• by Amy Corr , Staff Writer @MediaPostOTL, December 10, 2003

Nissan names its newest car. Allstate takes a stand. Chicago Tribune showcases its editorial staff. Welcome to highlights of ad campaigns launched this week.

Allstate Insurance Company is taking a stand on behalf of its customers in its latest national ad campaign. "Our Stand" features actor Dennis Haysbert delivering a simple message that highlights the benefits of having insurance protection from Allstate. The TV ads featuring Haysbert debuted on Nov. 12. Haysbert is known for his current role as President Palmer on the Fox series "24." In addition to TV, the campaign will include radio, print, and online executions. Radio launched the week of Nov. 20 and print will launch early 2004. The campaign was created by Leo Burnett, USA.

Chicago Tribune has launched a branding campaign aimed at building a deeper connection between the journalists who report the news and the people who read it. The campaign's end line "Our passion. Your paper." links reporters' dedication on the job to the benefits their commitment delivers to consumers. The campaign consists of both radio and print components. Journalists featured in the campaign include Greg Kot, Chicago Tribune's rock critic; Donna Pierce, test kitchen director; Jose More, photojournalist; and David Haugh, Chicago Bears beat reporter.

The Hong Kong Tourism Board has unveiled a global tourism marketing initiative, and Hong Kong native/action star Jackie Chan will appear in the "Live It, Love It" campaign. Featuring TV, radio, print, online, and outdoor advertising worldwide, the campaign hopes to strengthen Hong Kong's position as one of the world's most popular destinations. The TV ads will be seen in the United States, Canada, UK, Australia, Mainland China, Taiwan, India, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, Singapore, Japan, and Korea. Chan plays host in the television commercial and invites visitors worldwide to come to Hong Kong to enjoy the unique and memorable experiences the city has to offer.

Level (3) Communications, an international communications and information services company, has launched three 30-second ads, created by DWP/Bates Technology. The ads feature Level (3)'s red parentheses, adapted from the company's bracketed logo, as towering three-dimensional obelisks that hover in mid-air over cityscapes to reinforce Level (3)'s global presence in the telecom industry. All three spots, "Carrier/Wireless," "Broadband," and "ISP/Media," are narrated by Sean Connery and detail the company's slate of services. "Why do all the leading companies expect so much from us?" Connery asks. "Because their companies expect so much from them." The spots close with the tagline, "Level (3). The network partner you can rely on."

Rainbow DBS Company, a satellite service division of Cablevision Systems Corporation, launched a nationwide marketing effort supporting VOOM, a service which offers an array of high-definition television (HDTV) programming to customers across the continental United States. A team of eight Interpublic Group agencies handled the marketing for this campaign. Print ads, created by Lowe, will run in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and USA Today, as well as dailies in the country's largest markets.

I always wondered how car companies chose new car names. Nissan's latest Pathfinder has been named Armada. Gravity Branding was charged with naming the vehicle, and the agency ultimately recommended the name Armada, derived from the word "armata," the Latin term for "fleet or army." To support the launch, a nationwide ad campaign, created by TBWAChiatDay, was introduced in October.

Ruder Finn/Creative has launched an advertising campaign for Affymetrix, a manufacturer of genomic analysis tools for pharmaceutical, biotech, and academic researchers. The ads are running in Science, Nature, and several other genetic and drug discovery and development publications. The "Symbols" campaign, with the "1" as the lead symbol, looks to reinforce Affymetrix's leadership and ability to be "first" in numerous areas.

In website launches this week:

The Atlanta Convention & Visitor's Bureau has updated its website. The new site offers information on things to see and do in Atlanta, places to stay, where to eat and a variety of vacation packages for consumers to purchase online. Spunlogic redesigned the site.

And if you need someplace to stay, Hilton Grand Vacations Company has redesigned its website. The site features an interactive vacation spending calculator, online Direct Purchase information and iPIX tours of Hilton Grand Vacations Club's most popular resorts within the Resorts Collection pages.