metromix.chicagotribune.c...brity_heds
By Robert K. Elder
Tribune staff reporter
February 9 2007
The handlebar mustache. The menacing biceps. The sunglasses. The motorcycle.
Even if you didn't know his name, you most likely know Paul Teutel Sr.'s trademarks. If you were watching the Super Bowl, you saw them in Hewlett-Packard's futuristic "The Computer is Personal Again" commercial. You might have even spotted his son, Mikey, partying in the GoDaddy.com ad.
This week, Teutel began appearing in The Wall Street Journal's "Every Journey Needs a Journal" ad campaign -- completing his ubiquity.
So, who is he?
Viewers of TLC's "American Chopper" reality TV series need no introduction. Teutel is the hot-tempered patriarch of Orange County Choppers, a custom motorcycle shop in Montgomery, N.Y. Each week the no-nonsense Teutel -- along with his staff and sons, Paul Jr. and Mikey -- handcraft a specialty bike, while also dealing with technical difficulties and family flare-ups.
What, then, makes them so appealing to advertisers?
"They somewhat represent a maverick personality," says Chris Sutter, director of worldwide advertising for HP's Personal Systems Group. "They've forged their own path. They are very strong personalities with a little bit of an edge, but it's an edge that's positive."
In other words, the Teutels present tattooed, foul-mouthed family values that even a mother could love.
"I think that's true," Sutter said. "The fact that their audience is over 40 percent women is evidence of that."
No matter their background, viewers can relate to the Teutels and the family dynamics, says Ann Marks, chief marketing officer for Dow Jones, which launched the Wall Street Journal campaign.
"The way they speak to each other really transcends their situation and you can relate to it," Marks says.
The senior Teutel was a perfect fit for the Journal campaign, Marks said, because "he's successful and a manager and he reads the Journal. Beyond that, he kind of has a special appeal. He's a successful person who was interested in quality. He's very real, and people can relate to that."
Now in its fifth season, "American Chopper" started on the Discovery Channel in 2003, soon becoming one of the cable channel's biggest hits. Since then, the Teutels have been on most major talk shows and have built bikes for everyone from Bill Murray to Lance Armstrong. "American Chopper" attracts an average 2.4 million viewers per episode, according to TLC.
"I don't know if that's even caught up with me yet," says Teutel Sr. of his media exposure. "It's all living the dream and it's all good stuff. But I'm not sure what it means."
He doesn't seem too worried about overexposure, either. Next month, Teutel Sr. will appear in "Wild Hogs," a motorcycle comedy opposite John Travolta, Martin Lawrence and Tim Allen.
"You get more used to seeing yourself on TV," Teutel says. "We always seem to be around these kinds of things. I guess we're doing something right."
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relder@tribune.com
By Robert K. Elder
Tribune staff reporter
February 9 2007
The handlebar mustache. The menacing biceps. The sunglasses. The motorcycle.
Even if you didn't know his name, you most likely know Paul Teutel Sr.'s trademarks. If you were watching the Super Bowl, you saw them in Hewlett-Packard's futuristic "The Computer is Personal Again" commercial. You might have even spotted his son, Mikey, partying in the GoDaddy.com ad.
This week, Teutel began appearing in The Wall Street Journal's "Every Journey Needs a Journal" ad campaign -- completing his ubiquity.
So, who is he?
Viewers of TLC's "American Chopper" reality TV series need no introduction. Teutel is the hot-tempered patriarch of Orange County Choppers, a custom motorcycle shop in Montgomery, N.Y. Each week the no-nonsense Teutel -- along with his staff and sons, Paul Jr. and Mikey -- handcraft a specialty bike, while also dealing with technical difficulties and family flare-ups.
What, then, makes them so appealing to advertisers?
"They somewhat represent a maverick personality," says Chris Sutter, director of worldwide advertising for HP's Personal Systems Group. "They've forged their own path. They are very strong personalities with a little bit of an edge, but it's an edge that's positive."
In other words, the Teutels present tattooed, foul-mouthed family values that even a mother could love.
"I think that's true," Sutter said. "The fact that their audience is over 40 percent women is evidence of that."
No matter their background, viewers can relate to the Teutels and the family dynamics, says Ann Marks, chief marketing officer for Dow Jones, which launched the Wall Street Journal campaign.
"The way they speak to each other really transcends their situation and you can relate to it," Marks says.
The senior Teutel was a perfect fit for the Journal campaign, Marks said, because "he's successful and a manager and he reads the Journal. Beyond that, he kind of has a special appeal. He's a successful person who was interested in quality. He's very real, and people can relate to that."
Now in its fifth season, "American Chopper" started on the Discovery Channel in 2003, soon becoming one of the cable channel's biggest hits. Since then, the Teutels have been on most major talk shows and have built bikes for everyone from Bill Murray to Lance Armstrong. "American Chopper" attracts an average 2.4 million viewers per episode, according to TLC.
"I don't know if that's even caught up with me yet," says Teutel Sr. of his media exposure. "It's all living the dream and it's all good stuff. But I'm not sure what it means."
He doesn't seem too worried about overexposure, either. Next month, Teutel Sr. will appear in "Wild Hogs," a motorcycle comedy opposite John Travolta, Martin Lawrence and Tim Allen.
"You get more used to seeing yourself on TV," Teutel says. "We always seem to be around these kinds of things. I guess we're doing something right."
----------
relder@tribune.com
