ATLANTA 10.24.07 - In a humorous new ad from Huey+Partners and long-standing client, Mizuno USA, the question is raised: What’s on your trophy shelf? In this case, the heads of your playing partners. The tongue-in-cheek approach reminds us that it’s all about beating your buddies and finding the right equipment to help you do that. The ad features the new MP-57 iron which is touted as “Mizuno’s most forgiving MP iron ever created.” Forgiving for whom? Obviously not the competition. The ad is appearing in GOLF, Golf Digest, Golfweek and GolfWorld.

“We don’t have the marketing budgets of our competitors so our ads must work harder. They have to break through and appeal to the emotions of golfers. The campaign has been embraced by not only our customers, but our sales force and retailers. It’s an approach that truly differentiates our brand.” - Dick Lyons,
VP/GM Golf Division, Mizuno USA

ATLANTA 05.25.07 - In golf, great feel is essential - especially in your short game. That is the point Huey+Partners and Mizuno make in their new launch ad for the MP-R Series wedges. Thanks to Mizuno’s patented Grain-Flow forging process, their new wedges provide unrivaled feel. The problem is that few golfers realize that the category’s two top-selling wedges are not forged at all, but cast - a cheaper process that results in less than optimum feel. The ad solution is a striking visual of a golfer swinging a shovel with the headline, “If it’s not forged, it’s just metal.” The ad is appearing in GOLF, Golf Digest, Golfweek and GolfWorld.

ATLANTA 11.24.06 - On the football field, competition is fierce. Almost as fierce as the battle in the trade channels where Russell Athletic Team Sports lines up against industry giants like Nike, Adidas and Under Armour. With 2007 fast-approaching, and three critical new product launches in the works, Russell turned to huey+partners for a fresh, impactful approach.

The result is a campaign that carves out a unique identity for the new XC Jersey, NXT Compression Performance Wear and Original Team Issue Fleece. Utilizing four-color product photography juxtaposed against flat art, the campaign creates a cohesive look and feel across all product lines. It’s a distinct break from Russell Athletic’s traditional approach and a signal of the new attitude within the company. The marketing campaign consists of print, web, point-of-sale and direct mail.

“The team at h+p was able to quickly understand our needs from a brand and product perspective. They were able to do in weeks what other companies would have needed months to do. The creative nailed it.”

- Andre Murphy, Category Manager, Russell Athletic Team Sports

ATLANTA 1.12.07 - Ron Huey and seven of Atlanta’s leading advertising executives joined moderator, Ken Bernhardt, Regents professor and chair of the marketing department at Georgia State University, to discuss the state of the advertising industry and how technology is transforming the business. The event was hosted by The Atlanta Business Chronicle and featured in their “Strategies - Ideas for growing business” section of the paper.

On new media outlets, Huey pointed out that though we have many new and exciting ways of reaching people, the bottom line is that if your creative message isn’t cutting through and emotionally connecting, you aren’t really reaching anyone. In this new age of advertising, Huey felt creativity will be more important than ever, “It’s not just the methods, but the manner in which you speak to people that will ultimately separate and build brands.”

On the rise of Internet blogs, Huey depicted them as the new water-cooler conversations, stating they’re great as a complement to building your brand with a larger audience.

“Today, more than ever, consumers are looking for advertisers who engage them, entertain them and connect with them. You can’t just beat your message into their heads anymore.” - Ron Huey, President/ECD, Huey+Partners

ATLANTA 09.25.05 - In their latest ad concept for long-running client Mizuno USA, independent advertising agency Huey+Partners ventured where few clients and agencies dare to go: Religion.

To introduce Mizuno’s new MP-60 iron, Huey+Partners presented a concept with a parade of golfers lined up at a confessional in a church. The headline read: You’ll feel like you’re cheating. Both the client and agency agreed the ad would generate talk, interest and possibly a letter or two considering the subject matter. However, both felt the stopping power and entertainment value of the concept would outweigh any negative feedback they might receive.

That feedback to date has been minimal and, in fact, mostly positive. Including a letter from a Catholic Priest in Chicago who requested a poster version of the ad that he could frame and hang in his office. Seems God must be a golfer, too. The ad is appearing in Golf Digest, Golf World and LINKS.

Over the past six years, Mizuno has seen their market share in golf irons double since the launch of the branding campaign.

ATLANTA 05.16.06 “Creating a new trade booth is huge endeavor for any client. It must generate excitement, draw attention and create an inviting marketplace where product can be sold and deals can be made. With that as the objective, MizunoUSA’s Running Division enlisted the help of their advertising agency, Huey+Partners.

The concept for the new booth, which debuted at the Boston Marathon in April, features race-specific visuals and insider tips allowing race participants to get a firsthand look at the challenge that awaits them. The 30-foot long exterior wall of the booth features the race route with gritty, black and white photos tied to specific mile markers. In each instance, a corresponding race tip is provided.

What makes the new Mizuno booth unique is that the panel visuals and tips change with each coming marathon, starting with Boston and extending to San Diego in early June and Chicago and New York in the Fall.

“The ability to tailor the booth to each individual marathon provides a more personal appeal to our customers. It engages them, educates them and helps reinforce our reputation as the authority on running.”

- Lisa Mark, Sr. Director, Marketing, Mizuno USA

ATLANTA 01.23.06 “With the golf equipment buying season fast approaching, Mizuno Golf, a division of MizunoUSA based in Norcross, GA, breaks out of the gates with two entertaining commercials compliments of the Huey+Partners Advertising.

The first, entitled “Tow Truck,” portrays a businessman who emerges from a coffee shop only to discover his car being towed. The spot becomes a series of energetic cuts capturing his frantic chase to recover his car. In a last desperate attempt, he dives onto the back of the car. In the next shot, we discover that his intent all along was merely to recover, not his car, but his Mizuno clubs from the trunk.

The second spot, entitled “Biggest Fans,” features PGA Tour golfer and Mizuno Ambassador, Luke Donald. The two :30 spots will break on the Golf Channel the week of January 23rd as well as debuting at the PGA Golf Show in Orlando, FL that same week.

The humorous approach appears to be working as Mizuno’s market share in golf irons has doubled in the six years they’ve been with Huey+Partners