Asics Butt of Own Joke in First TV Spots in a Decade
Johnson Gray Wins Mission Hospital Work; Freedom Presses Rolling With Lakers Book
Marketing & Media by Jennifer Bellantonio
Irvine-based Asics Tiger Corp., a maker of athletic footwear, apparel and accessories, is gearing up to launch a $6 million advertising campaign.
The marketing effort includes eight print ads and Asics’ first TV spot in 11 years, according to spokeswoman Shannon Scott.
“The brand is strong. It’s on a roll,” she said. “We feel like this is going to be the next step,a slow strategic roll out.”
San Diego-based VitroRobertson, which has held the Asics account for seven years, put together the campaign.
Print ads break in July publications, and a 30-second TV spot is set to launch this fall. The TV ads are being tested first in Boston before rolling out, Scott said.
Asics, part of Japan’s Asics Corp., is focusing on two new running shoes for fall: the Gel-Nimbus and Gel-Creed. The ads also highlight the company’s new seamless underwear.
The company is building on a theme about “truth” in its latest campaign. But this time there’s a twist.
In past ads, Asics “started out telling consumers truths about running,” Scott said.
Some of the ideas weren’t flattering or fun,such as running is hard,she said.
This time, Asics is pointing out truths about the company,for better or worse.
“Ten years ago maybe our shoes weren’t the best looking things but they were technical,” Scott said.
One black-and-white print ad shows a man readying for a run. The headline: “Proud wearers of Asics shoes since way back in the days when they were ugly. The shoes, we mean. Not the people.”
“A lot of brands come out and it’s like the second-coming of Christ,” Scott said. “You’ve solved the world problems with this one shoe. Yeah, we’ve got technology, and yeah, it’s great stuff. But we know we’re not solving world peace or anything. We make really cool products. It’s kind of poking fun a little bit at ourselves.”
Johnson Gray Wins Mission
Johnson Gray Advertising beat out several Orange County ad shops to scoop up Mission Hospital’s $3 million account.
The Newport Beach-based agency is set to handle events, advertising (including media buying), collateral, signage and other things. Johnson Gray also is set to help promote Mission Hospital’s services and a plan to extend their campus.
The hospital, part of Orange-based St. Joseph Health System, talked with 25 agencies and narrowed its selection down to four finalists, according to Johnson Gray.
Playing Ball
Irvine-based Freedom Communications Inc. and its flagship The Orange County Register are getting in on some basketball action.
They waited for the Lakers to secure their third straight NBA championship and let the presses roll on a new 100-page color book called “Thrillogy,” which chronicles the team’s road to victory.
“We’ve had an instant turnaround on production of the book,” said spokesman Eric Morgan.
“We printed 10,000 books and this is the first book of its kind.”
The books go for $14.95 and feature a foreword by longtime Lakers announcer Chick Hearn. Free-dom also is selling a commemorative “Three-mendous” T-shirt ($16.95),the same headline the Register used in its June 13 edition about the final game.
“Between our subscribers and additional distribution through Barnes & Noble, Borders and 7-11 locally, we are confident that they will sell and another print run will be necessary,” Morgan said. People who bought the book also had a chance to win tickets to the Lakers’ ring ceremony in Los Angeles more than a week ago and a night on the town.
Bits and Pieces:
San Clemente-based The Lawrence Co. has been tapped by the Santa Ana Chamber of Commerce to handle marketing and public relations, which includes the rebranding of the city of Santa Ana. The public relations firm is working closely with Santa Ana-based DGWB Advertising, which handles the account Big Man Creative Inc., Laguna Hills, is helping Kiso Guitars with Web and print marketing focused on its acoustic guitars, which are hand-built in the Kiso Valley of Japan and designed in Sonoma Valley.
