Johnson/Ukropina Gets on the Bus With Quirky OCTA Ads
FCB Gets Rolling With Kawasaki; RiechesBaird Starts Work for Epicor
Marketing & Media
by Jennifer Bellantonio
The Orange County Transportation Authority is taking a new route to try and lure more riders. OCTA’s latest ad campaign uses a little bit more attitude and fun to reach broader segments of bus riders.
“We just wanted to push the envelope a little bit more to get more recognition for the bus system,” said Joyce Ukropina, partner of Irvine-based Johnson/Ukropina Creative Marketing, which has held the OCTA account for the past five years. “For those people in Orange County that don’t use the bus, they don’t recognize the (bus system). But it’s a huge people-mover here.”
Added OCTA’s, marketing chief James Williams: “The OCTA, unlike other public agencies, must convince riders to give up their hard-earned money to ride the bus. We offer a product. For that reason, we must approach marketing campaigns in much the same way a private company would.”
The first ads to feature the new look launched in the summer. The second round was recently unveiled. The cover of the OCTA’s new bus book, a route directory, features a tech geek holding a mini satellite dish and looking toward the sky. The copy tells about the University of California, Irvine, receiving a top honor for information technology education and shows people what bus routes to take to get there.
The ad’s tagline reads: “The bus. They’re your wheels. Use them.”
Ukropina said the ads are meant to show people the obvious,and not so obvious,places they can go in OC via the bus.
The campaign later will involve print, with a “spoonful of radio” and a “dash of cable TV advertising,” according to Williams.
“We look to expand these efforts in the future,” he said, noting that the OCTA’s marketing spending has not changed significantly through the years. “It’s extremely important for OCTA to communicate in a way that will attract new riders, as well as keep our current riders happy.”
The OC agency got the green light on the latest spots from OCTA’s chief executive, Arthur Leahy, who came on board last year.
Ukropina said Leahy is “pro-marketing.”
“From an ad and marketing standpoint he has given us the permission to move further out on the edge with our messaging. You’ll see a lot bolder messaging this (coming) year,” she said.
FCB’s Two-Wheel Pitch
Foote, Cone & Belding, Southern California is busy with client Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A. of Irvine.
The agency just finished a 30-second spot, dubbed “Worship,” which touts Kawasaki’s Ninja ZX-6R motorcycle. The commercial recently debuted on cable channel Speedvision as part of a one-hour Kawasaki special titled “Dream Rides,” a show that’s produced by FCB and takes viewers on motorcycle adventures. A national TV campaign breaks in January.
The print side of the campaign includes two ads: one for the Kawasaki ZX-6R and Ninja ZX-12R. They’ll break in January in a variety of enthusiast publications, such as Cycle News and Sport Rider.
Billings for the work was not disclosed.
Epicor Taps RiechesBaird
RiechesBaird of Irvine recently beat out a pack of undisclosed rivals to win a chunk of business from Irvine-based business software maker Epicor Software Corp.
The OC shop will be developing advertising branding strategies and e-business work for Epicore.
John Hiraoka, senior vice president of marketing at Epicor, said the company tapped RiechesBaird for its integrated services, strategic thinking and extensive business-to-business experience, among other things.
The agency already has begun work for Epicor, and plans to launch the first campaign during the first quarter. Billings were not disclosed.
Bits and Pieces:
Madelina Zuckerman Public Relations & Marketing Inc. was tapped by Long Beach-based Del L’Opera Restaurant Group to handle marketing, including for two opening events, and public relations for its newest 7,100-square-foot restaurant in the Irvine Spectrum. The OC shop also was hired by World Entertainment Centers LLC to promote a new shopping and entertainment center under construction in Las Vegas called Neonopolis. Billings were not disclosed Single Source Marketing in Costa Mesa will handle public relations and media buying for Acer Communications and Multimedia America, which is part of Taiwan’s Acer Inc., a maker of scanners, storage drivers, keyboards and more Cypress-based Creative Media Recording has been juggling work for a few clients. The shop provided audio post-production services for a new television commercial for a traveling “Star Wars” artifacts and costumes exhibit for the Smithsonian Institution. Plus, CMR was contracted by the Discovery Channel to record voice tracks for radio and TV commercials being produced for its Animal Planet cable network It’s a wrap: Laguna Hills-based Big Man Creative Inc. just launched a new Web site for Whispering Hills LLC, a residential community in San Juan Capistrano.
