Laguna Niguel’s Mr. Handyman of South Orange County is hoping some marketing buzz at the Academy Awards draws business.
Not to mention some possible star time. The company hopes to find itself repairing odds and ends at movie stars’ digs, thanks to a move by its franchise parent, Ann Harbor, Mich.-based Service Brands International.
Service Brands’ marketing director and other folks schmoozed Academy representatives over lunch and got a Mr. Handyman gift certificate slipped into Oscar gift baskets, which were handed out at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood last month.
Getting in a gift basket is coveted. In the past, baskets have included swanky items, such as stays at world-class resorts, high-definition TV sets and Caribbean cruises.
Mr. Handyman gave away a day of repair services to folks that walked away with a basket, which included presenters, performers and other guests.
The move had “everybody pumped up and excited,” said Michael Moore, owner of Mr. Handyman, which offers repair services to businesses and residences.
(No, there’s no relation to the director behind “Fahrenheit 9/11” and “Bowling for Columbine.”)
Another Handyman franchisor in Beverly Hills, who also happens to be a screenwriter, helped land the deal.
“Being included in the Academy Awards gift bag further recognizes Mr. Handyman as a leader,” Moore said. “Typically, the organizers go to the premium brands in a category.”
The company’s gift card was put in a confetti-filled paint can with a black, red and gold design featuring the Mr. Handyman logo. The lid’s label read: “Your Handyman is Inside.”
“Big name actors and actresses are no different from anyone in Laguna Niguel,they don’t have the time or skills to complete home repairs,” Moore said.
Mr. Handyman also got some other kudos.
In its January issue, Entrepreneur magazine, part of Irvine’s Entrepreneur Media Inc., ranked the franchise No. 1 in the handy man/home repair category.
Mitsubishi Hires Ad Agency
Cypress-based Mitsubishi Motors North America Inc. awarded its $200 million creative ad account to Omnicom Group’s BBDO North America after long talks with the New York ad shop.
The move ended weeks of competition among BBDO and Temerlin McClain Advertising of Dallas and Publicis West of Seattle and Publicis and Hal Riney of San Francisco, competing units of France’s Publicis Groupe SA.
The U.S. arm of the Japanese automaker, which is struggling with slumping sales here, also recently awarded its Hispanic ad work to Grupo Gallegos in Long Beach. That review originally included Tustin-based al Punto Advertising Inc.
Al Punto dropped out and went on to win the Hispanic account for Irvine-based Kia Motors America Inc.
Previously, Deutsch in Los Angeles, Mitsubishi’s general market agency of record, translated campaigns into Spanish. Deutsch withdrew from Mitsubishi’s general creative review.
IPW Forms Division
Delphine Channels, former special events manager at Santa Ana’s DGWB Advertising and Communications, teamed with Jill Tallman, owner of Costa Mesa’s IPW Product Development Co., to start an IPW division.
It’s called IPW Experience and based out of IPW’s Costa Mesa headquarters, Channels said.
“We are working with ad agencies that don’t offer event services in-house and with marketing professionals directly,” she said.
IPW wants to incorporate a “live component” into traditional advertising campaigns to catch consumers’ attention, Channels said.
“To keep a brand current you have to deal with your consumers in a personal way,” she said. “TV spots and print ads are no longer enough to reach ad cynical consumers. We focus our efforts on how (and) where the brand message is delivered.”
IPW Product has eight workers and handles corporate gifts, tradeshow giveaways and awards for clients that include In-N-Out Burgers Inc. and Boost Mobile LLC, both based in Irvine.
Channels said she recently hired a project coordinator for the division.
“If all goes as planned we hope to be adding another project manager in the next six months,” she said.
IPW Experience is waiting to hear word on a few pitches, Channels said.
The division plans to focus on event marketing and planning, and sponsorships.
Back at DGWB
DGWB recently nabbed an account.
The shop was named agency of record for Beverly Hills-based Hilton Garden Inn, which is part of Hilton Hotels Corp.
DGWB beat out several undisclosed shops in a national review. Mandi Dossin, DGWB’s general manager, will head the account.
