Who: Harry Rosen, with Zulu Alpha Kilo for strategy and creative, with Zulubot for production, post-production and editing. Harry Rosen and Horizon Media for the media buy.
What: A Masters-ful campaign supporting the luxury menswear retailer’s new line of golf apparel. It’s the latest instalment in the Set the Tone” brand platform introduced in 2020.
When & Where: The campaign debuted April 7, with TV spots running TSN’s four days of coverage of The Masters Tournament. The ads will also run beyond the Masters, supported by online/social, out-of-home, in-store and print.
Why: For decades, Harry Rosen has been known as a retailer for high end men’s fashion and business suits. The pandemic has been tough on that category, but at the same time, interest in golf has gone up—leading to the retailer’s first real push into golf apparel.
How: The campaign features what the retailer’s EVP and chief marketing officer Trinh Tham describes as “vintage Harry Rosen cheek,” with ads designed to mimic TV coverage of one of the PGA Tour’s most prestigious—and buttoned-down—events. The ads feature the announcers talking in hushed tones about what at first feels like golf, before viewers realize they’re actually watching a commercial.
In one of the spots, the announcers talk about how a golfer finds himself in the trees, before viewers realize they’re talking about the palm tree pattern on his shirt. In another, they talk about the break as a golfer lines up a putt, only for viewers to realize they’re talking about the break of his pants. All of the ads conclude with the super “We know golf…style.”
“We wanted every element of the spots to feel like real golf coverage to misdirect viewers and make the pay-off that much more rewarding,” said Zulu’s executive creative director, Wain Choi. “We studied hours of golf coverage to mimic the camera angles, camera moves and graphics on screen. We even found an anchor whose voice sounded like Jim Nantz [the iconic voice of the Masters].”
They even looked at golf course from across North America to find one that could “read as Augusta [the course where The Masters is played] or at least a venue that would host a PGA event at this time of year,” said Choi.
The spots are being supported by six-second videos featuring a different golfer accompanied by headlines like “Improve your shirt game” and “Style from head to tee.” Harry Rosen’s Twitter channel is also providing commentary on the Masters’ golfers outfits throughout the tournament.
And we quote: “For over six decades, Harry Rosen has helped Canadian men look and feel their best in their personal and professional lives. Advising men on how to present a look of confidence on and around the golf course is the next step.” — Trinh Tham, executive vice-president and chief marketing officer, Harry Rosen
With files from Chris Powell
