Pioneer's Bowl Game Part Of Fall Ad Plan
By Steve Smith -- TWICE, 8/23/2004
LONG BEACH, CALIF.— Pioneer Electronics will use its sponsorship of the 2004 Pioneer PureVision Las Vegas Bowl as part of its holiday advertising campaign, which will focus on its high-definition PureVision plasma TVs using sports events.
In an Aug. 10 announcement Pioneer said that its PureVision plasma line will be the star of the campaign, illustrating what the company calls “an integrated approach to television, print and online executions, including four new television spots in high-definition.”
While the company did not provide a budget number for the campaign, Russ Johnston, senior VP of marketing for Pioneer Electronics said, “Our goal is to show one third of all plasma TV advertising in the North American market. We want to drive the category and drive our brand.”
As a result of media buys with ABC and ESPN, Pioneer was named title sponsor of the NCAA bowl game to be played in Las Vegas on Dec. 23 at Sam Boyd Stadium. The game is scheduled to air on ESPN and on ESPN HD.
Using the tag line, “Where does reality end and PureVision begin?” the ads reportedly demonstrate how Pioneer's plasma TVs immerse the viewer in the action, providing life-like images that blur the line between reality and PureVision.
The campaign includes four television spots which will appear on NFL Monday Night Football on ABC and NFL Sunday Night Football on ESPN.
Pioneer also said the TV ads will air on national network television, national cable, sports and prime-time programming, and where available will be broadcast in high-definition format. Four print ads will run in enthusiast, men's and national music magazines.
And as part of the PureVision effort, there will be a micro site on the Web to explain plasma TV technology and HDTV, a dealer locator to find the closest Pioneer retailer, e-mail blasts to key customers, and finally keyword search buys on three search engines. “We have bought 20 or so words that when a consumer looks up the word 'Pioneer' or 'plasma,' we are one of the top three selections that pop up,” Johnston said.
He added, “The wide availability of sports programming in high-definition is a driving force behind consumers purchasing our PureVision plasma televisions. Anyone who has watched a game in high-definition on a Pioneer plasma TV knows that the grass on the field looks greener, the laces on the ball are clearer, and the sound of the crowd is more realistic. The combination of fall sporting events and the holiday selling season make this the perfect time to launch a sports oriented campaign.”
