Bauer Hockey Inc. is promoting the launch of its newest skate, the Bauer Vapor APX, with one of the company’s largest campaigns ever.

The campaign is focused on the technology behind the new skate and targeted at the areas where its core demographic of 13- to 18-year-old males consume media, on TV and the internet, TJ McMeniman, global brand manager, Bauer, tells MiC.

“Bauer wanted to communicate the launch of the APX in a different way,” he says. “Essentially, this launch is the evolution of the APX brand. We wanted to make sure we communicated that we had taken the Vapor line people know and love to the next level.”

The media buy and creative for the campaign, which runs until July, were both done in-house at Bauer, says McMeniman and the campaign includes print, in-store and in-arena fixtures, 30- and 60-second commercials airing on TSN and the NHL Network, online banner ads and a contest on Bauer.com where one player has a chance to win a custom pair of skates.

“We know where our core customers are, they live and breathe hockey,” says McMeniman. “We wanted to know we were connecting with them where they would be watching and listening.”