SYDNEY: Reebok has appointed youth marketing specialist Maverick to handle its Rugby World Cup (RWC) activity as the official merchandiser. Reebok marketing manager Vanessa Knight said the business handed to Maverick is a one-off project lasting until the end of the RWC in November. Leo Burnett retains the mainstream account. ÒWe opted to give the project to Maverick because a lot of the campaign will focus on grassroots activity, which is what Maverick is very good at,Ó Knight said. Leo Burnett, The Campaign Palace and George Patterson Bates also pitched for the project. Glen Condie, director of Maverick, said the agency specialises in youth marketing and non-traditional media. ÒWe really donÕt have that much competition in that regard,Ó he said. ÒIf you look at the bigger agencies, some are better in that space than others but no one is an expert.Ó Maverick often steers away from television advertising, Condie added, because, as confirmed by falling TV ratings, 16 to 39 year-olds are tuning off. ÒThereÕs been a 7.4% drop in 16 to 39 year-olds watching TV. ItÕs something weÕve known for years. TheyÕre on the Internet, theyÕre playing PlayStation, theyÕre hanging out at malls. We recognised that some time ago and decided we have to reach them more effectively and engage them.Ó Reebok is marketed and distributed by True Alliance, which has also chosen Maverick to handle a project for its Ben Sherman brand. Andrea Sophocleous
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