Good Wingman Marketing ?

[Outback in Idaho]

Didn't get a reply from the Wingman yet. Guessing he ate the bionic lobster! 

[BIG-TARGET]

Hello, this is my first post on this forum. My name is Tor and I am from Sweden. Glad to be here!

I think the advert is spot on for what it wants to be. The target group for the Wingman and Sidekick are men and women in their late teens. The image language is spot on. Think GIF.s, 4chan, internet-memes etcetera. Nothing's cooler or more contemporary than badly done Photoshop imagery or home made YT-uploads.
Aesthetics? Check. Semiotics? Check.

For young urban generations the classic male role of do-it-yourself handyman is something of times past.

Therefore the ad adapts what I think is clever irony in playing with that gender role and it's connotations. The advert is not made to make us buy multi-tools, we'd buy them anyway. The advert want's to play with or have a dialogue around the geekiness of carrying a Leatherman. And I think it does it beautifully adapting a classic male stereotype a la Miami Vice or perhaps Top Gun.

Do I think it's funny? No I don't. But the ad is not meant for me. Do I think it's a good advert? Yes, I think it's great. Good job Leatherman!

Thanks for reading. Best regards / kinskibrain

Welcome aboard!!  I compared the add against your theory, and you may be on to something!!

[BIG-TARGET]

Seems to be a contest coming...

I like this due to the Grizzly Adams Shirt!!  Maybe LM(or MT.O) can get the trademark rights to that shirt.  Or sign up Dan Haggarty to do future ads!!

[Accujohn]

Lord help us.

[Agent X68]

Oh my SAK they made a video. Only the lobster can help us now!

MY EYES, IT BURNS!!!!!! 

[captain spaulding]

Damn that's disappointing. I think they have taken the whole Wingman thing a bit to far. After watching that I keep getting the image of that guy using the Wingman's blade to do some "nose candy" if you know what i'm saying.

[theonew]

Yikes, the Wingman has even taken over the leatherman.com home page

[Outback in Idaho]

Yikes, the Wingman has even taken over the leatherman.com home page

Want to be in a photo with The Wingman? Send in your photo

[jerseydevil]

Dear God, why did I just watch that video? Even the background music sounds 70's porn-ish.

[Accujohn]

The actual car used in the commercial has been for sale here in the Portland area for a couple months. I didnt know what commercial until now. Only $25k

http://portland.craigslist.org/clk/cto/2607452389.html

[captain spaulding]

Yikes, the Wingman has even taken over the leatherman.com home page

Want to be in a photo with The Wingman? Send in your photo

As much as I hate the Bro thing I might have to do this and make it my new Avatar.

[gafftapegreenia]

Kinda afraid of the Sidekick ads.

[Outback in Idaho]

Kinda afraid of the Sidekick ads.

Sidekick might be some gorgeous gal that talks like a backwoods redneck, wearing spandex with black nails and liptstick. And of course she'll be the Wingman's girl.

Like an alternative to Elvira.

[theonew]

Sidekick

[Accujohn]

In a nutshell, the wingman ads would do more to make me want to hide the fact that I owned one rather than anything else... Arent these just internet ads? I've lived in Portland a lot longer than Leatherman has existed and I have personally never seen an actual TV ad. Maybe they just dont advertise in the local market? Who knows

[AimlessWanderer]

Kinda afraid of the Sidekick ads.

Just hope the inspiration didn't come from the UK. We've had issues of similar creatures representing a certain telephone directory enquiry service ....






Maybe LM should be changing their slogan to "now you're worried"

[Accujohn]

Sidekick

(Image removed from quote.)

Perfect! And it looks like he just cut his pinky finger with it! Put the tool in his other hand and a drop of blood on his pinky... Whammo!

[Dunc]

I'm a saddo ... I actually boycott products with crap annoying adverts. Unfortunately I wasn't going to buy one of these before anyway so I don't have the pleasure of boycotting this now 

Oh me too.  I move my breakdown cover to the RAC after the AA started their "to our member's we're the fourth emergency service" slogan.

You have know idea how many Coastguards that p*ssed off 

[Gareth]

I'm a saddo ... I actually boycott products with crap annoying adverts. Unfortunately I wasn't going to buy one of these before anyway so I don't have the pleasure of boycotting this now 

Oh me too.  I move my breakdown cover to the RAC after the AA started their "to our member's we're the fourth emergency service" slogan.

You have know idea how many Coastguards that p*ssed off 

not to mention Mountain Rescue.   The AA have actually started using it again in the ad with John Cleese.

[Mr. Whippy]

Just saw this thread (after just seeing the LM Wingman ad.

All I can say is "wow".

(I hope they didn't spend money on this)

[BIG-TARGET]

Sidekick

(Image removed from quote.)

I luv you Minime!  You complete me!!

But seriously!  Perhaps now, the time is now upon us.  To save our noble multitool! We must step out from our glorious multitool world, and delve into the world of female assassins!!!

[turnsouth]

And it continues...

"Wingman's there for you 24/7. Have a live animal stuck in your carburetor? Need personal grooming tips? Call me anytime, day or night at 1-855-MyWingman (US only). CALL ME, BRO!!!!"

[scrappy]

I think it is hillarious

[J-sews]

I must not 'get' it. I think the whole ad campaign is just bad, bad, baaaaaad

[turnsouth]

Back when Tim retired, I read an article (can't remember where, I think it was a business journal), anyway it spoke about Jake Nichol taking over, and how he wanted to shift focus to the younger generation in order to keep the company viable.

I'm guessing this was part of his long term plan...

[Outback in Idaho]

Sidekick

(Image removed from quote.)

Was thinking more along the lines of...

<Pic removed>

or...

<Pic removed>
/ducks

[Outback in Idaho]

And it continues...

"Wingman's there for you 24/7. Have a live animal stuck in your carburetor? Need personal grooming tips? Call me anytime, day or night at 1-855-MyWingman (US only). CALL ME, BRO!!!!"

Has anyone called yet?

[Accujohn]

I guess I just dont get the "cheezy Bro" appeal of having a tool. It just makes the whole idea of carrying a multitool seem stupid, over the top... Geeky. Now dont get me wrong, I totally embrace my inner geek. I can laugh at myself for that. I dont need leatherman to use it as a selling point. All I know is, for me, I leave these ads feeling like NOT buying Leatherman

[Outback in Idaho]

Edit: Was supposed to been a reply, not a quote.

Not a fan boy of the whole Leatherman Wingman thing. He's okay, but definitely not in my league. He's more of the ghetto hero for that type of audience, yet have to admire the guy for giving it a go and doing it. He's making money (I hope) and has a great company backing him up!

Can appreciate the effort that is going into this as most things we'd all like to see happen just don't stand a snowball's chance in the Mojave Desert of happening.
Looking back at the Brandon Roy limited edition Micra ad its limited duration, most only wanted it for a collector's item than what it represented.
Then two Leatherman mini-commercials came about somewhere in the timeline; one where the Scooter Nerds saves the day, another where the Bikers saved the pizza delivered (who was out in the desert?)
[video]http://www.facebook.com/v/118878681504960[/video]
[video]http://www.facebook.com/v/118878228171672[/video]
Along came the Bionic Lobster that I quite happened to like. Very cheesy, ended after three comic chapters, then nothing. Leatherman sold the T-shirts out, and nothing since. No one said why. The Bionic Lobster went the way of the Juice KF4 & Pro - fizzled out for no public reason.

So now there is the Wingman. I have a feeling Juli is filling in for him, so she's working her little heart out to keep everyone on the up and up... yet many folks are just dumping on the Wingman, thus dumping on the one woman who made Leatherman what is is. Okay, she was in Public Relations and now is more involved in Marketing.

If you trust in your Leatherman please be more supportive and respectful in your comments, because you are not just dissing the guy who is trying to be The Wingman, and for the marketing, yet you are also dumping on the same company you are buying tools from.

Sure the thing is cheesy, outdated, yet it does have its quirky humor. Yet many of us are already customers. Leatherman is trying for a different demographics of folks who may be ghetto or struggling and they can have a hero or role model to look at, laugh, giggle, and have fun with. The tool is roughly $25, so definitely not in most of our bracket as many of you can afford it yet serves no use past collecting.

Now you have the chance to collect lots of Wingman items for future collections. Whether it makes the product sell more, or doesn't, there is nothing any of us can do to change it. But remember, though you are all entitled to your opinions, there are a lot more people involved in the marketing that you are also commenting on.

I may not fully understand the whole marketing thing on this Wingman, and probably will not purchase one (money is tight and I have to make every dollar count), but I can appreciate the work of everyone involved to make it the best they can. I also support Leatherman and of the many projects they get involved in. As such, it's a growing paine to get through. Either make the best of it, or not.

Would like to use a Wingman, just not going to spend $25 on something that has no real purpose. I have a few (under a dozen) Leatherman tools, slightly modified Charge TTi as main EDC, and I'm not that avid of a collector. It is cute, but from last year when first seeing this knew that I probably would not buy one - unless I actually had $25 to burn ... which isn't likely.

However... in the end of things... I support Leatherman, and all those that are trying to make a go at things new & different.



I apologize for the windy reply and not hopping on anyone's shoulders or hammering on any of those that have or will continue voicing their opinions. Only trying to shed light on things that y'all may be missing. Ciao

[Gareth]

If you trust in your Leatherman please be more supportive and respectful in your comments, because you are not just dissing the guy who is trying to be The Wingman, and for the marketing, yet you are also dumping on the same company you are buying tools from.

Lets be clear here Jim, no-one has 'dissed' the actor playing The Wingman, only the character he is playing.  I'd also argue that no-one here has dumped on LM in the least, only the decision to go with this ad campaign.  Yes, the majority of people here have said they don't like it but this is a forum where people are allowed to express their opinion as long as it's done in a polite manner. 

If we're free to criticise a manufacturer's MT designs, I feel we're allowed to, politely, criticise their marketing as well.