For many Angelenos, the idea of moving to Palmdale might be hard to sell.
But a TV commercial campaign launched late last month that promotes the business-friendliness of the North County city is specifically targeting executives looking to expand or move their companies.
The ads will appear during Los Angeles Lakers games on Time Warner Cable through April 27. In addition, the spots will run 1,500 times on cable channels including Discovery, Sci Fi Channel, Hallmark Channel and TV Land.
Geographically, the ads will cover central Los Angeles and the eastern San Fernando Valley.
“We selected these regions because they are areas with a high density of industry and business,” said Danny Roberts, assistant executive director of Palmdale’s Community Redevelopment Agency. “The Lakers campaign package was chosen because of the viewer profiles, which include a large number of business owners, decision-makers and CEOs.”
The 30-second spots also tout the quality of life in the high desert.
“They really show that Palmdale is a great place to do business and offers its residents a wonderful lifestyle,” said Roberts.
ThinkLA Shuffles Board
ThinkLA, a marketing and media trade organization in Southern California made up of agency leaders, has selected a new board headed by new President Paul Ratzky. The director of engagement marketing at El Segundo-based Team One Advertising, Ratzky co-founded the interactive component of Ad Club Los Angeles, a forerunner to ThinkLA.
Other new 2008 board members include: Carisa Bianchi, president of the TBWAChiatDay office in Marina del Rey; Tom Kirk, executive vice president at RPA in Santa Monica; Chuck Maguy, director of the Idea Management Group for Saatchi & Saatchi in Torrance; Chelsea McLennen, account executive for Site Systems in Culver City; Chelsea Roe, managing partner for DDB in Venice; Scott Weller, senior vice president at CNN in Hollywood; and Ed Wilson, president of the Fox Television Network in Century City.
The board comprises 36 people from all segments of the ad and PR industries.
“Southern California continues to attract the nation’s best and brightest creative minds, and the new ThinkLA board is truly reflective of this dynamic community,” said Ratzky. “I look forward to continuing the progress made by my predecessor, Deutsch LA President Mike Sheldon, and further establishing the region as the nation’s premier destination for businesses looking for creative and innovative marketing partners.”
Dr. Laura’s Deal
Premiere Radio Networks in Sherman Oaks has renewed its contract to represent the “Dr. Laura Program” for ad sales and satellite distribution. The program airs locally on KFI-AM (640), from noon to 3 p.m., and ranks as the top radio show in that time slot.
“Dr. Laura is a leader in talk radio and her relationship with advertisers is first-class,” said Dan Metter, director of talk radio sales at Premiere Radio. The program’s long-term advertisers include OnStar by General Motors, ProFlowers and Vermont Teddy Bear Co.
Laura Schlessinger dispenses advice to more than 8 million weekly listeners in 40 countries. Her show is syndicated on 250 radio stations plus XM Radio for satellite receivers. In addition to Dr. Laura, Premiere Radio syndicates shows by Rush Limbaugh, Jim Rome, Ryan Seacrest, Whoopi Goldberg and Bob Costas.
Agencies & Accounts
Lexus has signed a deal to sponsor a 32-city tour by pop music star Alicia Keys. “Creating a relationship with Lexus is an honor for me,” said Keys. However, the real relationship-maker in the deal was Walton Isaacson, the Beverly Hills-based agency that handles Lexus’ African-American advertising. Lexus is a brand of Toyota Motor Sales USA Inc., which is headquartered in Torrance. Flexjet the fractional jet ownership program of Bombardier Inc. has selected Team One in El Segundo to create a new “marketing flight plan for the company.” Since 2003, Flexjet sales have grown 133 percent, four times the industry average. Sylvain Levesque, the client’s vice president of marketing, said the agency won the contract because of its “outstanding track record with branding and deep understanding of the discerning affluent consumer.” AdlhochCreative, an L.A.-based branding firm, has won the corporate branding, advertising and collateral development business for Dunham Trust, a San Diego-based company with more than $1 billion in assets under management. Also, AdlhochCreative won the account for Plan Asia, a Los Angeles-based land-tour operator in Southeast Asia and China. Unit 5 Productions, a TV commercial house in Santa Monica, has signed five directors to exclusive contracts. The deal includes Bill Timmer, winner of 15 Emmy Awards; Marcus Stokes, visual effects director for “The Matrix Reloaded”; and comedy specialist Suzanne Luna.
Staff reporter Joel Russell can be reached at
[email protected],
or at (323) 549-5225, ext. 237.
