Marin County’s Il Fornaio America Corp. has tapped Irvine’s Morgan Marketing and Public Relations LLC to get the word out about Canaletto Ristorante Veneto, a restaurant opening at Fashion Island next month.
Morgan Marketing is pitching stories on the restaurant to lifestyle magazines such as Irvine-based Freedom Communications Inc.’s Coast Magazine and Indianapolis-based Emmis Communications Corp.’s Orange Coast.
The company also is working with Fashion Island owner Irvine Company, which markets shops and restaurants opening there.
“We’re looking to create some excitement for the restaurant in the exclusive Newport Beach and Fashion Island area,” said Keri Follmer, account supervisor at Morgan Marketing.
Il Fornaio runs some 25 upscale Italian restaurants under the Il Fornaio banner, including one in Irvine. The Corte Madera-based company has yearly sales of about $150 million and is owned by New York-based private equity firm Bruckmann, Rosser, Sherrill & Co.
The Newport Beach restaurant is the second Canaletto Ristorante Veneto for Il Fornaio. The first is in The Venetian Resort, Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.
The Newport Beach restaurant plans to hold a few private events with local business groups to test the chefs, kitchen and menu, according to Follmer. It’s set to open Nov. 17.
Morgan Marketing’s work for restaurants continues, despite an industry slump.
This month, it launched a public relations campaign for Huntington Beach-based Charo Chicken Systems Inc. and did a Web site for Torrance-based King’s Hawaiian Bakery West Inc.
The public relations firm’s clients also include Santa Monica-based Fatburger Corp., Wienerschnitzel, part of Irvine-based Galardi Group Inc., and Rosemead-based Panda Restaurant Group Inc.
Ad Shop Busy with Clients
Santa Ana-based advertising agency Truth plans to expand its work for Kelley Blue Book Co. of Irvine and added two clients this month.
The agency does print and Web advertising. Other clients include Germany’s Siemens AG, South Korea’s Samsung Electronics Co. and Orange County Transportation Authority.
Truth is working on a Web campaign for Kelley Blue Book, which publishes information on vehicle pricing, including automobile trade-in values, as well as ratings and reviews of new autos.
“We’re trying to make people aware that it is not just used car information on the Web site, but also new car information,” said Wendy Buchs, a partner at Truth.
The shop has been working to raise the awareness of Kelley Blue Book’s offerings to generate leads with print ads in dealer publications. Truth also is doing Web marketing materials.
“We’re helping them get into social media as well, with a Facebook page,” Buchs said.
Kelley Blue Book named Truth its agency of record last year.
The company recently landed work with Long Beach-based Graffiti Tracker Inc., which uses GPS cameras and an Internet database to help law enforcement track and analyze graffiti.
The shop will be working with Graffiti Tracker on redesigning its Web site and Internet marketing as well as public relations to help the company expand beyond Southern California.
Truth is focusing on the district attorneys who play key roles in getting graffiti artists prosecuted and getting restitution, according to Buchs.
The goal is “getting enough restitution so that the product pays for itself and then some,” she said.
Five cities in Southern California bought the Graffiti Tracker system in the past few months, including Ventura, San Jacinto, Rancho Cucamonga, Lawndale and Hawaiian Gardens.
Truth also added Newport Beach-based QuickBlade Paddles, maker of paddle surfboards.
The shop plans to help QuickBlade with its Web site and some print ads targeted at surfing and action sport magazines and marketing inside stores.
“We’re even helping them with the hanging tags on their paddles,” Buchs said.
Ad Shop Doing Nonprofit Work
The Irvine office of Xperience Communications LLC is heading up the design team and coordinating the torch run for the 2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games this February.
The Special Olympics is set for February in Boise, Idaho.
Michigan-based Xperience does work for Ford Motor Co. and Panasonic Corp.’s Panasonic Shikoku Electronics Co.
The Irvine office will be helping with the design of the Special Olympics torch run with stops in 60 cities leading up to Boise.
The shop also will be helping design the entire podium setup that will be used within the ceremonies.
“We’re so busy working on our day-to-day paying jobs, its not often you get an opportunity that is something we can do to give back,” said John Jones, managing partner at Xperience.
The company has been busy working on pursuing work with drug companies to add to its client lists, he said.
