As part of its rebranding effort to target teenage males, Oxy Acne Solutions has signed a one-year endorsement deal with Dave Mirra, the most successful BMX freestyle rider in the history of the sport.
As part of the agreement, Mirra, will be part of an upcoming national sweepstakes, and his likeness will be featured in Oxy advertising and P-O-P signage at retailers nationwide.
“Oxy is being re-branded to appeal to the active teen,” said Oxy VP-Sales and Marketing Mark Cieslinski in a statement. “Mirra’s image, lifestyle, and accomplishments compliment the new Oxy and have a strong identification among our key target audience.”
Orchard Park, NY-based Mentholatum Co., which purchased the Oxy brand from GlaxoSmithKline in December 2004, is rebranding and repositioning Oxy Acne Solutions to target the active male teen. New packaging and P-O-S will be unveiled in July, though the rebranding effort will break at the first leg of the inaugural Dew Action Sports Tour June 9-12 in Louisville, KY.
Oxy is an associate sponsor of tour, and will leverage the deal onsite with the Oxy Party Pad. The 600-square-foot mobile display will include sampling, games and music, and allow teens to interact with the brand, said John Cimperman, principal of Cenergy Sports, which is Mentholatum’s promotional AOR.
Cimperman said Oxy is being positioned more as a lifestyle brand than a medicine, and will be skewed towards teen males.
“There are plenty of skin care products that target teen girls, so we decided to go after an underserved market, and that is the teen male,” Cimperman said. “The metrosexual wave has caused a huge trend in male grooming, and body sprays like Tag and Axe have really taken off. We want teens to know that when they’re seen using Oxy, it’s cool, and not taboo.”
Owned by NBC Universal and Clear Channel Entertainment – Motor Sports, the Dew Action Sports Tour will consist of multi-sport events and entertainment festivals covering more than 1 million square feet in both indoor and outdoor venues. Key lifestyle elements at each of the five events will include live music, video gaming and interactive events.
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