Irvine-based Kia Automotive Group saved the final two spots of its Kia Optima campaign featuring Los Angeles Clippers basketball player Blake Griffin for his mid-season star turn.
The spots debuted first on its YouTube channel and then went on national television during the NBA’s All-Star Game weekend, held Feb. 15 through 17. Griffin was a starter on the Western Conference team, which won the annual exhibition.
Kia has five 30-second spots featuring Griffin for the NBA season, which began in October and runs into June. The campaign includes broadcast, digital and social media elements.
The spots show Griffin offering helpful suggestions to younger versions of himself. The key feature for the Optima is its hands-free infotainment system, which takes him on a time-traveling musical journey through the 1990s and 2000s. Â
The spots were created by El Segundo-based David & Goliath, Kia’s advertising agency of record.
Kia’s U.S. operations are part of Seoul-based Hyundai Kia Automotive Group. Kia sold 557,000 vehicles here and spent an estimated $380 million on advertising last year. The company has about 250 OC employees.
Anaheim.com’s Oklahoma Roots
Orange County’s biggest city is being advertised as The Activities Capital of the World on Anaheim.com.
The website isn’t owned or operated by the city.
It’s the property of Anaheim Holdings Online LLC, which is based in Laguna Beach and launched Anaheim.com in December. The site offers the public links to Anaheim hotels, ticket sales, and information on various events, attractions and restaurants.
It’s similar to destination sites such as LosAngeles.com or Vegas.com.
“The tagline plays off of all the things to do in the city and its centralized location between Los Angeles and San Diego,” said Billy Fried, chief executive of Anaheim Holdings Online.
Fried entered into a license agreement with a company in Oklahoma, Digimedia.com LP, which owns the Anaheim.com domain name. It pays fees to the company based on revenue generated by the website, with most of that coming from advertisements and commissions from hotels and venues.
Future plans include providing extensive content for Anaheim residents, with information on booking tee times at local golf courses; local service providers; neighborhoods; apartment rentals; homes for sale; and cultural events, along with “movers and shakers,” in Anaheim, Fried said.
The site is not affiliated with the Anaheim/Orange County Visitor & Convention Bureau, which has a similar website: anaheimoc.com.
Fried declined to disclose any financial information for Anaheim.com, but he said the site is trending very well and that he’s “signing up advertisers daily.”
Orange Label Honors
Wes Phillips, chief executive of ad agency Orange Label Art + Advertising, won the Vistage International 2012 Impact Member Leadership Award honoring his agency’s Ageless Alliance campaign.
The award was announced last month at a ceremony in Dallas.
Newport Beach-based Orange Label partnered with UC Irvine’s Center of Excellence on Elder Abuse and Neglect in early 2012 to, in part, to increase awareness of elder abuse.
Orange Label Art + Advertising had about $11 million in 2011 OC capitalized billings. It has 14 OC employees.
Social Strategies
Among recent strategies involving social media:
n Irvine-based Taco Bell Corp. used Facebook and Twitter to announce the second flavor of its Doritos Locos Taco. The Cool Ranch version is expected on the menu next month.
n Anaheim-based clothing retailer Pacific Sunwear of California asked customers to tag Instagram photos with the #GSOM hashtag for a chance to have their photography showcased on the company’s blog.
Bits and Pieces
Irvine-based marketing and PR firm Maricich Healthcare Communications hired Loren Mader as senior graphic designer and Grace Cho as producer. … Irvine-based tech PR firm Global Results Communications added Atlanta-based mobile news provider LSN Mobile to its client roster.
