Mizuno USA next month will launch an integrated campaign to support each of the manufacturer’s domestic sporting goods categories, including golf, baseball, softball, running and volleyball. Spending for the effort is estimated at $3 million-plus, per the company.
Media placement includes national and regional publications, and online advertising, along with new POP. Huey Partners, Atlanta, handles.
New creative features a large headline alongside photos depicting average athletes “emotionally” engaged in their respective sport or sport-specific product, or both. The company is purposely eschewing use of any of its star professional athletes. The tagline, “Never Settle,” introduced last year, continues.
“We wanted to truly break through . . . with bold, arresting headlines and visuals which reflect the tremendous pride and confidence we have in our products and the intense obsession we have for making the world’s best performing equipment,” said Lisa Mark, Mizuno’s senior director of marketing services. “We believe the creative and brand message--“Never Settle”--effectively communicates that shared passion and bond we have in common with our athletes.
“Further, we made enormous gains with our highly successful [and former] ‘Your Passion is Our Obsession’ ad campaign, driving brand awareness, affinity and purchase intent to new heights for Mizuno. We want to now leverage those gains and further convert that brand awareness and purchase intent into trial and repeat purchase by dialing up the product and proprietary technology messaging in our branded ads.”
In terms of product, the golf ads focus on irons, running and volleyball tout both footwear and apparel, and baseball/softball plays up gloves, bats and cleats. Running footwear depicted, for example, includes the new Mizuno Wave Inspire 5 and Wave Rider 12; golf pushes Mizuno’s new MP set of irons; volleyball footwear includes the new Mizuno Wave Tornado 4.
Mizuno’s print ads will run in publications such as Golf magazine, Golf Digest, Golf World, Golfweek, Runner’s World, Baseball America, Softball, Softball Today and Volleyball. Online placements, beginning Feb. 6, include Golfweek.com, GolfDigest.com, Golf.com, SoftballWest.com and SoftballToday.com.
“We are also introducing a host of new displays, in-store POP and collateral material highlighting our . . . product line, breakthrough technologies and new ad campaign,” said Mark, who is based at Mizuno USA headquarters in Norcross, Ga.