electronics

Panasonic Turns IT-Guy Into Planet-Saving Hero

Forget Batman, Superman, Spider-Man, the X-Men or any of the other countless comic book characters who have had movies made about them. The next true planet-saving superhero is a guy from IT. 

To tout its Toughpad line of durable electronic devices, Panasonic is creating a limited-edition comic book series about a group of superheroes (the “League of Valor” and their IT specialist Kevin Massing) that relies on Panasonic technology solutions to get the job done. 

“This comic book is a fun, tongue-in-cheek way to connect with our real-life users who rely on our technology each day to overcome extreme circumstances, accomplish their missions and become heroes on the job,” Jayme Cunningham, marketing manager, Panasonic System Communications Company of North America (the company’s B2B arm), tells Marketing Daily.”In ‘Unbreakable Valor,’ we’ve taken the concept of our users being heroes on the job and amped it up to have some fun with it.”

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The first issue depicts members of the League of Valor defending the Earth from the evil Manzarius (a lizard-like alien bent on the planet’s destruction). A technological glitch leads to the capture of all the League members, leaving Massing alone to defend the planet and get the technology working again. Using his Toughpad tablet, which is more portable than his Toughbook laptop, Massing and his tablet survive explosions, freezing and water to make it to the scene and save the planet. 

“We were lucky enough to work with a talented creative team that has worked for many years with the comic book industry’s biggest publishers, and they brought the idea to life into something we’re very proud of,” Cunningham says. 

The first issue was created by writer Ron Marz (“Silver Surfer,” “Green Lantern” and “Witchblade”), illustrator Rick Leonardi (“Cloak and Dagger,” “Uncanny X-Men”), inker Mark Pennington (“Justice League International”), colorist Michael Atiyeh (“Mass Effect”) and letterer Troy Peteri (“Avengers Infinity”). Phil Smith created the design, logo and production, while additional content came from illustrator Bart Sears. 

Aimed at IT professionals, Panasonic is promoting the comics via its social media channels (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn), public relations and some targeted paid media placements. In addition to the comic book, Panasonic is launching a promotional sweepstakes for prizes including winning a Toughpad tablet, trip for two to San Diego to attend Comic-Con or the opportunity to be transformed into a featured character in the series.

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