Hot Tin Roof has been tasked with publicising innovative fitness company Funky Moves after its exuberant owner won investment on the current series of BBC Two’s Dragons’ Den.
Ralf Klinnert’s interactive fitness game won the support of Theo Paphitis and Peter Jones on the notoriously cut-throat business programme in an episode that aired earlier this week. The pair have pledged £120,000 in return for a 50% stake in the company.
The inventor’s innovative product “Funky Cones” consists of a variety of “intelligent” cones, each one containing smart electronics. One of the many applications is an interactive running game, similar to Simple Simon, where the cones are placed apart and the participants have to run between them following a sequence of flashing lights and sounds. The games stimulate memory, attention and coordination, while improving agility and fitness.
Klinnert has appointed Hot Tin Roof to maximise media coverage of Funky Moves while he is in the process of developing a mass consumer product. The campaign will focus on trade and digital media, as well as targeting national and regional newspapers. Building on Ralf’s lively personality and boundless enthusiasm, the agency hopes to nurture a strong online following for his company.
Sarah Lee, Director of Hot Tin Roof, says: “Ralf is so full of energy it’s impossible not to be excited and inspired by his ideas. There has already been a lot of media interest in the company so we’re getting off to a great start.”
According to Ralf, meeting the Dragons was a nerve-wracking experience: “Climbing the stairs and walking on to the Dragons’ Den set is when it really hits you. I was asking myself, what am I doing here? But I knew this was a major opportunity for me, I had prepared well and went for it.”
He confesses: “I thought I had lost it a couple of times, especially after three of the Dragon’s had pulled out. Then Theo said he liked the product and Peter got out of his chair and played with the cones and said I had a ‘fantastic product’. They both offered £60,000 for a 25% stake each in the company and I eventually agreed.”
Following his Dragons’ Den success, Ralf’s cones have been tested by 850 young people with the support of Halifax Council’s Youth Activity department to outstanding acclaim by professionals and youngsters alike. He is also in talks with an international sports equipment distributor, who specialises in professional fitness concepts for the youth sector, to explore a distribution deal for the cones.
For more information about Funky Moves, contact Sarah Lee
