“And the third element is ‘Play Now’“ – this is how boot Director Petros Michelidakis announced the new advertising campaign for the Düsseldorf water sports trade fair at the International Media Meeting in Düsseldorf on 6. October.
Following the successful multipicture advertising campaign, which marked the brand relaunch at boot 2010, and the spotlight on ‘360° water sports’ involving the gold campaign with successful athletes as ambassadors of their sport, the focus is now on water sports enthusiasts. Michelidakis’ explanation of the background to the campaign: “With ‘Play Now’, we are encouraging everyone who loves sports on or by the water to join in and come to boot, in order to experience this unique atmosphere at our event in Düsseldorf for themselves. In the middle of winter, we highlight water sports and create a holiday feel, so that our visitors start to dream about the summer.”
‘Play Now’ was developed by the Düsseldorf company Neue Kommunikation GmbH with art direction by Hermann Hacker – who has been involved in boot advertising campaigns since 2010 – in co-operation with the well-known Hamburg Sport- und Markenkommunikation GmbH Hoeppner – headed by Andrea Hoeppner, who was a successful water sportswoman in the 80s and 90s winning multiple raceboard world championships – and is an authentic, action-packed campaign.
Petros Michelidakis: “When you look at the photos and videos, you realise that ‘Play Now’ was developed by water sports enthusiasts for water sports enthusiasts. Passion for the sports is demonstrated here.” ‘Play Now’ stands for fun and entertainment, curiosity and a willingness to try things out as well as for information and discovery and the development of a passion for water and water sports.
boot Düsseldorf demonstrates its capabilities in eleven categories as the biggest water sports trade fair in the world, with very realistic portrayals of people who are enthusiastic about their sport. The focus is on fans themselves rather than on photoshopped models showing what water sports might look like. Last year, enthusiasts were invited via special-interest magazines, Facebook or Youtube to submit videos of their particular water sport to Messe Düsseldorf. The entries were judged by a jury of experts and the winners were announced at boot 2017. However, the biggest prize for the winners is now their appearance on ‘Play Now’. An authentic, emotional and exciting lifestyle as well as a relaxed holiday atmosphere are communicated, with a presentation as a result of how fascinating and varied activities on and by the water are. In ‘Play Now’, the focus is on the fan-on-the-street, who loves his sport, rather than on professional athletes. The campaign motifs whet the appetite for water sports: the angler, who proudly presents his catch, canoeists before they plunge into a rocky river that drops steeply, kitesurfers racing across the sea, sailors in a stiff breeze, stand-up paddling (SUP) on a lonely river, couples on a luxurious superyacht, windsurfers flying through the air after they have jumped off the sea, divers with a whale shark in the depths of the ocean, wakeboarders skimming across a lake on a cable, a trip on a streamlined motorboat or the next wonderful holiday by the sea.
It goes without saying that ‘Play Now’ is as a result reflecting the feeling at boot too. This is where visitors on gloomy days in January have an opportunity to dream about their holidays and actively try out sports that are only possible in summer otherwise. Wakeboarding, skimboarding, SUP, diving, canoeing, sailing, fishing and – a new addition at boot 2017 – even genuine surfing can be experienced live at boot in individual areas of the 17 halls at the trade fair that are devoted to different sports activities. A fun time can be had in the water, for example, while the visitor can at the same time inform himself and/or buy such new “water toys” as an inflatable boat for the children, a new surfboard for athletic mum, a streamlined sailing boat for dad or a motor yacht for the entire family. Michelidakis: “In our new campaign, we have portrayed the eleven sports categories in such an exciting and realistic way that any water sports enthusiast will definitely want to join in ‘Play Now’.
boot Düsseldorf will be creating a stir with the campaign in the print and online editions of international water sports magazines all over the world from November onwards. ‘Play Now’ will be playing a central role in boot’s home region, the North Rhine-Westphalian state capital of Düsseldorf, from January 2017 onwards. The emotional motifs of the campaign will then be appearing on large outdoor posters with the ‘Experience 360° water sports’ motto to advertise boot.
