Costa Mesa-based Marshall Advertising & Design has launched a new campaign for Star Motorcycles, a division of Cypress-based Yamaha Motor Corp. USA.
The campaign promotes Star’s lineup of performance and touring cruisers through television, digital, print and social media using the tagline—We Build It, You Make It Your Own—created by Marshall in 2005. Yamaha’s Star brand competes with various makes in the cruiser category, including Harley-Davidson.
“The cruiser market is an incredibly important one to parent company Yamaha as it represents one of the largest segments of motorcycle buyers,” said Diana Marshall, president of Marshall Advertising.
The new campaign was shot primarily in downtown Los Angeles and surrounding areas. It focuses on a cruising lifestyle while demonstrating the motorcycles’ performance features.
Spots follow a group of young riders at various destinations, including a custom car show, where they eat, laugh, take photos and watch jumbo jets fly overhead. The TV and online content was directed and edited by Marshall staff.
“By bringing much of the production in-house, we helped keep client costs low and production quality levels high,” said Nevine Safyurtlu, Marshall Advertising producer.
The ads are running on cable TV, in enthusiast print publications including Motorcycle Cruiser, Cycle World and Motorcyclist, and on enthusiast websites such as CycleNews.com and HotBikeWeb.com.
Parent company Yamaha had a $10 million ad budget for the 12 months through June.
Marshall has been Yamaha’s agency of record since 1988.
The Business Journal estimated Marshall’s 2011 OC capitalized billings at $23 million. The agency has 25 advertising employees in OC.
OC Auto Show
The Orange County International Auto Show is gearing up for its annual event at the Anaheim Convention Center Oct. 4 to 7. The show is in its 48th year and is one of the largest in the country.
Promotions include a 1-in-10 chance to win a ride in a Ferrari or Lamborghini every hour, as well as the chance to win a new Jeep.
The Exotic Vehicle Ticket to Ride promotion is a first for the show. Visitors who do a test drive are invited to text in a special code for the chance to win a ride with a professional driver in a Ferrari or Lamborghini.
Camp Jeep Anaheim will be on hand for its second year. Attendees can ride with professional drivers to experience Jeep’s on- and off-road capabilities.
The Jeep test track includes logs, stumps, an angled drive-over and other terrains, as well as a hill climb to show off Jeep’s traction capabilities while climbing a 35 degree hill.
One auto show attendee will win an all-new Jeep Wrangler. Attendees must register for the chance to win, and one winner will be announced Oct. 7.
A new contest called Cram the Cube will be held every hour during the show.
The contest will feature local college fraternities and sororities and other groups with a philanthropic cause attempting to fill a Nissan Cube vehicle with as many people as possible. The group who crams the most people into the vehicle will win a cash prize of $1,000 for its charity of choice.
Social media promotions will also play a part during the show.
Attendees will have a chance to win a $100 gas gift card as well as a new iPad through Facebook, Twitter and Instragram. Users must post photos from the show on Instagram, tweet about a favorite car on Twitter, or complete a Facebook photo scavenger hunt in order to win the prizes.
Social-Media Strategy
Irvine-based website and app Like Spin Win allows consumers to win prizes from local businesses while the business gains Facebook fans.
Consumers can download the mobile app or go to the Like Spin Win website, which links to Facebook, and select a prize sponsored by a local business. They are required to “like” the company in order to spin the wheel to win the prize from that business. Like Spin Win charges a fee for each new fan acquired.
Bits and Pieces
Santa Ana-based Agency 51 has added Laguna Hills-based Saddleback Eye Center as a client. … Irvine-based ad agency INK hired TJ Bennett as executive creative director and Peter Watkins as group accounts director. … Irvine-based Morgan Marketing and Public Relations LLC has added Embarcadero California Bistro in Rancho Santa Margarita as a client.
