Speed Racer
aka "mach5driver"
After a 10 year hiatus from its advertising campaigns, race car legend Richard Petty is returning to TV on behalf of Clorox Co.'s STP brand. Petty, a seven-time Nascar Winston Cup champion, first appeared for STP in the 1970s. In recent years, however, he has limited his association with the brand to driving an STP-sponsored race car and serving as a spokesman for the brand in a public relations capacity. Michael Hoar, management director on the account at Omnicom Group's DDB Worldwide, San Francisco, said the decision to bring Petty back for the campaign resulted from research that found that sons learn about car care from their fathers. The ads back the STP Fuel Additives line, which includes three products: Gas Treatment, Super Concentrated Fuel Injector Cleaner, and Complete Fuel System Cleaner. In the spots, titled "Dad's Advice," Petty's son Kyle, a NASCAR Winston Cup driver, talks about the importance of cleaning a car's fuel system as well as the engine's oil. The younger Mr. Petty speaks to the camera, but when he slams down the hood of the car, his father is seen in the background wearing his trademark cowboy hat and glasses. "It's the ultimate father handing advice to the ultimate son," Mr Hoar said. The spots broke this week on NASCAR and sports programming. A print and in-store component also is included, along with public relations activities.
