• The New York Times, Wednesday, July 5, 2006 11:15 AM

Consumer electronics marketer Maxell is going back to the future in a new ad campaign that resurrects an old character. The new spots--for an online game scheduled to go live soon on the Maxell Web site--feature the so-called "blow-away guy," a hip young man sitting in a large armchair who is so moved by the outstanding performance of Maxell music products that his hair is blown back from his head and he is practically blown out of the chair. He first appeared in Maxell ads in the late 1970s. The character will be the star of the online game, which the marketer hopes will serve to remind consumers of the uses for Maxell products--which include recordable tape and disks, headphones, and iPod accessories. The initiative is representative of a trend among major marketers seeking new ways to attract target groups. As more consumers go online to play games--particularly those in their late teens through early 30's--marketers are following them, a phenomenon that has spawned its own terms like "advergaming." The goal is to encourage consumers to spend more time on the marketers' Web sites so they can be exposed to additional brand and product pitches. Among others taking part in the trend are Kimberly-Clark, Kraft Foods, Miller Brewing, Orbitz, and Sony Pictures Entertainment.

Read the whole story at The New York Times »