• by Amy Corr , Staff Writer @MediaPostOTL, August 13, 2003

AAdvantage launches the Mileage Maximizer. Mervyn's goes Back to School and the Advertising Council and the U.S. Army encourage high school students to stay in school. These are just a few of the ad campaigns launched this week. Read on for more details.

The AAdvantage® Mileage Maximizer, a new interactive tool introduced by American Airlines, lets AAdvantage members determine how many miles they can earn for everyday transactions. The tool launched in June and was designed by Irving-based Temerlin McClain's Interactive Group. The Mileage Maximizer walks customers through a series of simple questions pertaining to common spending and buying habits such as dining out, shopping and traveling. The online tool computes the miles that can be earned through transacting with companies participating in the AAdvantage program. A personalized Earning Summary, detailing the number of miles you could earn, what you can do with those miles and how you can get started is presented at the end of the process. Temerlin McClain's design offers the ability for AAdvantage members and those not yet enrolled, to calculate their mileage earning potential over one year.

Castells & Asociados Advertising recently helped create a new Hispanic "Back-to-School" advertising campaign for Mervyn's, a Target Corporation company. The agency created and produced a :60 Hispanic radio spot with custom music and lyrics and acted as Hispanic creative consultants to adapt three versions of a :30 TV spot, which was produced by Ron Foth Advertising of Columbus, OH. The ads will air beginning August 3 throughout Mervyn's 14-state markets. The general market ads utilize platinum recording artist Smash Mouth to re-record some of the popular Schoolhouse Rock favorites ("Interjections," "I'm Just a Bill," "Conjunction Junction") that focused on teaching math, history, grammar and science in the 1970's. This campaign is the second assignment from Mervyn's for Castells & Asociados and signifies Mervyn's on-going commitment to reaching the Latino consumer.

Bank of America launched four new television ads in Spanish that will reach about 28 million Hispanic consumers in some of the company's largest multicultural markets, including California and Texas. The ads will break on Spanish-language channels like Univision, Telemundo and other local stations through Oct. 24. Two of the ads feature messages about Total Security Protection and MyAccess checking with direct deposit. The ads are part of a campaign to acquire 185,000 new checking deposits. The other two feature messages about 80% less paperwork and are part of a campaign to acquire 7,000 incremental mortgage sales. All four follow a Spanish language radio, print and billboard campaign that began June 16. The ads are designed to reach Mexican transitional consumers, who have been in the United States more than five years.

The Advertising Council, in partnership with the U.S. Army, announced today the launch of new public service advertisements (PSAs) designed to encourage high school students to stay in school and earn their diploma. The new television, radio, out-of-home and Internet PSAs are the third phase of the Operation Graduation campaign and will be distributed to media outlets nationwide later this month in time for back-to-school season. Created pro bono by ad agency Bates USA, both the new student-targeted and the parent-targeted PSAs use humor to teach students about the importance of staying in school and parents about the importance of being involved in their children's education. The student campaign illustrates the fact that it's hard to return to school once a person decides to drop out by showing elderly people attempting to participate in high school activities such as cheerleading. The ads conclude with the tagline, "Once you drop out, it's tough to go back. Stay in school. Give yourself a chance." The adult-targeted ads, which are also available in Spanish, use a heartwarming approach to show parents that "it doesn't take much to keep your kids in school. It just takes you." Songwriter Maria Mena's music "Monday Morning" is featured in the adult-targeted PSA, "Cheat Sheet." Additionally, Michael Buffer and Len Lester ("Uncle Leo" from Seinfeld) are featured in the PSA campaign.

ESPN The Magazine launches its very-first email campaign utilizing FuseSpots, a rich-media email technology, which is one key component of an integrated business solution offered by Fusebox, Inc. Fusebox worked with ESPN The Magazine's sales team to centralize and build an email database, which involved the collection of names from various email and contact storage systems. Targeting the trade audience, the email promotion will be complimented with a direct-mail campaign in September. ESPN The Magazine's FuseSpot, composed of animated photography, graphics, music and text, is a short commercial-like promotion highlighting ESPN The Magazine's achievements this year and promoting advertising information for its year-end issue, "The NEXT Athlete of the Year."

In website launches this week:

As General Motors began to revamp GM BuyPower, its online shopping and buying service, the company first asked consumers what information, functions and services they want when they prepare to buy a new car or truck. This consumer feedback strongly influenced the new design of GM BuyPower. GM asked Zentropy Partners to help with its customer research, and then to create the site's new look, navigation and functionality by acting as the lead design and systems integrator. A new online advertising campaign and sweepstakes to support GM BuyPower will break later this month. The advertising campaign, called "Prepared," is comprised of a series of banner ads that show how GM BuyPower helps consumers become better prepared to shop for and buy a vehicle. These banner ads will appear on most major automotive web sites beginning Aug. 15. The sweepstakes, called "Start Driving Your Dream Vehicle," will be featured on NetZero's Auto Channel starting Aug. 18 and ending Sept. 22. This contest will allow consumers a chance to win a vehicle that is featured on GM BuyPower, with some restrictions, based on price and availability. Zentropy Partners developed the creative for both the new online advertising and the NetZero Sweepstakes.

Abstract Edge, a New York based interactive marketing agency, has completed the San Jose, CA Public Art Program's website, which allows Silicon Valley's substantial public art program to broaden its reach to the extended online community of contributors, artists and tourists. Abstract Edge provided strategy, design and development services for the account. The extensive site offers visitors financial information about projects, a showcase of current and completed projects with location information, a section for artists to apply for new projects, and links to an array of sites including, the city website and visitors bureau, bond projects, and various other public art and design sites, among many others.