BROADVIEW, Ill. – The Bosch marketing campaign for its premium line of ICON Wiper Blades was recognized as one of the most effective marketing programs of the past year at the 44th annual Effie Awards presentations in New York City on May 23. 
The campaign, titled “How Storm Chasers Clear the Way,” was created by advertising agency Team Detroit and featured Bosch ICON Wiper Blades "clearing the way" for storm chaser Reed Timmer of The Discovery Channel’s television series "Storm Chasers."
The comprehensive, 360-degree multimedia marketing campaign included television commercials, video webisodes, online ads and a dedicated microsite (www.Boschcleartheway.com), as well as support materials and P.O.P. displays. All communications featured Timmer’s massive armored tornado-chasing vehicle, the Dominator, outfitted with six Bosch ICON Wiper Blades on its double windshield. The campaign was supported with messaging issued via Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
In the television series, the Dominator is driven into some of the most violent weather conditions imaginable, and visibility is made possible by the most effective and durable wiper blades in the industry – the very same Bosch ICON Wiper Blades that are available to motorists at auto parts stores and auto repair shops.
Bosch earned a Silver Effie award in the Automotive Products and Services category, which was accepted jointly by Bosch and Team Detroit at the awards gala. Those competing for Effie awards included some of the largest and best-known retail brands in the country, including companies such as General Motors, Chrysler and Porsche, as well as IBM, American Express, Kellogg’s, Walmart and Federal Express.
Pam Krebs, director of advertising and sales promotion for Bosch, said, “The Effies celebrate the best in marketing creativity and effectiveness. One attribute without the other misses the mark. But when both come together in a single campaign, then we, as marketers, can truly say that we’ve done our job and done it well. It’s especially gratifying to receive such a prestigious award in recognition of our Bosch branding work, and we’re honored to be numbered in the company of some of the most elite marketers in the world.
“In a highly fragmented product category like wiper blades, it became necessary to identify a unique point of differentiation for ICON and showcase it in a contextually and culturally relevant environment," Krebs added. "Working with Team Detroit, we determined that The Discovery Channel’s ‘Storm Chasers’ program, with Reed Timmer as our spokesperson, would provide just the right combination. We were confident that, by identifying ICON with the most extreme weather conditions, we’d have the ultimate platform for showcasing the strength, durability and effectiveness of Bosch Wiper Blades.”
The Effie Awards were founded in 1968 by the American Marketing Association, New York Chapter, with a mission to recognize, educate and encourage effectiveness in the marketing communications industry.
