NASCAR Performance Network launched

AUSTIN -- MAKOS Advertising, Marketing & Design and the Automotive Aftermarket division of NASCAR launched consumer broadcast, print and web advertising to support the recently introduced NASCAR Performance Network.

MAKOS is overseeing both creative and national media for the "Your Own Crew Chief" campaign, which begins with national television and print ads featuring actual NASCAR crew chiefs and personnel, and includes radio, web and collateral components extending through 2004.

Serving car-crazy NASCAR fans, The NASCAR Performance Network is a new, nationwide branding and service initiative of NASCAR aimed at supporting the automotive industry's call to "Be Car Care Aware" and the $60 billion of unperformed consumer maintenance each year.

"Racing fans love their automobiles, and this campaign makes a direct appeal to them via the crew chief or racing team - trusted individuals whom they not only recognize, but who also embody NASCAR's expertise regarding all things automotive," said Odis Lloyd, managing director of NASCAR's automotive aftermarket division. "MAKOS has developed terrific creative that will engage consumers with NASCAR Performance Network messages."

The NASCAR Performance Network comprises thousands of auto collision repair and maintenance shops which promote their products and services exclusively on NASCAR.com. Member businesses are listed in NASCAR.com's "Automotive" section. By entering a zip code, NASCAR fans in a given locality can locate participating shops, hours of operation, service details, driving directions and a map to the store location.

According to MAKOS president Mark Turner, the campaign will reach key consumer broadcast audiences via the SPEED Channel, XM Radio and the Motor Racing Network (MRN); and in print, via publications including Winston Cup Scene, NASCAR Illustrated, NASCAR preview and press guides, the NASCAR track and travel guides and as well select NASCAR souvenir race programs. Banners ads will also appear on NASCAR.com.

"MAKOS is proud to bring such a useful and innovative program to life," said Turner. "After NASCAR painstakingly coordinated it, we joined forces to get the word out to a large automobile technician audience. Now, MAKOS is helping NASCAR bring the message to the huge national consumer car-owner marketplace. TV, radio and print creative all are all designed to be entertaining and attention-grabbing with a light, humorous call to action that's very easy for NASCAR to track."

NASCAR crew chiefs are featured prominently in the campaign. Greg Zipadelli of Joe Gibbs Racing appears in the television spot, and fellow crew chief Slugger Labbe of Dale Earnhardt Incorporated voices the radio spot.

In the print creative, crew chiefs Ryan Pemberton of MB2 Motorsports and Robert "Booty" Barker of the Jasper Team, as well as members of the Penske Racing Mobil 1 Team make appearances.

"The idea behind 'Your Own Crew Chief' stems from an original NASCAR concept of the crew chief personifying the helping hand of NASCAR," said Turner. "In it, NASCAR, in the guise of the crew chief, steps into the consumer world and offers guidance with car repair."

The TV spot features Joe Gibbs Racing's Zipadelli, wearing a headset and instructing an unseen driver, who turns out to be a couple driving down the highway in an SUV.

Similarly, radio spots with Dale Earnhardt Incorporated's Labbe feature race-pit sounds. Rather than relaying information to his driver, the crew chief instead provides driving directions to a motorist looking for a NASCAR Performance Network member repair shop.

Three print ads depict actual NASCAR crew members helping everyday car owners. In "Backseat Driver," for example, Jasper Team's Barker, seated in the rear of an SUV, points the way to help for the young couple seated in front of the vehicle.

The automotive aftermarket-specific work MAKOS is executing is entirely separate from NASCAR's image campaign and general branding.

"The tagline, 'We know cars,' really says it all, and we think the work is breakthrough creative that speaks directly within the NASCAR fans' mindset," Turner added. "NASCAR is a cool, fun client and to work with, and to be able to do this work in a comprehensive, national campaign, it really goes without saying how delighted MAKOS is to be associated with NASCAR at an exciting moment in its lifecycle where, for the first time, it is focusing on its position as an authority on all things automotive."