Maxell Stars ‘Blow-Away Guy’ in Online Game
Electronics maker Maxell Corp. of America is showcasing its “blow-away guy” in an online game that stars the iconic advertising character. The debut of the game coincides with Maxell’s first-time sponsorship of ESPN’s X Games 12 in August; both efforts are a bid to jump start sales with a younger demographic.
The blow away character reemerged last December with wild postings in 10 major markets and postings on college campuses, followed by a giant billboard in Times Square featuring the X Games logo. The sponsorship deal with ESPN, the organizer of X Games 12, will leverage a promotions and advertising campaign featuring the character and the X Games property. Print, online ads and TV spots follow, Maxell said.
“Our whole strategy is getting a younger generation more aware of the blow-away guy,” Cheryl Severini, senior marketing manager with Maxell, said yesterday. “We felt he was very recognizable to the over-35 group, but the younger generation didn’t really relate him to Maxell. We wanted to introduce him to a generation that wasn’t around when the icon was originally conceived.”
The music-loving character began appearing in Maxell music ads in 1978, and became an instant icon as he was “blown away” by the performance of Maxell products as he sat in a chair and listened to music. Long hair and aviator scarf in flight, he appeared to be hanging on as the music blows over him.
The character took a hiatus, and then re-emerged in print ads in December 2005 along with the wild postings. In January, Maxell announced that it was “turning up the volume” on the iconic character by featuring him in advertising and packaging. Manhattan Marketing Ensemble created the ads.
Maxell, the maker of performance-based media products, is estimated to be spending $3 to $5 million on the “Get Blown Away” campaign, The New York Times reported yesterday.
The online game is expected to launch at Maxell-USA.com during the X Games, which will be held Aug. 3-6 in Los Angeles. The game features five characters representing various genres of music. The goal is for the player, acting as “the blow away guy,” to eliminate generations of music. Players that reach the end of the game can enter their names to win a Maxell multi-media package, including a home theater, iPod and other home entertainment electronics. The Web component will also offer information on the event, Maxell apparel and reviews of new and featured products.
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