electronics

RadioShack Aims Younger With Thicke, Beats

adio-Shack-Ad-A

In a bid to reach the next generation of electronics users, RadioShack is teaming with one of their favorite accessory brands: Beats by Dr Dre. 

“As part of our brand transformation, we need to broaden our appeal to be inclusive of Millennials who currently don’t know that they can find the hottest music accessories that they want in their neighborhood,” Jennifer Warren, RadioShack’s chief marketing officer, tells Marketing Daily by email. “Beats is a strong brand, a great partner, and has deep connections in the youth market.”

The retailer has created a new television spot that showcases the Beats by Dr. Dre Pill portable speaker and pays homage to Robin Thicke’s latest single, “Blurred Lines.” The commercial apes the suggestive video for the song (which has racked up more than 8 million online views since its release in March), in which Thicke is surrounded by scantily clad models dancing suggestively while holding Pill speakers. 

The commercial also connects to an in-store promotion through which customers can have access to an exclusive remix of the Thicke song with the purchase of any Beats by Dr. Dre product, mobile phone, tablet or MP3 player. 

The spot will air on younger-skewing networks such as MTV, VH1, Spike and Comedy Central. It will also run during the NBA Finals. In addition to the commercial, RadioShack’s Facebook page will be hosting behind the scenes videos, and the company will launch a social campaign later this year, giving consumers the chance to win two tickets to a future Robin Thicke show. The efforts, Warren says, are all part of a concerted effort to reach younger consumers. 

“Our goal is to increase our relevance, so we will of course listen to consumers as they engage with both brands via social media. We are already seeing positive feedback from consumers in our social channels,” she says. “This partnership with Beats is the first of many steps we are taking to refresh our image and show consumers how truly relevant we are for their technology needs.”

Next story loading loading..