Niche magazine publisher Action Pursuit Group LLC of Orange is turning to the Web.
The publisher, a unit of New York-based Apprise Media LLC, recently came out with a Web site counterpart to the print version of its magazine, Drifting.
The site, www.driftingmag.com, covers what’s known as drifting, a racing technique that’s big in Japan. Drifting is when a driver oversteers, turning the car sideways with the rear wheels slipping at a greater angle than the front.
Action Pursuit Group came out with the site to coincide with Universal Pictures’ “The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift,” which comes out this month.
The company hopes the film spurs interest in drifting here.
Craig Nickerson, chief executive of Action Pursuit Group, said next up on the Web is a redesign of its Action Pursuit Games site, then the launch of the Ultimate Grappling site, which targets ultimate fighting enthusiasts.
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Drifting: from Action Pursuit’s Web site |
Action Pursuit Group also publishes Victorian Homes and Romantic Homes magazines and several action enthusiast pubs, including Action Pursuit Games and Ultimate Grappling.
Charles McCurdy, cofounder and former president of Primedia Inc., started Action Pursuit’s parent company in 2004.
Copy Campaign
Santa Ana-based DGWB Advertising & Communications wants to foster a little intraoffice harmony.
The ad shop is targeting finance and technology workers in its latest campaign for Toshiba America Business Solutions Inc., an Irvine-based unit of Japan’s Toshiba Corp.
The work includes TV, radio, online and print ads. There’s also a Web site, www.lettheharmonybegin.com, which is the theme of the campaign.
The ads show techies selling finance types on replacing old copiers and printers with networked ones from Toshiba.
DGWB came up with the campaign after surveying finance and technology workers. The work pushes Toshiba’s copiers as something that’s affordable and productive, according to DGWB.
A global version of the ads are set to start July 1 in Mexico, Chile, Peru, Argentina and the Caribbean. The ads direct people to Toshiba’s Web site, which has mock discussions with finance and tech workers.
Atwater Village
Newport Beach-based Atwater mixes art with surf and street wear.
Last week, I gave a glimpse of the new apparel company.
I’ve since gotten more details about Atwater, which was started by two former designers of Costa Mesa-based Hurley International, part of Nike Inc.
Dean Bradley, Atwater cofounder and former art director at Hurley, said he expects to ramp up the company in the next six months. For now, it’s just he and cofounder and design director Scott Madison, a former design guy at Hurley and Irvine-based Billabong USA.
Atwater made its debut at the recent Action Sports Retailer Holiday trade show in Newport Beach and started in December.
The company is working hard to get its name out. The brand has been picked up by Jack’s Surfboards in Huntington Beach and is hoping to get space at The Closet in Costa Mesa and Surfside Sports in Newport Beach, among other shops, said Bradley, Atwater’s creative director.
In a bit of retail speak, Bradley said one of his main goals is to “offer better price points.”
Atwater’s garb ranges from $25 to $30 for T-shirts, $52 to $62 for board shorts and $75 to $85 for sweaters.
Rock and Ponies
Irvine-based Merit/Andrew film and production studio has been cranking out work.
The shop recently produced and directed a music video for hard and heavy Los Angeles rockers Moaning Lisa.
Merit/Andrew shot the footage at an abandoned hospital in east L.A., where the crew created a club setting in an old boiler room.
Merit/Andrew handled post production work with help from two other finishing houses, Riot Digital Studios and Tunnel Post, both in Santa Monica.
Meanwhile, Merit/Andrew was tapped by West Hollywood marketing consultant Donald Scott & Associates to produce two 30-second TV commercials that promote the Daily Racing Form newspaper and Web site.
The spots began running on ESPN in May and are set to continue throughout the summer racing season.
Bits and Pieces:
The Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim’s 95-foot tall marquee along the Orange (57) Freeway is done. The massive electronic sign with ads will promote events at the Pond, including concerts and Anaheim Ducks games next season.
