Creative Impact Group Special Events Planning

Loctite’s Campaign to Revive Simoniz Car Wax Links Ads, Booth and Party with Common Theme

By: Joanne Brooks

There was a time, not so long ago, when America had a love affair with it’s cars. Weekends were spent washing and waxing every square inch of your Buick or Chevy to such a high gloss that the chassis gleaned like sterling silver when your were through. Car care was necessity, hobby and passion rolled into one.

That was the era and the aura invoked by specialty chemical manufacturer Loctite Corp. at the Automotive Parts & Accessories (APAA) Show in Las Vegas shortly after the company signed an agreement to become the exclusive retail marketer and distributor for Simoniz car wax, a brand that dates back to 1911.

With images from the past ranging from cardboard cutouts of classic cars, to a vintage Corvette shaped telephone that was sent to the companies top customers after the show, Loctite mounted a model total marketing campaign that established a strong association between Simoniz car wax and the golden age of the automobile.

That message was delivered repeatedly and consistently in advertisements, product packaging, trade show exhibit, hospitality party, and pre- and post-show mailings. The result: a tripling of Simoniz sales within six months.

New Branding for an Old Product

Simoniz was a household name for decades, but the brand had gone though several changes in ownership and lost some of it’s luster in the shuffle before Loctite added the Simoniz product line to it’s $800-million portfolio of high-technology sealants, adhesives and coatings in 1997. Loctite’s market research indicated that older consumers still remembered the Simoniz name, but it was virtually unknown among the 18-24 year olds, who were most likely to take the time to wax their cars.

To introduce Simoniz to the younger generation that comprised it’s target market, Loctite already had developed lively print ads and tv spots centering around the theme, “It’s Your Ride, Make It a Classic.” The TV spots cleverly juxtaposed footage of a 1962 predecessor reflected in a polished chrome tanker truck in the next lane. The same faux mirror image technique was used to show older and newer Simoniz cans, conveying the concept that today’s Simoniz wax is the modern incarnation of a classic product with a long heritage.

Loctite then built on that theme to demonstrate it’s commitment to the Simoniz revival to the automotive supply buyers who would be attending the APAA Show. “We wanted an exhibit that would not only let our customers know we were entering the automotive appearance market for the first time with the Simoniz brand, but also make it clear we were going to reintroduce the brand to the younger consumers who would be the likeliest purchasers,” says Volker Fremuth, Loctite’s market manager for automotive aftermarket products. “With the declining name recognition of the brand and the change in ownership, we had to show that Loctite was dedicated to cultivating new customers and restoring Simoniz to its former status in the marketplace.

The Pat Morita Connection

One of the first booth-related decisions Loctite made was to continuously play its new Simoniz commercial on a big screen TV facing the entrance to its 20′ x 60′ exhibit. The commercial served not only as a crowd-gathering tool, but also as a means of hammering home the message that the company was actively courting new customers for Simoniz products. In addition, roughly half of the booth space was devoted to Simoniz-related displays including the new packaging, new car care products the company had added under the Simoniz brand, and educational video and a special merchandising unit designed to assist consumers in selecting the correct product for their needs.

With its successful track record of using celebrities like former astronaut Alan Shepard to maximize booth traffic, Loctite also decided to hire Pat Morita, the veteran actor who portrayed martial arts master Mr. Miyagi in “The Karate Kid,” to sign autographs at the company’s booth. Morita not only fit Loctite’s classic theme by virture of his long career on “Happy Days”, but his Myagi role had a direct connection to car wax. In one of the film’s most memorable scenes, Morita orders his young protege to wax several dozen cars to properly prepare his muscles for the rigors of Karate. While the frustrated teenager fumes at what appears to be sheer drudgery unrelated to an upcoming karate contest, Miyage repeatedly and serenly exhorts him to “Wax on, Wax off.” Thus Morita was the ideal choice for the Loctite project.

Loctite hired Creative Impact Group, a full-service production company to engage Morita, hire two hostesses, and outfit them in yellow and black gowns with red Miss America-like “Miss Simoniz” sashes to match the colors of the updated Simoniz package, and add some visual excitement to the booth. They also arranged for Morita to appear at Loctite’s post-show party, hired as a disc jockey to provide musical entertainment, and develop props and decor to reinforce the theme.

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