Pop-up shops are not just for pearls and purses—BMW is back at South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa after a successful debut last year.
The shop is just a few doors down from the Microsoft store and will remain open until the end of the year.
BMW of North America is staffing the space, and five local dealers are footing the rent bill: Irvine BMW; Shelly BMW in Buena Park; Crevier BMW in Santa Ana; Sterling BMW in Newport Beach; and Long Beach BMW and Mini.
The space is showcasing high-end vehicles, including the $150,000 i8 plug-in hybrid sports car, whose features require more than just a test drive to educate the consumer about its full potential.
The staff at the pop-up shop doesn’t sell the cars; visitors are instead directed to participating BMW dealers.
“It’s a gentlemen’s structure between the five dealers,” Steve Rudkin, general manager of Irvine BMW, said how they divvy up sales leads generated at the gallery.
More than 100,000 people visited the first pop-up store last year. It opened a week before Black Friday and closed in February.
Reopening on June 11 with a longer lease made sense, Rudkin said.
“We had great exposure and felt a lift in business for the end of fourth quarter and the beginning of first quarter of 2015. South Coast Plaza is a luxury mall with high traffic that gives us the ability to get in front of many Orange County customers that usually wouldn’t walk into a dealership.”
Dentsu Buys Stake in Athletes First
Dentsu Inc. paid $16.5 million for a 33% stake in Athletes First LLC in Laguna Hills, according to the Law360 website.
Tokyo-based Dentsu, with about $5.7 billion in revenue, is one of the world’s largest advertising companies. Athletes First, an athlete management agency, was founded in 2001 and had about $10 million in revenue last year. It represents National Football League players and coaches, ESPN broadcasters, professional baseball players and other athletes in contract negotiations and in commercial endorsements that totaled $1.15 billion last year, according to Forbes.
The deal will help expand its business in the U.S. and internationally.
Hospital Rebrand
KPC Health in Santa Ana rebranded its four Orange County hospitals:
• Western Medical Center-Santa Ana is now Orange County Global Medical Center.
• Western Medical Center-Anaheim’s new name is Anaheim Global Medical Center.
• Chapman Medical Center in Orange is now known as Chapman Global Medical Center.
• And Coastal Communities Hospital in Santa Ana is South Coast Global Medical Center.
The new names were chosen by hospital leadership, and the new logo was created by KPC Health’s in-house marketing team. Venture Strategic in Irvine is helping the hospital system with its marketing and public relations strategic plan.
Bits & Pieces
New York-based Folio Magazine selected Jennifer Black-Glover, chief digital officer at I-5 Publishing in Irvine, as one of its 2015 Top Women in Media. … Irvine-based Tilly’s Inc. held its Endless Classic charity golf tournament on June 22 at the Dove Canyon Golf Club. Proceeds will support Tilly’s Life Center and its “I Am Me” and “I Am Healthy” programs for youth. … Cypress-based Vans Inc. named Carlsbad High School the grand prize winner of its sixth annual Vans Custom Culture design competition and awarded a $50,000 donation toward the school’s arts education program. The brand also launched a commercial featuring its team members, Dane Gudauskas and Leila Hurst, surfing alongside Mickey Mouse and his animated pals. The one-minute video showcases Vans’ Young at Heart collection with Disney characters across footwear, apparel and accessories. … Professional wrestling Hall of Fame inductee Steve Austin has signed on as a brand ambassador Kawasaki Motors Corp. U.S.A. He will be featured in upcoming Kawasaki advertising and marketing campaigns and make special appearances at events. … Laguna Beach-based advertising agency Young Co. added a second office on Forest Avenue just a few doors north from its current location.
