Costa Mesa-based Experian Americas is doing a social media campaign featuring celebrities that’s designed to teach people about credit issues and reinforce the company’s name with consumers.
The U.S. arm of Britain’s Experian Group Ltd. is doing a campaign called “The Funny Truth About Credit” that launched last month on Facebook, Experian’s Web site and YouTube.
The campaign features comical videos featuring Danny Glover, Jon Lovitz, Michael Madsen, Pauly Shore, Vivica Fox and College Humor’s “Jake & Amir.”
The videos aren’t designed to sell any of Experian’s services, which include credit reports and monitoring services, said Maxine Sweet, vice president of public education at Experian.
“There is no pressure to sell products with this,” she said. “We’re just hoping consumers will learn about credit reporting. And when they need additional service, we hope they will think of Experian.”
In one video, actor Madsen of “Kill Bill” and “Reservoir Dogs” hands over everything a criminal needs to steal his identity. In another, Shore of “Bio-Dome” freaks out about how his credit will be affected by his bride-to-be’s credit score.
Each video has financial expert Maribel Aber addressing concerns.
The hope is the videos will steer people to Experian’s Web site, where it sells credit reports and services.
The campaign was developed with Los Angeles-based Matter Entertainment, the entertainment division of Chicago-based Edelman, and produced with Los Angeles-based Swift River Productions.
Experian hired Edelman as its agency of record last year. Previously some elements of Experian public relations were handled by Irvine-based PainePR.
Experian Americas doesn’t spend much on advertising, unlike the consumer side of the company, which includes FreeCreditReport.com and ProtectMyID.com.
Experian Americas spent $214,000 on advertising during the first three quarters of 2009, according to New York-based Kantar Media.
It spent less than $3 million on measured media in 2007 and 2008, according to trade publication Advertising Age.
In comparison, FreeCreditreport.com is estimated to spend $300 million on advertising.
Suzuki Goes Kizashi
Brea-based American Suzuki Motor Corp. has started its most expensive and expansive advertising campaign yet.
American Suzuki, part of Japan’s Suzuki Motor Corp., is looking to promote its 2010 Kizashi sports sedan, the automaker’s most important vehicle to date.
The Japanese maker of small cars and sport utility vehicles has been besieged by the national downturn in auto sales, shrinking market share and raising questions about the viability of its U.S. operations.
Kizashi is billed as an affordable alternative to high-end sports sedans and is targeted at young guys and professionals.
“The Kizashi is a completely different product,” said Gene Brown, vice president of marketing and public relations at American Suzuki. “It’s Suzuki from stem to stern.”
The automaker’s campaign includes regional TV commercials, print, digital, outdoor ads and a Facebook application called the Kizashi “Wicked Weather” game.
American Suzuki is doing two TV ad campaigns airing in different parts of the country and highlighting different features of the sedan.
The sedan has been available since January and sells for about $19,000 for the basic model.
American Suzuki is doing a second batch of commercials for those besieged by winter storms. The ads showcase the sedan’s all-wheel-drive.
The 30- and 60-second “Wicked Weather” TV spots feature a driver using the Kizashi as the best way to escape from evil snowmen.
In the Facebook “Wicked Weather” game, users can dodge snowmen, lightning bolts and potholes on their way home.
The campaign is being handled by El Segundo-based Siltanen & Partners Advertising.
The automaker didn’t disclose how much it was spending on the campaign.
Suzuki spends about $100 million annually on TV and other media, not including online, according to TNS Media Intelligence, a unit of London-based ad agency WPP Group PLC.
PR Shop Opens Kitchen
Irvine-based Morgan Marketing & Public Relations LLC has opened a test kitchen for its restaurant clients.
The kitchen is part of a new unit at the foodie public relations firm that also does recipe development and testing, product development and testing, coordination of food photography and videography, chef training, menu sampling and focus group testing.
Morgan’s clients include Long Beach-based Super Mex Restaurants Inc., Torrance-based King’s Hawaiian Bakery West Inc., Santa Monica-based Fatburger Inc. and Rosemead-based Panda Restaurant Group Inc.
The shop has in the past been asked to create, adapt or test recipes and products for clients in the shop’s kitchen, according to Melinda Morgan Kartsonis, president of the shop.
