• by Karl Greenberg , April 13, 2007

Cub Cadet, a lawn mower brand and division of Cleveland-based MTD Consumer Products, the second-largest lawn product company after John Deere, is launching its first national campaign timed to the mowing season. The campaign, via Blattner Brunner, Pittsburgh, aims to build awareness of Cub Cadet's rider mowers among younger consumers, and touts Cub Cadet's new i1000 series riding mowers.

The effort, launching this month, includes two TV spots, print, Internet and radio plus in-store POP, with a focus on sports. The theme is that, rather than the usual image of the rider mower as an accessory for one's golden years, the Cub Cadet mowers are for busy people, specifically "time-starved Gen-Xers," per the company.

A brand spot shows off Cub Cadet's range of riding mowers by imagining them catapulting through a pinball game. In the ad, four tractor riders are propelled through a lawn-themed game, complete with ramps, curves, bumpers, and, of course, the flipper. The message "Win Back Your Weekend," appears in lights, like a winning score.

The media buy for the mower leans heavily on ESPN, ESPN2, and ABC properties, with heavy exposure during broadcasts of NBA and MLB games and Nascar. A second spot, for the i1000 line, stars Cleveland Cavaliers' LeBron James, who is challenged by a neighbor on an i1000. The neighbor says his mower--which is a four-wheel drive machine--is more maneuverable than James is on the court. In the spot, which has a "Keeping up with the Jameses" theme, the neighbor shows off the maneuverability of the machine until he tries to challenge James in a one-on-one game of hoops and loses badly.

Keeping up with the ersatz theme, the agency will launch three faux blogs later this month, demetersfellowship.com, an academic site; theloogooteeconspiracy.com; and appalachiandevilgrass.com. All three--by a scientist, a conspiracy theorist and an Arkansas "stump puller," respectively--deal with a fictional grass called "Loogootee Strain," a kudzu like strain of grass that grows too fast for any normal mower to restrain.

Scott Morgan, president of the agency, which also has offices in Washington, D.C. and Atlanta, says awareness-building on a relatively small budget was key. "Deere is the 800-pound gorilla. We needed to be different," he says. "We have identified this emerging new generation of tractor buyer in GenX; it's an emerging generation of tractor buyers who are either moving into a second home or seeking the convenience of a riding mower because they want to spend more time with family or hobbies." He says the focus is also on product innovation, such as the maneuverability of the i1000, demonstrated in the spot starring James.

"What the pinball spot demonstrates is that you can have fun with this equipment, but ultimately, it's about convenience because it allows you more free time. The bottom line [with the i1000 spot] is that it's highly flexible and maneuverable, with the tightest turning radius in the category."

Print and other media will run across the U.S., with heaviest exposure in the Northeast, Southeast and Midwest, in ESPN Magazine, Bass Master, Mobile ESPN, ESPN.com, ESPN stores, as well as newspaper and regional media buys.