Lake Forest-based Altamont recently added music producer to its duties as a skate apparel manufacturer—perhaps not a surprise for a label named after a 1960s rock festival.
“A lot of brands work with musicians, but Altamont actually produces their own records,” said Brand Director Chris Thomas. “It’s a new program we started at the beginning of this year, [selling] limited-edition, 7-inch vinyl records, which we record ourselves, mix, master … featuring independent punk bands that we connect with.”
The first two music groups to get a record deal with Altamont are Girl Tears and No Parents. Each release had about 300 to 400 records produced in the marketing manager’s home studio. The brand is working on a third release for a total of four for the year.
“We sell records via our website, but we are trying to get retailers involved, as well,” Thomas said. “Urban Outfitters, for instance, has a huge vinyl section now, and a lot of action-sports retailers are seeing the resurgence of vinyl. Definitely it’s a smaller thing for us now, but eventually we want to turn it into something bigger.”
The musicians, like Altamont skateboarders, will be featured in the brand’s upcoming “Define your decade” marketing campaign, talking about what Altamont’s revamped apparel line and its new decades-inspired pant styles—969, 979 and 989—mean to them.
“We wanted to redo the entire line, to get it more in tune with what’s currently going on with skateboarding, and elevate it slightly to appeal to that mid-tier, contemporary customer that’s out there,” he said, adding that print ads will run in action-sports and art publications, including Thrasher Magazine, Monster Children and What Youth.
Altamont is a subsidiary of Sole Technology Inc., which also owns the etnies and Emerica brands.
Sports Center Sponsorship
Ladera Sports Center plans to hold its grand opening Aug. 6 without a naming sponsor for the $22 million, 60,000-square-foot facility, which features eight basketball and volleyball courts, a 3,380-square-foot strength and conditioning space, student study rooms, a cafe and gym executive offices.
Owner Michael Schwartz, also chief executive of the Ladera Ranch-based SmartStop Self Storage Inc., said that about nine companies have expressed interest in doling out “a couple hundred thousand a year” for the naming rights but that he’s still “waiting for the right opportunity.” He’s also considering putting his own company’s signage on the building, which he calls the “Staples Center for kids.”
It’s a (Local) Win
Beyond Fifteen Communications Inc. in Irvine added two local companies to its roster of clients: Astoria at Central Park West, a luxury high-rise apartment community, and Proove Biosciences Inc., which performs genetic testing in a laboratory on its Irvine Spectrum campus, examining samples primarily gathered through patient cheek swabs to analyze DNA.
Irvine-based digital marketing agency Rhythm also picked up two new accounts—ZO Skin Health Inc. in Newport Beach and Schreiber Foods Inc. in Green Bay, Wis.
Rhythm, in partnership with BrandingBusiness in Irvine, will design and develop a “responsive website that will showcase Schreiber’s rich past and drive their mission in a more engaging manner in addition to implementing a strategic social media strategy to further connect with targeted audiences.”
ZO Skin hired the agency to provide various marketing services, including website design and development, search marketing, content and campaign development, and paid media support.
Bits & Pieces
Mazda North American Operations in Irvine launched a redesigned website as part of its move to “the near-premium landscape” and to “better engage with customers throughout the car buying, and owning process.” Its agency of record, Garage Team Mazda in Costa Mesa, worked on the design and development of the site with San Diego-based digital agency Mirum, which also is part of WPP. … BSH Home Appliances Corp. in Irvine promoted Beatriz Sandoval to director of brand marketing for Thermador. She was most recently senior marketing manager for the brand. … The Wienerschnitzel hot dog chain, part of Galardi Group Inc. in Irvine, marked the company’s 55th anniversary on July 11 by selling its three classic hot dogs at 55 cents each.
