Piaggio USA, Inc. Selects Kraftworks to Support Dealer Network Advertising, Marketing and Promotions
NEW YORK, June 9 -- Piaggio USA, Inc., manufacturers of the world-famous Vespa(R) Italian motor scooter, announced today that it has selected KraftWorks to lead a targeted advertising program for the Vespa brand in the U.S.
The campaign, supporting Vespa's fast-growing U.S. dealership network, will include traditional media, and viral marketing promotions. This program will complement the Vespa branding campaign led by Piaggio's global agency of record, TBWA.
Neil Kraft, president and CEO of KraftWorks, said, "We are thrilled to have been selected to support this icon of Italian design. After hearing that Piaggio USA was searching for a US agency, we were determined to partner with a company that stands for fun and freedom and the contemporary lifestyle. The campaign will be infused with this same spirit."
Though they were not part of the original list invited to pitch the account, KraftWorks captured the attention of Piaggio USA by submitting an imaginative photo essay entitled "Day in the Life of a Vespa." "This was the first time in its four-year history that KraftWorks submitted an unsolicited pitch to a potential client," said Kraft.
The creative directors at KraftWorks chronicled a 24-hour cycle of activity for the typical Manhattan Vespa. The morning routine started with coffee at a cafe, then hitting the ATM for cash, and getting to the office. Next came a scenic lunchtime ride through Central Park and a few errands around town. Then came some R&R, dinner and dancing, and ultimately, a return trip home for the Vespa -- where it parks and waits to go again the next morning.
Piaggio USA awarded the account to KraftWorks because of "their unique approach coupling the stylish heritage of the Vespa with the vitality and modernity of urban life. KraftWorks understands the romance that surrounds Vespa, as well as the obsession it engenders in its riders," commented Paolo Timoni, CEO of Piaggio USA.
Piaggio USA expects the first elements of the campaign to be introduced to North American Vespa dealers in summer 2005.
About KraftWorks:
KraftWorks is a full service advertising, marketing, branding, and product and package design agency specializing in fashion and style related categories. Clients include Calvin Klein Fragrances, La Prairie, Voss, Cointreau, Aldo Shoes, Wonderbra, Playtex, Just My Size, Barely There and Bali.
About The Piaggio Group:
Established in 1884 by Rinaldo Piaggio and based in Pontedera (Pisa, Italy), the Piaggio Group is one of the world's top manufacturers of two-wheel motor vehicles. With over 6,000 employees in 50 countries, the Piaggio Group has a consolidated leadership in the European 2-wheeler market, and a particularly strong presence in the scooter and 50cc vehicles segment, with 40 percent market share in Europe and 48 percent in Italy. Its production includes scooters, motorcycles and mopeds in the 50cc to over 1000 cc displacement range, marketed under the Piaggio, Vespa, Gilera, Derbi, Aprilia, Moto Guzzi and Scarabeo brands. The Piaggio Group is controlled by Immsi S.p.A., an industrial and services holding listed on the Milan Stock Exchange, and is headed by Chairman Roberto Colaninno and Chief Executive Officer Rocco Sabelli.
Across its more than 120-year history, the company has been active in almost every area of transport including: naval fittings; the construction of locomotives and rolling stock; engines for the aeronautics sector; seaplanes; and civil and military aircraft. Since the introduction of the Vespa scooter in 1946, Piaggio has led the way in meeting the growing demand for personal mobility. A universally recognized symbol of Italian style, Vespa is an outstanding success story with more than 16 million scooters produced to date.