Mitsubishi Motors to Break New National Advertising Campaign on Network Season Finales With Eclipse

Mitsubishi Motors to Break New National Advertising Campaign on Network Season Finales With Eclipse

New Ad Campaign From BBDO Is First of Broader Brand Re-Launch Celebrating Mitsubishi's Unique Japanese Heritage and Contemporary Edge; 'Driven to Thrill' Brand Tagline Debuts

CYPRESS, Calif., May 22 /PRNewswire/ -- Injecting a new energy and contemporary edge to its brand image in the U.S., Mitsubishi Motors North America (MMNA) today breaks its new national advertising campaign to support the launch of its all-new 2006 Eclipse sport coupe. Created by world-renown BBDO, the multi-media campaign's first commercial spot debuts on an array of top prime time show season finales this week, including ABC's "Desperate Housewives," "Extreme Makeover Home Edition" and "Grey's Anatomy," FOX's "24," CBS's "Two And A Half Men," as well as ABC's "Alias" and "Lost." The print campaign kicks off with full-page, four-color ads in USA Today, starting on May 23.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050522/LASU002-a)
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050522/LASU002-b)

The campaign marks a new direction for the Mitsubishi Motors brand in the U.S., celebrating the company's reputation for standout styling, outstanding performance and world-class engineering, while wrapping the product message in uniquely hip and stylish Japanese pop culture imagery. The campaign also debuts the company's new tagline, "Driven to Thrill," which is designed to communicate to consumers that Mitsubishi is a company that is "driven to thrill" in every aspect -- from its engineering, to its product design, to its people.

"Our products are known for their unique styling, performance and world-class engineering, and the thrill they give every driver who gets behind the wheel -- which is more thrills per dollar than any competitor in the market," said Dave Schembri, MMNA executive vice president of sales and marketing. "Add to that a taste of our Japanese heritage and tie it in with timely pop culture, and the result is a distinct and ownable brand image that's uniquely Mitsubishi."

He added, "Launching this ad campaign during the network's season finale week is actually just the beginning for us. As this campaign rolls out over the next few weeks, audiences will see the new look of Mitsubishi and know we're the car company that is truly 'driven to thrill.'"

Mitsubishi Motors' brand image will be distinguished by the contemporary, edgy look put forward in the new campaign, which incorporates subtle elements of Asian influence in U.S. pop culture, often referred to as "Japanese cool," or "J.Cool." As real as the British invasion of the 1960s, the J.Cool cultural phenomena is popping up everywhere -- from Gwen Stefani's smash hit "Harajuku Girls," to Quentin Tarantino's "Kill Bill" film series, to Japanese anime cartoons and "Hello Kitty," to the Academy Award-winning film "Lost in Translation." A modern mix of Japanese influences with a distinctly current spin, J.Cool provides a wonderfully distinct flavor and complimentary backdrop to Mitsubishi's "Driven to Thrill" brand message.

The introductory :60/:30 television spots for the new Eclipse (called "Kodo") intercuts shots of the standout styling and performance of the all-new 2006 Eclipse sport coupe with the rhythmic sounds of Kodo drums, whipping viewers into a frenzy before coming to a stop on the new theme line, "Driven to Thrill." Print, outdoor and point-of-sale materials reinforce the excitement of owning and driving a Mitsubishi, and are inspired by Japanese pop art culture.

"The advertising recognizes the influence of Japanese pop culture on American popular culture," said David Lubars, chief creative officer, BBDO North America. "It embraces Mitsubishi's hip, cool Japanese roots, which is reflected in the music, design, structure and animation of the campaign. From the syncopated beat of Kodo drums to the distinctly current spin of the Mitsubishi logo, the advertising boldly speaks to consumers, asking 'why satisfy when you can thrill?'"

In addition to broadcast media placement, MMNA's media planner, PHD, initially has targeted a number of consumer and enthusiast books for the campaign's print ads, such as Esquire, Vibe, Wired, Entertainment Weekly, Men's Health, FHM, GQ, Sports Illustrated, Motor Trend and Car & Driver. Traditional outdoor billboard ads will be featured starting June 1 in multiple markets, supplemented with wallscapes in key markets such as New York, Chicago and San Francisco.

"We have shown the company can make a turn as tight and as fast as the new Eclipse," said Schembri. "Forty-five days ago, we appointed BBDO as our new creative agency. Today, thanks to BBDO, PHD and all of our partners, we are launching a brilliant new multi-media campaign, driven by a competitive and motivating strategy and fully integrated across nameplates, national and local advertising, direct mail, online, point-of-sale and more. And all in place three weeks ahead of schedule."

The all-new, two-door 2006 Mitsubishi Eclipse sport coupe is the first of three new products MMNA will introduce in the next 12 months. Designed to combine exotic styling and performance with the utility of a daily driver, this fourth generation Eclipse sports coupe exhibits an impressive power range, outstanding handling, an available blasting 650-watt Rockford Fosgate stereo system, room for four, and several new safety and luxury amenities that do not sacrifice the incredible value that the Eclipse name has come to represent.

Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc., (MMNA) is responsible for all manufacturing, finance, sales, marketing, research and development operations of Mitsubishi Motors Corporation in the United States and Canada. Mitsubishi Motors sells coupes, convertibles, sedans and sport utility vehicles through a network of approximately 625 dealers. For more information, contact the Mitsubishi Motors News Bureau at (888) 560-6672 or visit media.mitsubishicars.com.

Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050522/LASU002-a
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050522/LASU002-b
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
AP PhotoExpress Network: PRN1, PRN2
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
Source: Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc.

CONTACT: Dotty Diemer, Vice President, Public Relations of Mitsubishi
Motors North America, Inc., +1-714-372-5528, ddiemer@mmsa.com; or Mitsubishi
News Bureau, +1-888-560-MMSA (6672), newsbureau@mmsa.com

NOTE TO EDITORS: To view creative materials, available as of Friday, May 20, 9:00 A.M. EDT, go to FTP.BBDO.com. Both user name and password will be the word "reporters." If you have any problems accessing this site, please call the Mitsubishi Motors News Bureau at 888-560-6672 or Roy Elvove, BBDO, at 212-459-5797.

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