California and Florida Golfers Say "CartBoard" Ads Are A Hit

Austin, TX, 4/10/2007-- OpenShot Sports Media, a provider of outdoor golf media to Fortune 1000 brands, launched its "CartBoard" media throughout 11 major markets in both California and Florida on December 2006 featuring AT&T's Pebble Beach NationalPro-Am "Caddie Call" promotional campaign. The campaign featured PGA touring professional Camilo Villegas and a chance to win a spot as his caddy during the tournament's practice round.

The largest out-of-home, cart-based media buy of its kind came from AT&T's agency of record, GSD&M of Austin, Texas. The goal was to educate golfers about the "Caddie Call" contest, and ultimately drive the golfing demographic to AT&T's Blue Room website (attblueroom.com/sports). "It was important to our client (AT&T) to reach golfers at play, and to do it with an alternative media that promotes 'buzz' within the sport," cited Nancy Hale of GSD&M's out-of-home media department. "The cartboards provided repeated exposure to a message requiring a call to action by registering for an online sweepstakes. OpenShot helped GSD&M deliver that buzz and generate enthusiasm for the sweepstakes. We were happy with the media's performance." GSD&M utilized OpenShot's nationwide network of golf courses and both the CartBoard and point-of-purchase in conjunction with broadcast and print medias.

OpenShot's CartBoard is a unique, banner-type medium that mounts onto golf carts. The product's inspiration came from the company's founders as an appropriate but powerful way to introduce major brands to golfers at play, while subsequently supporting golf courses through advertising revenue. The benefit for advertisers is the media’s tremendous brand exposure duration (BXD), that resulted in 48% unaided ad recall as conducted by an independent survey during the AT&T's CartBoard media run. "OpenShot's media proved to be beneficial in both ad recall and brand recall. What's more, golfers indicated that they liked and accepted the media," says Glen Carroll, President of Carroll Media Services, Inc.

While OpenShot's primary media products center around the golf cart, the company also facilitates on-course product placement and sampling, web- and text messaging-based contests, and POP components. "Our nationwide network of golf courses is anxious to do business with us, as we deliver only quality brands who get golf," says Frank Zepponi, OpenShot's CEO. "Our company is run solely by golfers with advertising and marketing backgrounds, so we know what golfers will accept and respond to in terms of ad placement on their golf courses. That’s why agencies come to rely on us."

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