Yamaha Keeps Local Shops Busy; CKE’s Burger Tussle
Irvine-based Specialized Marketing Services Inc. has opened a satellite office in Oahu, Hawaii.
For the past year and a half the firm has provided direct response marketing, database and fulfillment services to several clients, including Hilton Resorts Hawaii.
“With our growing presence and a genuine need for full-service direct response expertise in the islands, we knew it was time to open a branch office,” said Gloria Robbins, chief executive of Specialized Marketing.
The 1,000-square-foot office has a staff of just one to start. Mary Pat Wentz, who was recently hired as director of client services, will run operations. She has “built solid relationships with the major hotel chains” in the area, according to the firm.
“That was our goal,to hire in the market to serve the market,” said Wilma Yowell, senior vice president.
Specialized Marketing employs about 60 people in a 60,000-square-foot office and warehouse space in Irvine, which is used, in part, to house clients’ informational products.
Three years ago, Specialized Marketing opened its first satellite office in the San Francisco Bay area, which employs one. The Hawaii location marks the second regional branch.
Seeing Red
Forget about the red carpet, DGWB Advertising in Santa Ana went with a red couch to woo another chunk of business from Yamaha Corporation of America in Buena Park.
Without a formal review, the agency was tapped to a handle Yamaha’s home theater account. DGWB created a new icon for Yahama’s home theater systems,a red couch, the same color as many theater seats. The couch is threaded through Yamaha’s campaign, featuring print ads, Web ads and collateral.
“DGWB has created a powerful advertising icon for us with the Yamaha Red Couch,one that can assist in all our marketing efforts and gain strength over time,” said Doan Hoff, Yamaha corporate manager, advertising and sales promotion.
The first print ad in the series features a red couch in a battle scene from the movie “The Mummy” by Universal Pictures.
According to DGWB, future ads will also showcase the red couch in other “dynamic settings” to promote Yamaha. Billings for the account were not disclosed.
Speaking of Yamaha
Costa Mesa-based Marshall Advertising & Design recently finished production on a new Yamaha all-terrain vehicle spot, which is part of a multimillion dollar campaign recently launched for the 2002 line of ATVs from Cypress-based Yamaha Motor Corp.
The 30-second TV spot features music from “The Sound of Music” and pushes the theme that the Yamaha Grizzly 660 ATV is “so rugged, agile and advanced, it allows riders to venture nearly anywhere with ease.”
The campaign also features radio and magazine spreads, as well as promotional print and outdoor advertising. Print ads are running in ATV and hunting enthusiast magazines.
Burger Battle
Carl’s Jr., part of Anaheim-based CKE Restaurants, recently got some heat for ads promoting its new Six Dollar Burger.
The campaign from Mendelsohn/Zien, Los Angeles, includes an in-store display comparing the Six Dollar Burger (for $3.95) to “the burger I just paid about $6.25 for at Friday’s.”
Dallas-based T.G.I. Friday’s Inc. wasn’t amused and filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court in Los Angeles claiming the ads were false and misleading. Neither side was available for comment.
Out of the Frying Pan
Waters & Faubel Inc., a Lake Forest-based public affairs and marketing agency, prevailed over eight other firms to win a $350,000 contract from the Orange County Fire Authority.
The agency, which is virtually synonymous with client the El Toro Reuse Planning Authority, plans to develop a public information and community outreach program for the fire authority. The goal: to increase public understanding of the independent public agency’s safety services, governance structure, decision-making process and financial management practices.
About two-thirds of the $350,000 contract will be spent developing informational materials for residents in the 22 Orange County cities and county unincorporated areas where the fire authority serves. Among the highlights: information on the fire authority’s plan to build a Regional Fire Operations and Training Center on 16.5 acres of land in Irvine dedicated by The Irvine Company.
