Snowboarding's Largest Media Pimp

In snowboarding, and definitely in recent times, advertising campaigns have become insanely aggressive. We’ve all experienced it, the anticipation for your next issue of your favorite snowboard magazine and the disappointment of getting it and finding over three-quarters of the pages are advertisements; when it is to the point that companies like Milosport can place a multi-page advertisement of more than five consecutive pages in a widely-read magazine and get away with it… talk about advertising overload!

Even the very professional snowboarders we idolize and wish to ride like, at least in executive eyes, are merely the current most profitable poster children for company-x. I asked you readers which company you believed to be the largest media pimp. Who shells out the most cash for marketing and recruits the most snowboarders to help promote their brand?

With the most votes was Target, who as far as I am aware only works with Shaun White. Now admittedly the clothing line was a little much, and to many Shaun is industry sellout numero-uno, but even so I would have say Target is not much of predator in the snowboarding world.

PacSun was a consideration since each USASA event is another opportunity for the companies logo to be emblazoned on every single bib, flag and tent. Most in the snowboard world view PacSun and USASA as a different page of snowboarding, they are into their own thing… so they aren’t a largely dominant company in the industry.

In my opinion, the winner of biggest media pimp would have to go to the likes of Monster, Red Bull and Mountain Dew. Thirst + Action-sports + Winning riders drinking your product = Many people who will buy your product; this simple equation reveals the logic behind the aggressive onslaught of advertising and rider recruitment these companies utilize.

These are the companies responsible for most of the mainstream events in snowboarding, and in some cases the major financial backers of your favorite snowboard films (Red Bull and That’s It, That’s All). It’s ironic that the most media hungry companies in snowboarding have very little to with the actual sport, but such is the crazy world of marketing.

So you heard it here kids. If you want to be sponsored, hunt down some energy drink companies and start sending tapes.