Kwikset Seeks Agency; Register Mulls New Look
Samuels Darnall & Associates, a five-year-old Capistrano Beach ad shop that specializes in marketing for youth-oriented sports companies, recently picked up a new account with a division of Vashon, Wash.-based ski manufacturer K2 Corp.
The agency last week launched a print campaign for K2’s new Mach S ski in sports industry magazines such as Powder, Ski, Skiing and Freeze in the U.S. and Europe. The Orange County agency will handle creative for print advertising, in-store signage, collateral materials, technical manuals and catalogs.
“We were already doing work for K2’s free ride division, which makes products for young skiers who do flips and land backwards,” said owner Mark Samuels.
The agency, which was founded by Mark Samuels, 45, and his late partner Jeff Darnall, also handles advertising for companies including Snowmass Apparel, Irvine, and Powder magazine. The two surfers/snowboarders got their start at Surfer and Powder magazines, but moved over to the advertising side of the business handing assignments for companies such as Mossimo Inc. and Quiksilver Inc. Samuels said his 35-year-old partner died a year ago after battling with lupus. He credits his company’s strength in the wake of Darnall’s death to the “seeds he planted” when they founded the business. The agency, which has five employees, expects to bill about $1 million this year.
Turn-Key Account
Irvine-based Kwikset Corp., a Black & Decker Corp. company, is looking for a new advertising agency to handle its estimated $6 million account and has narrowed its search to seven agencies, according to Advertising Age magazine. Kwikset, a 54-year-old brand with 70 employees, manufacturers door knobs, remote control devices and other home security products.
Stop the Presses
Orange County Register Publisher N. Christian Anderson is looking for ways to reduce the newspaper’s expenses to make up a revenue shortfall over the past couple of months. “We are making some expense reductions (company-wide) in the year 2000 between now and the end of the year,” he said. Anderson, who took the helm roughly two years ago, also is spearheading a new design for the newspaper. “The design hasn’t changed for a number of years, so we are taking a hard look at that,” he said, adding that in “typical Register fashion, we won’t one day launch a new newspaper, but plan to roll out any changes in early 2001.” Privately held Freedom Communications Inc. in Irvine owns the Santa Ana newspaper.
Unthawing Delimex
Hawkins Advertising & Public Relations, Newport Beach, recently launched a radio campaign that runs through December for its San Diego-based client Delimex, a manufacturer of Mexican frozen foods with annual sales of more than $100 million. The agency’s focus is on building the company’s brand recognition among moms and touting its key products such as taquitos as “delicious Mexican snacks,” said Janet Hawkins Ichinose, president of the agency. “Delimex sells more frozen taquitos than any company in the U.S., but consumers who bought Delimex products couldn’t remember the Delimex name,” she said.
The 60-second English language spots will air on radio stations in seven states including KBIG and K-Earth in California and others in Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Texas and New Mexico. Hawkins won the account about a year ago. It does not disclose annual billings.
Spanish Jewels
Madeline Zuckerman Public Relations & Marketing Inc., Newport Beach, recently added a PR account with Carrera Y Carrera, a century-old Spanish fine jeweler. The agency’s first work is a private showing of the jeweler’s sculpture collection at the Orange County Museum of Art.
Zuckerman is also teaming up with journalist Bruce W. Cook to launch a social registry benefiting OC’s top charities with its listing of philanthropic community leaders and their favorite charities. The hard cover book will be distributed free to those listed as well as to sponsors of tribute pages. Also, the agency resigned its longtime account handling PR for Tiffany & Co. at South Coast Plaza, an account the agency held for 10 years. Zuckerman said it was time for a change.
At the Starting Line
Laguna Coast Publishing Inc., which publishes Performance Racing Industry magazine, is showing a 25% growth in exhibitors for its 13th annual Performance Racing Industry Trade Show to be held in Indianapolis from Nov. 30 through Dec. 2.
The company, which is headed by Steve Lewis, has reservations for 1,000 exhibitors and 2,500 booths and expects some 30,000 attendees from the industry. The Laguna Beach firm has sales of roughly $8 million annually and employs 22 full-time workers as well as a number of freelance contributors. The magazine has a national circulation of 25,000 subscribers.
Bits and Pieces:
Action sports industry PR guru Mike Kingsbury Marketing in Huntington Beach is spinning the latest surf industry gathering, the 2000 Vans G-Shock Triple Crown of Surfing. The contest, which runs from Oct. 30 through Dec. 21 in Oahu, Hawaii, features $433,000 in prizes including two events sponsored by local companies with $32,000 in prizes for both contests, the Billabong Girls and Quiksilver Roxy Pro.
