Vespa’s planning a dealer Open House June 14-24, 2007, featuring a “Transformers” cross-promotion. Something about “Transforming Transportation”? Yeah, we’re not really getting the connection either. That said, I guess Spiderman and 7-Eleven don’t have anything to do with each other, but that hasn’t stopped us from drinking a schload of Spiderman Slurpees.
Category: Advertising
Sightings in ads (Print/TV/web)
This month’s Piaggio news
We haven’t done a news roundup in about a month, so we’re breaking it down by company. Here are some late-February/early-March news stories about Piaggio and Vespa:
- Vespa’s anime-porn-styled pre-Valentines-Day ad on Yahoo is red-flagged by personal security experts. (Little do they know PiaggioUSA have never figured out how to spam.)
- In Mid-February, a PiaggioUSA press release explains that a new study (financed by Piaggio) has solved New York’s traffic and environmental woes. The press takes their word for it (the study isn’t included in the press release) and the story makes news nationwide.
- On February 22, Piaggio announced big plans for foreign plants and 1 million vehicles annualy by 2010. The plan includes regional manufacturing and distribution to facilitate the growth (from 2006’s 850,000 vehicles).
- Vespa and Piaggio scooters are now available down the street from the Bluth’s Banana Stand.
- “All I could think as I rode the Vespa GTV250 in unseasonable rain along Cape Town’s Atlantic coast was: ‘Who on earth will lay out [$9400] for a scooter?'” Motoring.za test-rides the Vespa GTV250.
- The PR-fluff-boilerplate “Police on scooters” story meets the MP3 era as Savannah cops test the three-wheeler on St. Patrick’s day. Intrepid!
- On Friday, March 16, Piaggio announced 2006 profits were up 10.4% over 2005. A 0.03-euro dividend to investors has been proposed.
BBC America goes mod
BBC America unveiled a new identity this week, designed by mOcean. The new logo is a modified “mod target,” aka “Royal Air Force rondel,” let’s hope they have better luck with that than Lambretta Clothing. A new series of channel IDs include this one, featuring a euro-spec Vespa P200E (right-click to download) parked at a biker bar. (Thanks, Steve. Video and still: mOcean.)
“No Same Way”
The news is Ruckus-heavy this week. Here’s an amazingly-silly ad for the Honda Zoomer (the Ruckus’ Japanese-market name), by motion graphics company Le Pivot.
Beckham to L.A., Burgman on CNN
Amazing, David Beckham signed to the L.A. Galaxy. Good news because it will raise the profile of U.S. Soccer and give me more reason to hate the Galaxy. But that’s not the amazing part, the amazing part is that Suzuki is buying Burgman banner ads on CNN.com. (Thanks, Alex)
Dwarf+Lambretta=comedy?
Energy drink/bar commericals are generally pretty silly, but this dwarf-on-a-Lambretta commercial for FFWD energy bar (mmm, Guarana!) takes the silly cake.
Vaginal Cream Scooter Pen
Chad came across a pen (click to enlarge photo) with a cute scooter girl that floats around inside. Clearly, there’s no better way to market vaginal cream. Goodtimes! He even made a video. Post that, Scooter Swag!
Jacko’s scooter Love
Motoblog found these circa-1980 Japanese ads featuring “Off-the-Wall”-era Michael Jackson shilling for the Suzuki Love scooter. Here come some good comments…
“Always travel with a chauffeur”
Lewis Lazare on the new Moët ad campaign:
Each execution portrays a rather off-the-wall scenario that still manages to convey a certain charm. In one ad, a fetchingly elegant and beaming woman attired in a smashing evening gown is perched on the back of a Vespa along with a case of Moet. Her date in the scooter’s driving seat is eyeing her with a big smile, as if to suggest “look what I got for the holidays!” The tongue-in-cheek copy reminds readers to “always travel with a chauffeur.”
“Look what I got for the holidays! A drunk debutante bouncing around on the back of my bike.” Great. Moët clearly didn’t get the memo that Vespas are no longer luxury items. It’s 2006! They’re utilitarian eco-friendly transportation for everyone!
Ready To Ride? Baron Von Scooter ad
Chad dug up Baron Von Scooter’s long-lost television commercial, featuring several Chicago scooterists shilling the tupperware. This and another version, with a Harley dude suiting up then riding off on a scooter, were regular fixtures on late-night basic cable for a few months circa 2002.
Spring is here?
Dentsu’s new psychedelic butterfly Vespa ad for the Canadian market, with five accompanying posters: “Kustaa,” “Words,” “Rainbow,” “Metal,” “Iconic,” and “Black and White.” Beautiful, and totally in the spirit of the history of Vespa advertising, but, um, it’s not quite Spring yet, is it? (More info about the campaign.) Thanks to Vespinoy for the tipoff, they have some cool Vespinoy stickers for sale, for all you Filipino-American scooterists (and there are many of you).
“I must mount you now”
A funny Vespa commercial. They’re running commercials? Someone sent me this, and I thank them, but I can’t remember for the life of me who it was. Chad? Nitro? Jordan? Durso? No idea. I don’t remember last week.
To dream… the impossible dream…
Honda UK drafted our own Professor Matthew to root for Engerland in a fantastic TV commercial. A similar-but-lamer ad has run in the US for the past few years. With Michael Owen down and Argentina and Brazil both on fire, England’s gonna need more than a dork on a Super Cub to win the cup, but our fingers are as crossed as St. George’s flag. In other Honda-meets-World Cup news, Nicky Hayden had a few nice words for the US team, though we’re not really convinced he’s a big soccer fan.
Vespa Soho “pinball” ads
Some amazingly cool print ads from Vespa Soho. I don’t know if the urban scooter riding experience has ever been summed up so eloquently.
What Would Ganesh Ride?
Speaking of Big Ass Motors, I love their BBS ad. Oh, the lengths people will go to to sell 2004 Chetaks. Shame, really, they’re lovely bikes.
