• by Amy Corr , Staff Writer @MediaPostOTL, May 11, 2005

British Airways teaches Americans British slang. Nike gets personal in Times Square. "Store Wars," the movie, debuts online. You weren't thinking of some other movie, were you? Let's launch!

JPMorgan Chase launched a multi-million dollar campaign to relaunch Chase, the company's consumer brand. The campaign was launched nationally this week during the "Today Show." Using the tag line "Your Choice, Your Chase," the ads equate the Chase brand with empowering moments of opportunity. One spot is set to "Wind Beneath My Wings," and tells the story of a young woman preparing for her wedding day. Throughout the ad, her father flashes back to the memories of her childhood years and a voiceover states, "Be prepared for life's most important moments. Chase gives you everything you need to be the hero." Another ad follows a young man from college graduation through to retirement, using the song "100 Years." Ads are running during primetime on ABC, CBS, and NBC during "Lost," "Survivor," and "Will & Grace." Print ads can be found in issues of Time, People, U.S. News & World Report, Rolling Stone, and Fortune, to name a few. mcgarrybowen, New York, created the campaign.

E-LOAN, has launched a branding campaign and unveiled a new tag line: "E-LOAN. Radically Simple." The Radically Simple campaign will appear on local and national cable TV, radio, online, and outdoor billboards, and at select music and community events. The spots portray individuals in everyday situations who are frustrated by the failure of traditional lenders to provide simple and honest loans and services. By using words like "dignity," "fairness," and "respect," the ads make the case that lenders have lost sight of consumers. One spot opens on a person holding a placard with the words "Honk. If you don't like getting ripped off." Another spot focuses on a sign hanging from a half-finished construction project that says, "Clap. If you deserve respect." Both ads point to E-LOAN's basic value proposition - a "Radically Simple" way to get a loan. The campaign was created by Merkley + Partners, New York.

This campaign just blows my Dictionary.com word-of-the-day lesson out of the water. British Airways has launched an online and outdoor campaign that teaches Americans the definitions of popular British slang words. The New York City-area outdoor campaign features more than 60 different words that will be strategically placed near the object or idea the word defines. All the ads are topped by the line "Go With Those Who Know," first introduced in a British Airways TV campaign last September. For example: On a bus shelter, the ad reads: "LEG IT. In London, Leg It Means 'To Run Quickly.' So Avoid Legging It, And Take The Bus." On a deli shop bag appears the word PECKISH. "In London, Peckish Means Hungry. As In 'I'm Feeling a Bit Peckish. Hope I Bought Enough!'" In addition to wallscapes, phone kiosks and deli bags, the outdoor work will be found on highway billboards, postcards, bar coasters, menu boards, window posters, and outdoor café umbrellas. In addition, each ad will include a URL that mirrors the British slang word defined (such as ba.com/peckish). Each word-based Web page will allow the consumer to send an e-mail or text message with a pre-written sentence (or you can make up your own) using that specific British "word of the day." Online ads will feature the same feature. This marks the first time British Airways has used a viral mobile marketing element in any American campaign. Agency.com created the online components; M&C Saatchi New York created the outdoor ads. Online ads are running on Yahoo! Travel, Slate, Epicurious, Vanity Fair, Salon.com, Wine Spectator, Frommers, FT.com, BBC America, The Travel Channel, and National Geographic, among others.

Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A. is launching a campaign this weekend aimed at creating buzz for the bizhub, its color, multi-functional office machine. Created by Cronin and Company, the campaign uses the bizhub name in a humorous way to describe the benefits of the product. The campaign launches on May 14 and will feature four 30-second TV spots that will air nationally including throughout CBS Golf coverage. The TV spots are reminiscent of the "Who's On First" skit. In "Three-Way Conversation," a 45-year-old executive, Brenda, is getting ready for a meeting. She is speaking to 30-something Phil on speakerphone who is relaying information to 20-something Jeff. Brenda is looking for the booklets for a meeting, which are sitting on the bizhub. A confusing conversation transpires in which Brenda and Jeff talk about the booklets and the bizhub. They lose Phil at the mention of the bizhub. At the conclusion of the spot, Phil is still confused and asks "Is that a slang term?" Fo shizzle.

Nike has launched a campaign on The Reuters Sign located at 3 Times Square. Using their cell phones, Nike fans are able to customize a pair of shoes displayed on the Sign. After their 60-second session, users can either download their design as mobile phone wallpaper or go online and buy the product. Talk about speaking to one individual at a time, especially in such an over-trafficked area. The Reuters Sign spans 22 stories and features more than 7,000 square feet of digital signage.

Newcastle Brown Ale has launched "Duality," a campaign describing how the beer is both full-flavored AND easy to drink. In a radio spot entitled "Yin & Yang Yoga," a yoga instructor forgoes traditional meditation and breathing exercises and instead promotes Newcastle Brown Ale, much to the dismay of the class members. It's an example of how two seemingly opposites can exist harmoniously within the Yin and Yang philosophy. The campaign will run in two segments: during the spring through July 4 and in the fall from Labor Day through Thanksgiving. Billboard and radio spots will run in select markets including Sacramento, San Diego, Los Angeles/Orange County, Phoenix, Minneapolis, Charlotte, Raleigh, and Charleston. Vitro Robertson created the campaign.

West Coast poultry producer Foster Farms launched a brand campaign, "We Foster Pure Honest to Goodness," in five Western states. The campaign includes TV, radio, online, and point-of-sale components and focuses on the company's core values, its commitment to the highest levels of quality and product excellence, and its heritage as a family-owned and operated business. "Wearing Dinner," "Trusting Family," "Joy of Conversation," and "No Leftovers" use a plate to frame the glimpses into the real, everyday lives of Foster Farms consumers. Each spot features families coming together, connecting, and sharing a meal. Radio spots reinforce that the chickens are locally grown with no added hormones, steroids, or artificial enhancers. The campaign, developed by Y&R San Francisco, launched May 2 in California, Washington, Oregon, Arizona, and Nevada.

Zippo launched an outdoor campaign last month featuring the Classic PL (pocket lighter) and MPL (multi-purpose lighter) models. The executions show a Harley-Davidson gas tank, a guitar pick, a tulip, an outdoor grilled salmon filet and steak, and fireworks being turned into flames. The campaign is running in 16 top Zippo DMAs including: Atlanta, Austin, Charlotte, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Las Vegas, Louisville, Orlando, Nashville, Philadelphia, and St Louis. Blattner Brunner created the campaign.

In Web site launches this week:

Kimberly-Clark Corporation has launched the Huggies Baby Network - a new online network that delivers tools, information, and a support community for moms and moms-to-be. The Huggies Baby Network is a one-stop information resource for women from time of conception through early motherhood. Huggies Baby Network features two sites, "Happy and Healthy Pregnancy" and "Happy Baby." Each delivers innovative, interactive tools, access to experts, an online community, and useful information designed to guide women on their journey from pregnancy, birth, and motherhood. The company will integrate Huggies Baby Network into the brand through consumer promotion, advertising, packaging, event marketing, and public relations activities. CKPR is working with Kimberly-Clark on the campaign.

Okay, it looks like just about everyone is attempting to capitalize on the upcoming release of "Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith." The Organic Trade Association (OTA) and Free Range Studios have launched a five-minute movie online."Store Wars: The Organic Rebellion" features Cuke Skywalker, Princess Lettuce, Chewbroccoli, and other organic rebels played by real vegetables (I hope none were injured through the making of this film). They are dressed as Star Wars characters and battle with Darth Tader, the evil lord of the Dark Side of the Farm. By spoofing a pop culture phenomenon like "Star Wars," OTA hopes to attract a new generation of organic consumers, especially those who grew up watching the movies.

Nationwide has launched "30 Ways Life Comes At You Fast," a promotional microsite created to raise brand awareness by giving away movie-making kits. The kits include a Sony Handycam DCR-PC350 and an iMac G5 1.8 GHz SuperDrive with a 17- inch monitor. The site, created by TM Interactive, will feature video clips from the show "America's Funniest Home Videos." Every day for 30 days, a new clip will be posted to the microsite. Consumers will be asked to find the five videos that contain a hidden Nationwide frame. If consumers pick correctly, they will be entered into a sweepstakes where three winners will receive movie-making kits. Winners will be announced on the site on August 1.

iTickets.com, a site containing online ticket sales and Christian event and concert information, has relaunched. New enhancements to the site include increased access to event information allowing members to customize their iTickets' view to focus on activities in their area, a stream-lined ordering process with the new iTicket "print your own ticket" option, as well as deeper music news and entertainment content.