In an effort to reach millennial males, the focal demographic for Great Clips, a new commercial spot has been created and  it ran during the most-watched college bowl games and the College Football Playoff semi-finals on New Year’s Day and will also run during the championship game on January 12.  Approximately 70 percent of Great Clips customers are men.

In the commercials, a  character called "Ralphpunzel" has finally decided to cut his coveted 17-foot-long train of hair. His neighborhood friends can’t believe he is getting a haircut for the first time in 20 years, but are intrigued by the reason why. Ralphpunzel shows his friends how to save time by using the Great Clips Online Check-In app.

The Ralphpunzel commercials were developed by Periscope, an independent advertising agency based in Minneapolis, MN, as well as the Perlorian Brothers and their production company MJZ.  Ann Latendresse, Great Clips’ Director of Brand Marketing, replies to questions about the new spot:

While we know he is a man, how do you describe the Great Clips customer?

Latendresse:    "About 70 percent of Great Clips customers are male. He’s the everyday guy who sees a haircut as something on his to-do list, so saving time is especially important to him."

What were your marching orders to the agency?  What points did you tell them to hit?

Latendresse:   "Our agency, Periscope, is great at developing creative to help us reach our target audience which is 18-34 year old males. Our primary message with the Ralphpunzel spot is that Great Clips saves people time with Online Check-In."

Are you also building a social campaign around this commercial?

Latendresse:   "Yes. In addition to the :15 and :30 second spots for traditional TV buys, we have a :60 version of “Ralphpunzel” for our Great Clips’ social channels, including Facebook, Twitter, YouTube http://youtu.be/7SvEqMun0Tk. We also created Twitter profiles for our cast of characters: @TheRalphpunzel, @RonnieOnTheWall and @WhyAnthonyWhy."

Were there many versions before this final? And, if so, what needed to be changed?

Latendresse:    "The production was a one-day shoot, so we had a lot to choose from as far as what would end up in the spot. That being said, we loved what Periscope edited and quickly agreed on the spot with minimal changes."

www.greatclips.com