Santa Ana-based DGWB Advertising & Communication has added kitchen appliance maker Thermador as a client for the second time.
Thermador, part of Huntington Beach-based BSH Home Appliances Corp.—a unit of Germany’s BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgeräte GMBH, itself a venture of Robert Bosch GMBH and Siemens AG—makes high-end ran-ges, refrigerators and dishwashers.
DGWB handled Thermador’s account from 1992 to 1995. It lost the account in late 1995 when Thermador changed hands.
“The new higher-ups at the time wanted a more promotional business-to-business approach and we were doing mainly direct-to-consumer type work,” said Mike Weisman, DGWB president.
The ad shop was tapped again after a six-month review with a number of national and local ad agencies.
“It’s funny since a lot of the engineers and designers still remember our old campaigns,” Weisman said. “It’s like reuniting with old friends.”
DGWB will be helping Thermador in its bid to capture a larger share of the crowded luxury appliance market.
Thermador competes with products from Mississippi’s Viking Range Corp., Head NV of the Netherlands and its Dacor brand, General Electric Co.’s Monogram, Minnesota-based Whirlpool Corp.’s KitchenAid and Thermador’s parent company’s Bosch brand.
“We have a challenge in not only competing with other companies but several of BSH Home Appliances’ other brands,” Weisman said.
The ad shop is handling strategic planning, media planning and buying, creative development, public relations and a separate media campaign.
DGWB is looking to build on Thermador’s storied past. It has a long history in popular culture as the preferred brand of Julie Child and made up the kitchen on “The Brady Bunch,” Weisman said.
Post Modern
Irvine-based Post Modern Group LLC is starting 2010 under new ownership and with some automotive work.
The post production shop, known for providing entertainment for airlines and cruise ships, saw Chief Executive Roy Cox sell his majority stake in the company to current President Rick Warren and Vice President of Sales Amir Samnani.
According to Warren, the company—with about 80 workers—will be run as it always has been.
Post Modern was founded in 1993 when the shop began servicing Hollywood studios with the release of non-theatrical productions.
Cox helped guide the company into the airline and cruise ship markets, which now make up the core of the shop’s business.
The company started its Airline Media Productions division providing content management services to airlines in 2007.
Post Modern expanded into India and Saudi Arabia and is seeking out business with European airlines.
The shop picked up several pieces of post production work from Fountain Valley-based Hyundai Motors America Inc.’s advertising agency Irvine-based Innocean Worldwide.
“We’re doing all the tagging for all the national spots across the country,” Warren said.
Irvine-based post production shop Shelter Post is handling most of the Hyundai account.
Sweepstakes Work
Tustin-based Vertical Marketing Networks rounded out 2009 with two client sweepstakes.
The ad shop handled Mission Viejo-based James Hardie Building Product Inc.’s “I love my Hardie Home” social media contest.
James Hardie, part of Netherlands-based James Hardie Industries NV, makes building products including fiber cement siding, which was the focus of the YouTube sweepstakes.
The ad shop launched the contest in August, encouraging homeowners to show off their James Hardie siding on YouTube and complete the statement, “I love my Hardie Home because.”
The winner of its “Why I Love My Hardie Home” video contest was presented a check for $9,000 toward their mortgage payments for their winning, three-minute amateur production in November.
“Companies spend a significant amount of money to find out what their customers are thinking,” said Prashant Panchal, head of marketing at James Hardie. “We learned quite a bit through listening and gain even more credibility by joining the conversation.”
The ad shop also oversaw a $500 shopping spree for Cypress-based Bandai America Inc., a toymaker that’s part of Japan’s Namco Bandai Holdings Inc., as part of the ongoing Ben 10 Alien Force Alien Creation Sweepstakes.
The ad shop is coordinating the sweepstakes in which the grand prize winner will get to be a kid reporter for Bandai at the annual Toy Fair in New York this February.
“It’s the ultimate experience prize package that basically gives a kid the opportunity of a lifetime, while promoting Bandai,” said Danielle Conte, account director for Vertical Marketing.
