DC Shoes Inc. in Huntington Beach is celebrating its 20th anniversary by kicking off the “Defy Convention” ad campaign.
The brand, owned by apparel manufacturer and retailer Quiksilver Inc., released a six-minute video on its YouTube channel highlighting its accomplishments in action sports, such as skateboarding, snowboarding and motocross.
“It (was) started in 1994 by a group of skateboarders with a viewpoint that was nearly unheard of at the time that skate shoes should be designed with the skateboarder’s needs in mind,” company officials said in the video commentary. “From there, the spark of innovation caught fire and led to a revolution in skateboard footwear and apparel. For 20 years prior, and for 20 years ahead, DC’s dedication to progression inspires people around the world to defy convention.”
The company is also running digital ads to promote its redesigned Lynx skateboarding shoe, which was originally released in 1998.
The ad features skateboarder Josh Kalis, who describes the impact the shoe has had on skateboarding, while skateboarder Matt Miller gives viewers the official introduction to the “modernized DC classic.”
“For years, people have been asking us to re-release the Lynx shoe, and this modern version perfectly symbolizes our long history and forward commitment to progression,” Jeff Taylor, senior vice president of global brand and marketing for DC Shoes, said in a news release. “With 2014 being DC’s 20th anniversary, there was no better time than now to bring the Lynx back.”
The footage of skateboarders is set to Gang Starr’s “Check That Technique” song.
In 2012, DC Shoes spent $1.9 million on marketing in the U.S., according to New York-based Kantar Media.
Teen Shows Them How
Wet Seal Inc. in Foothill Ranch launched a branded Snapchat account last month as part of its effort to connect with teens in the digital landscape. Snapchat, a mobile application, enables people to communicate with friends through photos and videos. The content self-destructs a few seconds after it’s viewed.
Wet Seal partnered with Meghan Hughes, 16, to “bring her authentic energy to the brand’s channel.” Meghan has 200,000 YouTube subscribers, 49,000 Twitter followers and another 101,000 on Instagram.
She posted “snaps,” or snapshots, of her activities and Wet Seal outfits over a holiday weekend and created a Snapchat story of her family’s holiday festivities that raked in more than 6,000 views.
“We were pleasantly surprised by the immediate growth and enthusiastic response from the Snapchat users,” said Christine MacGregor, Wet Seal’s vice president of marketing and ecommerce. “Grabbing and keeping the attention of our audience, who are young and mobile focused, is a challenge—and Snapchat is now an important tool to speak to these teens in a new and fresh way.”
Mobile Tabs on Credit
Freecreditscore.com, a website owned by Dublin, Ireland-based Experian PLC, whose North American headquarters is in Costa Mesa, now has a free iPad app.
The app allows freecreditscore.com members to access their credit scores and credit reports on the go. It also sends alerts if anything changes and shares factors that influence credit scores.
Nonmembers can access various educational credit resources, according to the company.
“We are proud of the freecreditscore.com iPad app because it provides a unique and engaging mobile experience that shows consumers a detailed picture of their credit,” said Jeremy Wasser, vice president of mobile and connected devices at Experian’s Consumer Services. “The app is already gaining organic interest, has appeared as a featured app in the (Apple Inc.) App Store, and achieved a top-10 ranking for free financial apps just days after its release.”
Freecreditscore.com is running several in-app digital ads titled “Credit in 60 Seconds,” which aim to answer questions such as the difference between a good credit score and an excellent one, whether opening a joint bank account merges credit, and how to report fraud.
The ads—simple animated graphics—were created by Demand Media Inc. in Santa Monica.
In 2012, the company spent about $65 million to market freecreditscore.com in the U.S., according to Kantar Media.
