Press Release
Medical Hair Restoration Rocks Hair Transplant Industry with 1980's Hair Band
Three new explosive 60-second television commercials begin airing nationwide
EDITOR'S NOTE: Still shots available for publication; Dr. Matt Leavitt and The Hair Dudes available for interviews.
ORLANDO, FL - January 4, 2005 - Medical Hair Restoration (MHR), a worldwide leader in hair transplant surgery, today announced that for the first time the company is breaking away from the industry's more traditional and conservative late-night infomercial style of advertising and is launching three explosive 60-second, direct-response television commercials. The spots are designed to both ignite brand recognition and generate leads using an aggressive and energetic call-to-action.
"We have moved away from the standard before-and-after photos and clinical explanations of hair transplantation," said Randy Miller, Chief Operating Officer, MHR. "These spots are different, and different for a reason. Our basic ad campaign strategy of this unprecedented endeavor is to transform the perception of hair transplantation by giving it mass appeal and entertainment value, all while promoting name recognition for MHR using our new mantra, It's the hair, dude!'"
Miller added: "The momentum and buzz of this new brand recognition will surely develop the familiarity and foundation for more tactical initiatives, such as Internet advertising, radio commercials, direct mail, broadcast e-mails, and future long-form advertising. MHR is clearly now staged to rock the hair transplant industry with The Hair Dudes."
The Hair Dudes
The three 60-second spots feature 1980's tribute hair band, The Hair Dudes from the New York/New Jersey area. The creative concept of the ads revolves around a spoof structure that parodies other products and services that men and women use to try to make them feel more confident and powerful. One focuses on how to make more money buying real estate foreclosures; another on developing tighter abdominal muscles; and the other on a sexual dysfunction. Just as the balding men in each of the spoofed infomercials is making their pitch, The Hair Dudes - with the band members sporting heads of long, thick hair - appear after a rock n' roll pyrotechnics explosion and declare that the only real way to achieve greater life-style satisfaction and feeling one's best is to re-grow hair with a permanent hair transplant from MHR. The band members rock out to viewers: "It's the HAIR, Dude!" "Obviously, these spots are tongue-in-cheek," said Dr. Matt Leavitt, founder and medical director, MHR. "At the same time, every day our patients tell us stories about how they finally got in shape, got the job, or even the girl after they grew their hair back with our personalized hair transplant program."
Dr. Leavitt added: "There are 50 million men in America with some type of hair loss. The primary goal of these commercials is to help them take a lighter look at their current situation, and then come to us for the only permanent, natural solution."
The Hair Dudes will be used to promote MHR using several marketing venues. In addition to the TV commercials, the band will be featured on the company Web site, in Internet banner ads, and on live and taped radio promotions.
The commercials begin airing in January 2005 in local markets nationwide and on cable TV networks, including ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN Classic, VH-1, E!, Discovery, Fox News, Animal Planet and Travel Channel as MHR broadens its audience, but stays within its typical male demographic.
About The Hair Dudes Commercials
The Hair Dudes commercials were written and conceptualized by Chris Aten, senior creative director of MHR and its parent company The Leavitt Companies, and produced by Tampa Digital Studios, the largest digital media facility in West Central Florida and a turnkey resource for every aspect of multimedia production nationwide. The commercials were directed and produced by Michael McCourt of Tampa Digital, with Jeff McKown serving as line producer and Greg Metcalfe as editor, both also of Tampa Digital. All three spots were shot using the Panasonic HD (high definition) Varicam, with a P&S Technik pro-35 adapter and 35mm Karl Ziess lenses.
About Medical Hair Restoration (MHR)
Medical Hair Restoration was launched in 1992 under the medical direction of founder Dr. Matt Leavitt, and now boasts more board certified hair transplant surgeons than any other practice throughout the country. MHR is a part of The Leavitt Companies in Orlando, FL, and now has 42 offices nationwide, including New York City, Chicago and Los Angeles. MHR has become a leader in hair replacement, and has performed hair transplant procedures for thousands of men and women from more than 40 countries. The practice's board-certified physicians are on the forefront of clinical research, publishing, continuing education programs, state-of-the-art instrumentation and innovative hair growth procedures.
About Tampa Digital Studios
Tampa Digital Studios is the largest digital media facility in West Central Florida, and is a turnkey resource for every aspect of multimedia production nationwide. The company's broad customer base spans from ad agencies to independent producers, from direct marketers to corporations, as well as business, technology and entertainment leaders. The Tampa Digital staff's experience in all aspects of digital media, combined with its understanding of new technologies, is a driving force behind the company's sustained growth. For more information about Tampa Digital Studios, visit www.tampadigital.com.