Skateboard campaign spit-balling

MUNICIPAL SKATEBOARDS
“Performance over Appearance. Function over Fashion. Mind over Matter.”

Sidewalk Chalk
Animated chalk drawings on sidewalk – product is “made” by the city/landscape

Target Demographic
Skateboarders – Particularly experienced ones who aren’t so interested in “bells and whistles” but just want something that works for its intended purposes.

Multi-Platform Concept
This campaign is based around the concept that the product (Municipal Skateboards) is “made,” or formed by its surroundings, the city landscape. The brand isn’t particularly flashy and is brings an “urban” or “working class” sensibility to its products. All ads will contain allusions to an urban landscape with particular attention being given to asphalt and sidewalk, the home of the skateboarder.




BILLBOARD/PRINT AD CONCEPT
The billboard will feature a low-angle image of a street. The curb will diagonally split the frame in two (with the top half being sidewalk, and the bottom half being the road). Written in chalk on the sidewalk is the brand logo for Municipal Skateboards. The road in the bottom half features a manhole cover/sewer plate with the name of the target city branded on it (i.e. New York City, Denver or wherever the ad will run) along with the words “Built by the City”. Below this in smaller print will be the body text.

Tagline
Built by the city

Body Text
With a focus on performance over appearance, and on function over fashion, Municipal Skateboards is a skateboarder-owned company that knows skating is not a choice … it’s a calling. Municipal Skateboards are available at municipalskateboards.com or at leading skate shops.




SHORT TV or INTERNET BANNER AD
The ad starts with a high-angle shot of a person skating over a city sidewalk. The tip of the skateboard moving over sidewalk is the only this visible. The sound of the wheels moving over the cracks is the only audio. As the unseen skater progresses, the letter “M” (the size of a “normal” block of sidewalk) is written in bright chalk. As he progresses, each block contains another letter, which in order will spell Municipal Skateboards. As he passes the final letter, he comes into frame (under the camera) and the camera stops moving horizontally. It then follows him as he moves down a quiet street and out of focus.

Tagline
Made by the city

Voice Over
Municipal Skateboards are available at municipalskateboards.com or at leading skate shops.




VIRAL/GUERILLA MARKETING
The sidewalk chalk aesthetic of the campaign lends itself nicely to viral marketing. Stencils could be distributed to dealers or street teams who could emblazon the logo in chalk on surfaces where the target demographic is likely to gather (i.e. a skate parks or parking lots). The impermanent nature of chalk would likely avoid any potential legal prosecution as it can be easily removed if needed.



PRINT AD CONCEPT #2 – “What to grind?”
A skateboarder stands in the middle of the image holding the board in one hand. His back is to the camera. Shortly up the road are a pristine kerb and an attractive woman.



PRINT AD CONCEPT #3 – “Returned to the wild”
An high-angle image of a skateboarder from behind. The skateboarder stands in front in front of a near-empty street. The name is clearly visible on a board held in their hand.


Random Notes
Breaking the mould – manufacturing process

Environmental production – Product of its environment.

Not responsible for idiocy done on product. Board never breaks. Nut shots with intact board for single image campaign.

Made by skaters

Boards made by white collar decision makers (if they produced boards…)

Evolution of technology from rollerskates and 2x4 to layered wood etc.

Using desk chair as transportation

Xray of person

Putting skateboards on well known statues etc.

Photos of injured skaters with smiles on their face

Injuries equal “badge of honor”

Make a soundtrack out of the constant beat of wheels over pavement. Song plays with no drum beat and then uses sounds of pavement to play in tune with the song.
Lupe Fiasco – Kick Push

Promotion involving a board made of punk rock/hip hop iconic instrument.

Rat Race. Street scene with anthromorphic rats in human roles in traffic jam (i.e. in cabs, rushing to be somewhere). Skater outside of the congestion cruises by. It’s not a race. Run your own race.