The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim signed Amusement Park in June to create a campaign targeting “women and other groups typically outside the scope of MLB marketing,” and the Santa Ana-based agency this month delivered three TV ads featuring Julie—“mom, superfan, Mike Trout enthusiast!”
The Angels centerfielder in one of the videos crashes a family photo, which Julie then promptly shares on social media. Another features her family enjoying helmet nachos, a container that also held her son when he was a newborn—thankfully, he remembers nothing.
The campaign is broadcast on cable TV in Orange County and the Inland Empire and on satellite TV in the Los Angeles area, and digital ads are on Angels social media. Amusement Park was in charge of copywriting, art direction, content development, and media planning and buying.
The agency also released its new work for Los Angeles County Fair, which opens Labor Day weekend. It features Darnel Pinson, whose grandfather was of one of the fair founders. Pinson, a.k.a. Fairdevil, is the official Fair Ambassador of Fun.
Olympic Marketing
Costa Mesa-based action sports apparel company Hurley International LLC released two videos to commemorate surfing’s recognition as an Olympic sport starting with the 2020 summer games in Tokyo.
One features three-time world champion Carissa Moore packing her bag for Japan—with Hurley boardshorts, of course—followed by a caption that reads, “It’s a great way to elevate the sport I love and share it with people from all around the world.”
The brand created a similar 15-second spot with John Florence, who’s considered among the best surfers in the world.
“I’m just excited for the opportunity to represent my country on the global stage at such a historic event,” said Florence, who’s sponsored by the brand.
The International Olympic Committee also gave the green light to baseball and softball, karate, skateboarding, and sports climbing.
“We want to take sport to the youth,” IOC President Thomas Bach said in a statement. “With the many options that young people have, we cannot expect any more that they will come automatically to us … Taken together, the five sports are an innovative combination of established and emerging, youth-focused events that are popular in Japan and will add to the legacy of the Tokyo Games.”
Face-Off
The latest ads by Hyundai Motor America Inc. in Fountain Valley, featuring the slogan, “Better is the reason to buy,” are directly targeting competitors Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Co.
One commercial compares the 2017 Hyundai Sonata to the Toyota Camry, with human drivers sitting in as crash dummies on a test track. The Camry advances to an auto crusher each time the announcer mentions a Sonata feature that the Camry doesn’t have, prompting its driver to look for an exit in despair.
Another ad pits the 2016 Hyundai Tucson against the Toyota Rav4, and a third compares the Hyundai Elantra to the Honda Civic. In a fourth video, the Hyundai Santa Fe Sport’s passenger space and optional panoramic sunroof stand up to features on the Honda CRV.
Hyundai’s advertising agency of record, INNOCEAN USA in Huntington Beach, created the ads, which are running on Fox News’ “Happening Now” show, among others.
Bits & Pieces
Irvine-based St. John Knits featured Mary Ta, owner of luxury furniture salon Minotti Los Angeles, in a series of videos about style. … TOO FACED in Irvine collaborated with Nikkie De Jager of the NikkieTutorials YouTube Channel to create the makeup collection It’s Happening. De Jager has nearly 5 million subscribers. … INNOCEAN USA plans to stay in Huntington Beach for another 10 years. The agency renewed a lease on a 35,228-square-foot space overlooking the Pacific, 900 square feet more than it had before.
