-By Chuck Stogel

Mizuno USA next week will break a multifaceted campaign to support the introduction of new iron sets for golfers. The products will begin shipping later this month.

Advertising, via Huey + Partners, Atlanta, blends in with Mizuno's continuing "Your passion is our obsession" theme. A two-page spread will run in core golf publications, including Golf World and Golfweek. Tagline: "Never Settle."

A complementary digital campaign will augment with placement on major golf Web sites, along with a video campaign at Mizuno's own golf site.

"We're launching our new irons with a fully integrated effort, across digital and traditional platforms, involving e-marketing, advertising, in-store merchandising, pr and grassroots promotions," said Lisa Mark, Mizuno's senior director of marketing services.

Mizuno is introducing four new sets of irons this fall: MX-100 and MX-200, which are game improvement clubs for average players; MP-52 and MP-62 forged blades with Dual Muscle technology for better players. The upcoming ad campaign touts the two MP sets (MSRP: $1,100 per set).

Mizuno's digital initiatives include a teaser campaign on highly influential golf blogger sites, ads on major golf sites, video e-mail blasts to a list of "core golfers" and Tech Talk webisodes.

"As one of the first golf marketers to enter the digital space, we've been especially excited by the tremendous response and buzz created from our continued e-marketing efforts," said Mark.

In-store elements will include new four-foot POP banners, a new slatwall display program, and consumer brochures and videos.

Spending for this specific campaign was not disclosed, but Mark said Mizuno Golf's overall spending for the year would exceed 2007. The company spent $4 million on U.S. ads last year (not including online) and $4 million already January-June this year, per Nielsen Monitor-Plus.