History Channel’s “Top Gear USA” is set to give Brea-based American Suzuki Motor Corp. an episode to prove its worth to movie stars.
The show, based on British Broadcasting Corp.’s “Top Gear,” is set to feature Suzuki’s 2011 SX4 SportBack hatchback as part of its “Big Star in a Small Car” segment this month.
The segment is a riff on the “Star in the Reasonably Priced Car” feature where celebrities race in affordable vehicles on the British version of “Top Gear.”
The ongoing segment is set to feature music, TV and movie stars racing around closed tracks in the smaller, affordable cars to show off their styling and performance.
For Suzuki’s segment, Tim Allen, Michelle Rodriguez, Dominic Monaghan, Kid Rock and Tony Hawk raced around a 1.6-mile track at the former El Toro Marine base in September.
Each driver competed to see who could finish the course the fastest.
Editor & Publisher Shift
Boating and fishing magazine publisher Duncan McIntosh Co. has changed the staff at newspaper journal Editor & Publisher and moved the operation to Irvine.
Three people from elsewhere within Duncan McIntosh now are in charge: Jeff Fleming, editor-in-chief, Kristina Ackermann, managing editor, and Deena Higgs Nenad, associate editor.
Mark Fitzgerald, Editor & Publisher’s previous editor, was let go along with others.
The moves are designed to bring Editor & Publisher’s operations under one roof, according to Duncan McIntosh.
Before, Editor & Publisher’s editorial staff worked from four states with a majority of the operation run from New York.
Duncan McIntosh acquired Editor & Publisher in January from New York-based Nielsen Holdings BV, which had closed the publication in December.
Terms of the sale weren’t disclosed.
Duncan McIntosh produces Boating World magazine, Sea Magazine, The Log Newspaper, FishRap and other publications.
The company also puts on the Newport Boat Show in the spring and the Lido Yacht Expo in the fall.
Brand Affinity Does Music
Irvine-based Brand Affinity Technologies Inc., an advertising startup with technology that aims to help match celebrities with endorsement deals, has expanded into music.
The company announced a deal with New York-based RCA/Jive Label Group, part of Sony Corp.
Brand Affinity runs a specialized database that hooks up advertisers and marketers with celebrities and athletes for endorsement deals.
The company has some 38,000 celebrities and sports figures in its database.
With the RCA/Jive deal, the company’s advertisers have access to singers including Britney Spears, Kelly Clarkson, and others.
Brand Affinity’s also brought on PepsiCo Inc. as a client and advertiser on the company’s netBat software for tracking celebrities and athletes online.
Ad Shop Moves, Adds Clients
After 12 years on the Balboa Peninsula, Blue C Advertising has moved from its office to Costa Mesa.
The move puts the advertising shop closer to clients such as Santa Ana-based Wahoo’s Fish Tacos and others.
“We were able to be closer to our local clients, closer to our clients who fly into John Wayne Airport to visit us and increase space for future expansion,” said Eric Morley, principal at the shop.
Blue C recently landed some new clients.
It is handling a marketing campaign for the U.S. arm of Maxxis International, part of Taiwan’s Cheng Shin Rubber Co., and freestyle motocross rider Brian Deegan.
The shop is set to debut an action film in Las Vegas called “Deegan vs. Deegan.”
Additional clients include New York-based Konig Wheels Co. and Monster Energy, part of Corona-based Hansen Natural Corp.
Bits and Pieces
Laguna Niguel-based contract management software maker Blueridge Software Inc. has started a social media marketing campaign for its Contract Assistant product. The campaign involves websites Facebook and Twitter and a blog targeting other businesses … Costa Mesa-based Shout Public Relations landed Villa Park-based Pink Laundry Boutiques as a client. The shop plans to handle media relations and promotions for the designer clothing chain … Irvine-based digital marketing agency Rhythm Interactive Inc. has started an e-mail and social media marketing campaign for San Diego-based Barona Resort & Casino. The digital shop also created a dedicated website for Barona Club members.
