Costa Mesa-based Volcom Inc. revamped its collection of men’s denim and is promoting the line’s launch with a marketing campaign.
“Real Life Happening” questions “modern technology’s interference with living an adventurous life,” according to the apparel and footwear manufacturer.
It includes a three-minute video that follows the brand’s skate team throughout the U.S. over the course of eight months, each member wearing the 2X4, Vorta, Solver or Kinkade style of Volcom Brand jeans. Ads were shot by Alexandra Valenti, Arto Saari, Matt Wignall and Gary Copeland.
“Volcom was built on the idea of getting out there and doing something,” Ryan Immegart, said Volcom’s executive vice president of global marketing, “to inspire people to go skate, make a record, paint a picture, anything that contributes to the creative energy in the world and participation in making ‘Real Life’ happen.”
The marketing campaign also showcases the denim’s performance features, including enhanced moisture wicking and classic details, such as a “V” belt loop, hidden cell phone pocket, and a two-piece coin pocket.
Volcom, along with sister company Electric Visuals in San Clemente, is part of Paris-based Kering.
AVP Signs Up Rakuten
The Association of Volleyball Professionals in Costa Mesa has picked up e-commerce company Rakuten Inc. as a sponsor.
Rakuten Card, the Japan-based company’s credit card subsidiary, will sponsor the inaugural Rakuten Card Cup on the 2015 AVP Tour.
Rakuten, which owns the Aliso Viejo-run Rakuten.com, will be featured in on-site tournament advertising and on national television.
Japanese beach volleyball player Koichi Nishimura is scheduled to play in the series of exhibition matches alongside American players, while also serving as a Japanese goodwill ambassador for the sport of beach volleyball.
“Rakuten has made significant investments in the U.S. in recent years and also has a history of sports involvement with their ownership of the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles, the 2013 champions of the Japanese Nippon Professional Baseball League, so coming on board with the AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour is a natural fit,” Donald Sun, the association’s managing partner, said in a news release.
AVP added San Francisco-based DripDrop Inc. as a sponsor in May.
Anniversary Toast
Irvine-based Juice It Up has released a video that “highlights the brand’s commitment to fueling active lifestyles with products that meet the nutritional wants and needs of guests at every level of health.”
The marketing effort is part of the raw juice bar and smoothie franchise’s 20-year anniversary celebration.
“We’re excited to highlight the region’s beachy, active lifestyle and culture in our summer anniversary campaign and introduce the new California Cooler Summer Smoothie,” Chief Executive Frank Easterbrook said in a statement.
Bits & Pieces
Freedom Communications Holdings Inc. in Santa Ana marked Disneyland’s diamond anniversary by publishing a special 24-page section in the Orange County Register and reprinting a limited-edition, 16-page “souvenir” edition exactly as it ran in 1955. It also launched the ocregister.com/Disneyland microsite, dedicated to all things Disney. … Stance Inc. in San Clemente named pop singer Rihanna its contributing creative director in a three-year deal. … Xentina Creative Group, a San Juan Capistrano-based digital marketing and technology agency, launched a European office in Alicante, Spain. … Beyond Fifteen Communications Inc. in Irvine added GMR Transcription Services Inc.; the North American region of Crown World Mobility; Antis Roofing and Waterproofing; AutoMD; Cloudify; Nikken; and the Bendetti Co. to its roster of clients. … Andrew Mencinsky joined SUP Magazine in San Clemente as its sales and marketing manager. … Irvine-based Starch Creative, founded by Vans retail veterans Michael Hurst and Brandon Ball, acquired Airtime PR in Irvine.
