Crossing Over
Top advertisers tie print, web campaigns together.
SAM – May 2008
By Katie Bailey
What makes a great resort ad for the snowboard media? Should it be funny? Interactive? Boastful? Should it directly influence bookings, or does its value lie in building cred?
As marketing departments increasingly look online for advertising opportunities, these kinds of questions are becoming more critical to the life of the print ad. The powers that be want to see print ads work for their money—no more getting by with just a pretty face. So how does a print ad earn its weekly allowance when its Internet sibling gets a better report card?
Like Michael Corleone said in The Godfather, “keep your friends close, but your enemies closer.” Resorts are driving customers to websites via print advertising. It’s is a win-win situation, but it takes a deft touch—simply printing a URL to the same ol’ site is no way to get traffic in a Web 2.0 world. The best campaigns give readers a strong reason to go online.
Our winner this year, Northstar, took an intelligent approach to melding its web and print worlds and, while we have no idea if it worked or not (care to let us know, Northstar?), it certainly stood out for its cleverness. Other high marks go to the subtlety of Mammoth, Bear for great design and call to action, Whistler for lifestyle and Mountain High for getting straight to the point.
High Fives
Most innovative: Northstar-at-Tahoe
At first glance, this ad is pretty subtle, but its beauty is in its execution. Each ad in the series, shot in a shadowy warehouse-style set, features one Northstar team rider standing next to a video screen featuring a shot of his video part this year. The copy that accompanies it poses a question, unique to each rider, asking why they “claim” Northstar as their home resort. For example:
“Chas [Guldemond], aren’t you from New Hampshire? Why do you claim Northstar Resort? Hear him out at: ChasRidesHere.com/1.”
This is lovely for so many reasons. One, the reward is there. The reader is driven to a unique URL that gives a video answer to the question, and all sorts of other goodies, like rider Q&As and stats. Riders explain why they like Northstar, and each video features a clip from the video in which they had a part (Mack Dawg, etc.). It is, essentially, a magazine page come to life.
Also, the copy is great. For Jeremy Jones, who is well known for his Utah roots, the question is: “Jeremy, Everyone knows you’re a Utah guy. How can you claim Northstar Resort?” Good question! I’ve even asked that myself. The design is excellent, the copy clever, and the focus on-point. (This strategy also provides a great way to measure response via web traffic.) Great job.
Most innovative, runner-up: Whistler Blackcomb
I really liked this campaign for its grassroots feel and lifestyle-oriented approach. Like the first two described above, this ad, and its accompanying website, makes creative use of its team riders, featuring a collage of scrapbook-style personal photos and a shot of the featured rider. The effect, especially with the “graffiti,” is essentially a Facebook page on paper—and Canadians like their Facebook, let me tell you. The low-key copy directs readers to untrackedlines.com, where the ads come to life via blogs and photos from team riders and updates on the terrain parks and competitions. This campaign does a great job of maximizing their formidable team of riders and gives viewers a realistic, non-marketing-department-driven “inside look” into what it’s like to live and ride in Whistler. Way to go, WB.
Most original creative: Bear Mountain
Bear’s “Signature Jib” campaign keeps this resort in its annual top-three spot on this list. The ads each feature one of the resort’s team riders devising their “signature jib.” Team rider Lauri Heiskari’s ad is great: Lauri sits in a chair holding a model of his jib feature in a room strewn with record covers, but if you look a bit closer, you realize that the jib is made out of record covers and chaos surrounding him is, in fact, prototypes made out of record covers too. The creative of this campaign is awesome, and the call to action innovative: head out to Bear on a specific date, check out Heiskari’s jib and perhaps meet the man himself. Great ad, and it couldn’t be any more appropriate for the publication.
Most effective subtle approach: Mammoth
This campaign was really interesting and took me by surprise at first. The full-spread ads are a simple photo of a park feature, darkened heavily except for a spotlight on one small aspect of the feature—the “crux” of that feature if you will. The copy reads, “The little things matter.” And that’s it. But you know what? It’s true! Mammoth’s pride in its well-built, well-designed and detail-oriented park program is worthy of such a subtle boast. Terrain parks had their share of controversy in 2007, and this ad lets readers know that Mammoth not only supports its parks, they “get it,” too.
Most effective not-so-subtle approach: Mountain High
The blunt approach of this campaign was perfect for this resort. Inch-high type dominates the ads, reading, “Your local night riding authority” and “Support your local terrain park specialists.” Hey, if most of your customers come from California anyway—and that’s a crowded market—why not just target that audience? I thought it was smart to be so loud amongst the glossy glamour of its closest competitors.
Best green advertising: Snowmass
Green advertising can be a bit eye-roll-inducing, but Snowmass brought a legitimate version to the game with its “Save Snow” campaign. Using team rider Gretchen Bleiler, the ad seeks to drive readers to find more information on Snowmass’ environmental efforts on its savesnow.org website. I liked the bold approach and clean creative, and I would say the only sin this ad commits is being a bit throwback in its drive-to-web gambit, which is and as innovative as the top two ads on this list.
Raspberries
Least creative: Ridevail.com, Keystone, Big Sky
Truly great ads are tough to achieve, but if you’re going to spend the money on placing it, why not try to top yourself every year? Ridevail.com ran the same campaign as last year and, unfortunately, it didn’t get any better with age. Yeah, the picture is fine, but it certainly doesn’t inspire you to stop and stare. Ditto for Keystone. Nice photo, good branding, but maybe a bit too subtle for its own good. And though I praised Big Sky last year, they, too, re-ran the same campaign, only with worse copy, so this year they get lumped into the not-so-hot category as well.
Copywriting violations: Big Sky, Chevy Grand Prix
Bad design seems to have taken a vacation this year—I couldn’t find even one naked snowboarder to criticize—but alas, bad copywriting lurks around the industry like a drunken uncle on Thanksgiving day. Big Sky, for example: “A little more Cinderella. A little less wicked stepsister”? Come on! What snowboarder is going to think that’s cool? Even my six-year-old cousin told me last Christmas that Cinderella was “for babies” and she wanted no part of it. Or the dreaded sin of superfluous lingo in this ad for the Chevy Grand Prix: “Thousands of spectators were treated to some of the biggest tricks ever landed and some of the most horrific bails ever seen.” First of all, is that even true? Biggest tricks ever landed? Unless this is the Arctic Challenge and the rider was Terje, don’t claim it. Most horrific bails ever? Should you even boast about that? Exaggerating is just as bad as faking it—everyone knows that.
Honourable Mentions:
My favourite ad, period: Oakley Signature Series campaign, featuring Terje Haakonsen. Amazing creative. I absolutely loved this ad.
Best co-opt: Sierra-at-Tahoe, for appropriating the Grand Theft Auto artwork for its pro team. Loved the drawings of the riders in video-game mode.
Best classic approach: Heavenly, for its take-out poster featuring pro rider Andreas Wiig slashing pow. What teenager doesn’t like a great shred poster on their wall?
Overall, it’s great to see resorts being progressive with their campaigns and starting to really utilize the opportunities to meld print and online campaigns as one. Snowboard magazines are a vital part of the riding scene and remain a valuable place to reach that fickle demographic—especially if you play it smart.
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