http://www.trypaintballnow.com/
Tippmann Launches New Television Commercial as part of Groundbreaking Multi-Media Campaign to Grow Paintball
Fort Wayne, Ind. (April 7, 2011) – Tippmann Sports is proud to launch the paintball industry’s first broad reaching multi-media campaign to attract new players to the game. The half-million dollar effort, called “Experience Paintball,” is designed to generate new exposure for the paintball industry and ultimately increase participation in the game across the country. The first part of the program set to launch is a new national television commercial, which will begin airing on April 11.
The new TV commercial will initially be appearing on popular cable networks in 19 leading markets across the country, including: Seattle, Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Kansas City, and others. It will run on a variety of high-profile networks, including ESPN, ESPN2, Spike, SyFi, Discovery, MTV, VH1, G4, and The History Channel. In total, more than 20,000 spots will be airing over an eight-week period. Paintball fields outside of the initial 19 markets will also have access to the new commercial. If an individual field is interested in purchasing its own media, Tippmann will help by tagging the commercial with their specific name and contact information. Tippmann is also available to assist fields with the process of purchasing TV advertising spots in their own markets. A global social marketing initiative is also planned, which will help extend the campaign around the world through popular social sites such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
To create the new commercial, Tippmann partnered with Downtown Partners Chicago (DPC). The fast-paced, 30 second television spot is designed to get kids and young adults off the couch and out playing paintball. DPC is a high profile Chicago-based marketing agency with clients such as Harley Davidson, Walgreens and Chicago 2016 (Chicago’s official bid for the 2016 Summer Olympic Games). The commercial was filmed at Wayne’s World in Ocala Florida and showcases paintball to potential new players as a fun sport that provides an adrenaline rush like no other activity. To get the attention of this new audience, the spot incorporates subtle comparisons to video games by working in the tagline ‘Experience Paintball…there’s nothing virtual about it.’
At the end of each commercial, there is a customized call-to-action to entice prospective players to visit www.TryPaintballNow.com to find a field near them. A slightly different version of the commercial will be shown within the initial 19 markets that offers a coupon good for admission to a participating field, equipment rental, and 200 paintballs – all for just $9.95. When on the website, those interested will also be able to review a beginner’s guide to paintball as well as connect with other players via Facebook and Twitter.
In addition to the television commercial, Tippmann has two additional initiatives planned to help fields attract more players, including a new “How To” book for paintball fields, and a new in-store paintball field locator. The book, titled How to Market Your Paintball Field – Tips on Getting People to Your Field and Making Sure They Come Back, will be available in early May. Content for the book was provided by the owners of some of the most successful paintball fields in the county, including Gio D’Egidio, owner/operator of SC Village, Hollywood Sports and Giant Paintball Parks; Mike Peverill, owner/operator of Pev’s Paintball Park; and Ray, Paul and Mike Dagnino, owners/operators of CPX Sports. They agreed to outline their ideas in an effort to share their success with hundreds of other field owners across the country – all under the premise that if it helps grow participation in paintball, then it’s worth doing. The book will include more than 20 chapters and will outline numerous grassroots initiatives and other marketing tips.
The third element of the “Experience Paintball” campaign builds on the success of the iPhone app that Tippmann introduced a few months ago, which helps players find a field in their area and currently has over 35,000 downloads. This new program goes to the next level with a customized retail in-store locator display that shows a list of all paintball fields within a 60 mile radius of each participating store. A map will also be included, illustrating the location of each field. The plan is to develop more than 1,000 customized signs that will be available to any interested paintball dealer as well as major sporting goods retailers. Sports Authority, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Scheel’s, and Dunham’s are already on board with this program and will begin displaying the signs in the coming weeks.
Tippmann is confident that it’s new “Experience Paintball” campaign will help break down the barriers to increased participation and will successfully drive new players to participating fields. “Without question, fields are the lifeblood of the paintball industry,” said Patrick Ehren, vice president of sales and marketing for Tippmann Sports. “And, that’s really why we initiated the ‘Experience Paintball’ campaign. We want players at all skill levels to visit their local fields and experience the unique blend of adrenaline, fun, and team building that only paintball can deliver. Paintball has been a great sport for more than 25 years and Tippmann wants to do its part to make sure the next 25 years are just as good!”
