Fountain Valley-based Hyundai Motor America Inc. ran afoul of the Catholic Church in its advertising campaign at the World Cup in South Africa.
The automaker, part of South Korea’s Hyundai Kia Automotive Group, aired a commercial during the tournament that parodied some parts of the Catholic Church.
The TV spot, called “Wedding,” was a twist on a Catholic mass that had a soccer ball being worshiped.
It’s one of Hyundai’s three TV spots—created by Irvine-based Innocean Worldwide Americas—for the World Cup.
Some Catholics felt that the advertisement mocked sacred images.
Hyundai pulled the commercial.
“The unexpected response created by the ad, which combined soccer and religious motifs to speak to the passion of international soccer fans, prompted us to take a more critical and informed look at the spot,” the automaker said.
The commercial was replaced with other ads created for the campaign, including one featuring an elderly soccer fan who takes his passion for the game to the grave.
The commercials are part of Hyundai’s “Loyalty” campaign promoting the automaker’s new vehicles. Hyundai bought 287 TV spots during the month-long World Cup and is the official auto sponsor of the tournament.
Japanese Candy Targeting Fans
Irvine-based Morinaga America Inc. is looking to win converts to its latest Japanese candy import.
The Japanese company, part of Japan’s Morinaga & Co., is marketing its Hi-Chew Fruit Chews through free samples at Angel Stadium of Anaheim and at next month’s Anime Expo 2010 in Los Angeles.
Morinaga, relatively new to the U.S., is popular in Asia and the Middle East. The candy is similar to Wrigley Jr. Co.’s Starbursts and is sold at 7-Eleven, Costco, Ralphs and other stores.
Morinaga began giving samples to Angel Stadium visitors in April.
This season’s debut of Japan’s Hideki Matsui on the Angels—which has spurred interest from Japanese marketers and media—was a coincidence, according to Toshiya Yasuda, president of Morinaga in Irvine
“We started talking with the Angels before Matsui showed up, not because he showed up,” he said.
The company also has started handing out samples at Safeco Field, home of the Seattle Mariners.
Morinaga is looking to get the candy promoted at other stadiums, Yasuda said.
The company is hoping to find a friendly crowd at this month’s Anime Expo, a convention focused on Japanese animation.
The candy is the No.1 selling soft candy in Japan, according to Morinaga.
Los Angeles-based Matrix Consultants is working on other U.S. marketing efforts, which include spot radio buys on Angels radio and a social media campaign.
Not Quite Dead
The presses at the Los Angeles Times’ Orange County printing facility were thought to have had their final run this month after 42 years in Costa Mesa.
But one week after the plant closed, the Times quietly reopened the facility after its Downtown Los Angeles plant was unable to keep up with the added workload.
The decision to reopen the Costa Mesa facility came after an overload during the NBA Finals when copies of the Times ended up being delivered late and were missing sections.
Delivery of the Orange County Register also was impacted—the Times delivers the Register after the two struck a deal last year.
Workers who were transferred to the Los Angeles facility have been sent back to Costa Mesa for now.
It’s unclear how long the plant will stay open.
The reopening come after Publisher Eddy Hartenstein said in January that the newspaper’s printing work was being consolidated at its upgraded production facility in Los Angeles to save costs.
Plans to phase out the OC facility began in February.
The newspaper’s deadlines were made earlier as part of the planned closure and the paper also incorporated a supplement featuring late-breaking news, called LATExtra, in February.
One of the five presses from the OC plant was taken to Los Angeles earlier this year. The other four were slated for mothballing.
The Times’ OC editorial, advertising and circulation operations are expected to remain at the Costa Mesa facility.
Bits and Pieces
Irvine-based Taco Bell Corp., part of Louisville, Ky.-based Yum Brands Inc., is doing another tongue-in-cheek marketing stunt with a national petition to the Federal Reserve calling on it to circulate more $2 bills for Taco Bell’s $2 Meal Deal. The Mexican fast food chain is calling on consumers to sign the petition on Taco Bell’s Facebook page … Irvine-based AdtekMedia Inc.’s PumpTop TV announced a marketing effort with Los Angeles-based ExerciseTV LLC, a digital fitness network that provides fitness videos, workout plans and exercise tips. PumpTop is set to promote ExerciseTV’s offerings with 30-second exercise videos on its network of display screens at gas stations. PumpTop TV joined forces with Santa Monica-based Outcast last June to create a combined network of 12,600 screens at service stations and convenience stores.
