGMJ #TrueToThis,” Volcom posted on its Instagram account last month. Fan comments weren’t as cheerful, though:
Submarineco: “Just lost a bit of respect for Volcom. Why not find an ambassador that does something other than being famous for being famous?”
Ndigomatt: “She looks like that chick from Charlie’s Angels”
Lydiapourmand: “Why not a girl who loves to shred?”
laurieguay: “Serious misrepresentation of the clientele your brand targets #posers”
emerikarl: “I guess there were no good-looking women who participate in any of the sports you sponsor. Oh wait … ”
“I do love the ocean,” the London-based model told Transworld Business. “We don’t necessarily have to be a brand that is a surf brand or a skate brand. I think it works in cities, too, and for girls like me.”
Hamster Comeback
Kia Motors America Inc.’s “advertising budget is up this year,” Vice President of Marketing Communications Tim Chaney said in a recent interview.
Part of the extra spending is going toward bringing back a lovable mascot team that’s been missing for a while.
“We did not have a hamster or major national campaign last year. We typically built them around new product introductions or redesign of vehicles, but we didn’t want to go two years without our friends on the stage. They’ve come to almost represent the brand in many ways because of their popularity.”
He was referring to the automaker’s new ad campaign for its compact Soul vehicle, “The World Needs More Soul,” which debuted last month at 34,000 movie theaters. It’s Kia’s “most ambitious hamster commercial production to date,” featuring “30 different music instruments representing more than 20 cultures from around the world,” created using nearly 3,000 hours of computer-generated imagery.
The 60-second “Soul Jam” spot was created by David & Goliath, Kia’s advertising agency of record. It stars musician Nathaniel Rateliff “trading guitar licks with a banjo-playing hamster who arrives on the scene in a Soul,” who are then joined by various musicians and people from all walks of life.
The automaker’s overall 2015 media spending totaled $336.2 million, according to Kantar Media in New York.
Missy Suits
Speedo USA in Cypress launched a line of performance suits for women and girls designed in collaboration with five-time Olympic medalist and holder of two individual world records Missy Franklin.
The “Missy Franklin Signature Series” will include one-piece suits and mix-and-match separates made of durable, chlorine-resistant fabric and “designed to make women and girls feel comfortable and confident in and out of the water,” the company said.
“In her first year as a member of Team Speedo USA, Missy Franklin has already been a fantastic ambassador for our brand, particularly as a role model among women and young girls,” Vice President of Marketing Pierre Martin said in a statement. “In creating this collection, Speedo USA’s designers helped Missy translate her experience and intuition as an elite swimmer into a line of swimwear that not only performs, but also expresses passion and personality in the pool and on the deck.”
Bits & Pieces
Vans Inc. in Cypress launched a Nintendo-inspired collection of footwear, apparel and accessories featuring the early days of video games and characters from Super Mario Bros., Duck Hunt, Donkey Kong and The Legend of Zelda.
