In a move to reach 17- to 24-year-olds, the National Guard has expanded its marketing efforts to include mobile with its “The warrior” campaign.
“This demographic is always jumping around from medium to medium, and our strategy is to get in front of them with theater campaigns and to connect this to the use of the handheld,” said Jim Boyle, management supervisor for LM&O Advertising.
Movie theater ads have run before PG-13- and R-rated movies in 3,117 theaters and 27,079 screens nationwide. The two-and-a-half-minute spot features Kid Rock performing a USO-type show, Dale Earnhardt Jr. overcoming adversity on the racetrack and National Guard soldiers playing heroes.
The creative calls viewers to visit the “Warrior” mobile WAP site, www.warrior.swiftmob.com; and microsite, www.NationalGuardWarrior.com; for free downloads including MP3s and wallpapers. Since the campaign debuted at the end of August, 13% of the free downloads offered have come from the mobile WAP site. There have been more than 2,600 video views, more than 600 wallpaper downloads and more than 900 music downloads.
“Mobile is really effective as a component of an integrated campaign, especially when reaching out to youth,” said Guy Vidra, president of 2ergo Americas. “Folks sitting in a movie theater are not going to pull out their PC. The mobile phone is an immediate device.”
“There are strong reasons for joining the National Guard,” Boyle said. “One of those is pride in serving your country, which we tried to express on an emotional level.”
