Wayne, N.J. – Taking a new marketing direction, Toshiba America Consumer Products launched
Wednesday a multi-platform advertising and sponsorship campaign with cable
sports network ESPN.
The campaign, which is called “It’s a Game Changer,” is part of a
larger corporate drive to increase Toshiba’s brand awareness using humor to
connect the ESPN fans to the Toshiba brand,
the company said.
Toshiba hopes to be the next in a line of LCD TV brands to
successfully leverage the Disney-owned sports network for greater visibility
among sports fans. Other brands to have used campaigns with the network include
Vizio and Olevia. The former went on to make huge market share gains while the
latter suffered management problems and disappeared from the U.S.
market.
The TV commercials will run through 2010 on ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC,
and will focus primarily on the company’s flagship Regza premium LED-backlit LCD
TV series.
In addition to CE products the overall campaign will also include
two spots on laptops from sister company Toshiba America Information Systems.
The company said the humorous spots feature everyday fans
experiencing a transformation in the way they watch sports.
“Our goal was to create a campaign that sports enthusiasts can
instantly relate to and demonstrate that our brand has personality,” stated
Maria Repole, Toshiba corporate communications assistant VP. “As both our
brands are proven leaders in their respective categories, we wanted to capture
the passion of the ESPN fan base and connect with their emotional experience.
ESPN provides us with the ideal platform to speak with fans in an entertaining
manner.”
In addition to television commercials, the campaign will involve
digital elements on ESPN.com and SportsCenter.com, Toshiba said.
Viewers will be invited to vote for the “Innovative Play of the
Week” online, while viewing a message tie-in on Toshiba’s leadership in
innovation.
Fans who vote for the “Innovative Play of the Year” will also be entered
into a product sweepstakes, awarding Toshiba product prizes as well as an
ultimate grand prize of a trip to ESPN’s studios.
The campaign will also utilize social-media elements to further
engage consumers, the company said.
“From the first instant replay in 1963, innovation, technology
and sports have been intrinsically linked,” stated Ed Erhardt, ESPN customer
marketing and sales president. “We also know that sports fans are early
adopters of technology and love the high-definition sports experience, which is
why our campaign with Toshiba is a great fit.”
