From Japan, With Branding: LA/ZONA Opens OC Office
Quiksilver’s Roxy Showcases Surfer Girls; Ron Jon Lends its Name to PT Cruiser
Marketing & Media by Jennifer Bellantonio
Orange County has landed a marketing and branding consulting company from Japan.
LA/ZONA Inc., one the largest consulting companies in Tokyo, has picked Newport Beach for its new U.S. headquarters.
The company was steered here by some local cheerleaders: Destination Irvine, an arm of the Irvine Chamber of Commerce (even though Irvine lost out to neighboring Newport for the office), and the state’s Office of Foreign Investment.
“It’s spacious and clean,” said Yoshi Ando, LA/ZONA’s U.S. representative who scouted the area. “Since there are many larger-scale businesses out here, it’s very attractive to have an office here.”
For now, the company’s OC digs are small. Ando is the only employee scouting work. But he says LA/ZONA, which employs about 100 workers in Japan, intends to grow depending on the number of clients it lands.
LA/ZONA works with big names in Japan, including Canon Inc., Fuji Photo Film Co., Ricoh Co., Sony Corp. and Daiwa Securities Group Inc.
The company usually hooks up with clients by working with some of the largest advertising agencies in Japan. It hopes to do the same here, according to Ando, who said he’s trying to set up a network of ad agencies in the U.S. that will steer the company toward clients
“We have wide range of experience as a branding and information design consultant (in Tokyo). I’m trying to do the same thing (here) cater to American companies that need help entering the Japanese and Chinese markets,” he said.
Roxy Movie
Roxy, the girl’s apparel line from Huntington Beach-based Quiksilver Inc., breaks a two-month marketing push this week geared toward surfers.
The campaign teaches girls how to make their own surf videos online, among other things. Roxy teamed with Screenblast, Sony’s Culver City-based broadband entertainment company, to develop the campaign.
Viewers can get sneak previews of Roxy’s new “surf NOW” how-to surf video at www.roxy.screenblast.com. They also can buy the video online, or just check out a tutorial showing them how to create surf videos using Screenblast software and Roxy images. Surf cinematographer Bobby Williams created the step-by-step video.
Visitors to the site can interact with Roxy’s team of professional women surfers, as well enter a sweepstakes for a chance to win a Sony Cyber-shot DSC-P5 digital camera, a Marine Pack MPK-P5 and a Roxy prize package worth $1,000. The campaign also features online and print advertising, in-store marketing and special events and activities, including Quiksil-ver/Roxy summer surf camps.
The Ultimate in Surfwear
Huntington Beach-based Quiksilver’s Roxy did it. Now Cocoa Beach, Fla.-based Ron Jon Surf Shop has jumped on board.
Last year Roxy teamed up with Toyota Motor Corp. for the Roxy Toyota Echo,the first time a surf company lent its name to a car.
This time Ron Jon and DaimlerChrysler AG have hooked up for a special edition Ron Jon PT Cruiser, a version of the 1930s-inspired, five-door wagon that’s a hit among the beach set. Ron Jon has a store at the Block of Orange as well as shops in Florida and New Jersey.
The special-edition PT Cruiser includes Ron Jon Surf Shop logos, a chrome-tipped exhaust and a sports bag, complete with a Ron Jon Surf Shop discount card, among other things.
According to trade pubs, Chrysler has produced 1,000 of the Ron Jon cruisers for about $20,000 a pop. They’ll be sold at Florida Chrysler dealers.
Bits and Pieces:
Santa Ana-based Script-to-Screen rec-ently did an infomercial for Salt Lake City-based Infinite Mind LC and its EyeQ reading and brain enhancement program. It features actress Pam Dawber,you remember, Mindy, from “Mork & Mindy” Huntington Beach-based PR Talent recently did public relations work for the San Clemente-based Surfrider Foundation USA’s annual “State of the Beach” report released on May 21 Laguna Hills-based Big Man Creative Inc. recently enhanced the Web site of band Relient K. The site now features a tour journal and photo gallery, among other things Aliso Viejo-based MD & A; recently added two employees to its cap. Lorena Acar is the new account executive and Marcela Amiune joined as diversified communications coordinator.
