Commentary

Out to Launch

CNN touts free video player. Spoofing milk ads. D'OH! The Simpsons sing their praises. Let's launch!

Turbulence Advertising has launched a GoTokyo national promotion for Benihana. The campaign supports the restaurant chain's weeklong trip to Tokyo in September, the hometown of Benihana founder, Rocky Aoki. The 2005 trip follows Benihana's sold-out 2004 tour that celebrated its 40th anniversary. The elements of the Turbulence campaign include national magazines, in-store posters, e-mail invitations, bill stuffers, and a promotional Web site. The strategy of the "Reserve Your Spot" campaign focuses on the idea that Benihana is holding a place for you in Japan... and now is the time to take that once in a lifetime trip. One print ad shows two sumo wrestlers in action and in the background is a red dot covering the face of an audience member. The ad states, "Reserve Your Spot."

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Mmmmm. Advertising. "Singing Their Phrases" is a 30-second spot promoting the syndicated run of "The Simpsons." The spot takes character catchphrases and turns them into music. Opening with Bart Simpson's laugh, the spot transitions to a series of Homer's famous expression, "D'oh, " that have been digitally altered to recreate the opening notes of  "The Simpsons"theme. As the spot continues, more phrases from other characters including Marge, Lisa, Apu, Mr. Burns, and Smithers get the same digital treatment, such as Apu's "Thank you, come again!" Beantown Productions and Twentieth Television produced the spot. The promotion launched nationally during May sweeps and will air indefinitely.

Honda and its agency RPA have teamed up with Jumpstart Digital Marketing to launch an online campaign for the 2005 Accord Hybrid using online clickable video. The campaign will run across the Jumpstart Auto Channel of publishers that includes NADAguides.com, Vehix.com, and ConsumerGuide.com. The online video allows users to click features of the 2005 Accord Hybrid during the video segment and get a close-up view with detailed descriptions of each feature. Users can access the online video portal from the home pages, hybrid pages, and Honda pages of each partner Web site.

CNN.com launched an online campaign Monday in conjunction with a free video player that launched on the Web site. The ad units will be updated with current headlines from CNN.com's news feed, include video in the unit, and inform viewers of the new service. When users click on a specific headline, the video player will launch and that specific story will begin to play. In addition to a roadblock on CNN.com, ad units will appear on AOL, SFGate.com, CNET, Gawker, NYTimes.com,and Salon.com. On-air promotional spots on CNN are also airing. Agency.com created the online campaign.

Aside from Batman, Kelly Clarkson, winner of the first "American Idol," is the latest celeb to wear a milk moustache. The "Got Milk" ad launched in May issues of Teen People and Seventeen. The ad reads: "Crowd-pleaser. Milk has a lot of fans. And I'm one of them. Its nine essential nutrients help give me strong performances day after day. What can it do for you?" Lowe Worldwide created the ad that runs through September in Entertainment Weekly, Cosmo Girl, Rolling Stone, J-14, and Elle Girl.

And now a spoof on "Got Milk" ads. The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) launched a campaign to draw attention to the problem of lactose intolerance and offer legal assistance to those who may have been sickened by dairy products. The ad is scheduled to launch mid-June on Metrorail platforms -- inside trains and buses -- and reads, "Got Lactose Intolerance? 75 percent of people do, particularly people of color. If you're lactose intolerant, you may have grounds for a lawsuit." PCRM is also launching a Web site to support the campaign.

Qantas has launched Skybed, touted as the only business class bed flying between the United States and Australia. Looking to target business travelers, "parking arms" were turned into billboards at 13 car parks in Los Angeles. The message was secured to the exit and entry arms of the car parks, adding this to the list of unexpected places one would expect to see an ad. M&C Saatchi Los Angeles developed the campaign that also includes print and online components.

Independent Film Channel (IFC) turned heads in Manhattan when it hired scantily clad models to ride in a glass truck and convertibles to promote "Pulp Indies Month." The models wore only thong bikinis and body paint designed to mimic the black suits worn by the characters in Quentin Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs, which IFC will telecast this month. The event was produced by the michael alan group, New York.

AKQA launched an online campaign for palmOne's newest category in mobile computing with the LifeDrive mobile manager. The campaign targets adults 35- to 54-years-old who tend to be early adopters of technology and are comfortable with digital file formats. The LifeDrive mobile manager allows users to carry all the essentials of their busy lives with them. Through the use of icons, the rich media ads demonstrate that users can store and access numerous pictures, songs, office documents, and more in one portable device.

During the production of a new TV spot for eHarmony's "Endless Love" campaign, the online "relationship" service was privy to a secret: a proposal was going to take place during the shoot. Luckily, she said "yes," and the real-life proposal is the latest ad for the Web site. The couple will be married later this year. The company is researching whether or not this commercial is the first marriage proposal captured in a TV spot. Donat/Wald created the campaign.

Aer Lingus, Ireland's national carrier, launched its latest effort in its ongoing North American campaign entitled: "The National Airline of Low Fares." Developed by Hill, Holliday New York, the airline spent $3 million on print media within its key gateway markets of New York, Boston, Chicago, and Los Angeles. Ads launched June 1 in New York and Boston in Irish ethnic papers (Irish Echo and Irish Voice). One ad promotes low fares when you book more than one seat. For example, two people will be $658 one-way and four people would cost $1,196 one-way. The campaign will also run in NewYork Playbill, Irish Dancing & Culture Magazine, and AARP throughout the summer and possibly early fall. Another aspect of the campaign promotes Ireland as a destination for golf/equestrian aficionados. Creative will run throughout the summer to coincide with various golf and equestrian events.

On to the Web site launches.

A.C. Moore has redesigned its Web site. The Web site, designed specifically to drive traffic to the stores, includes: free projects that customers can create, as well as a printable shopping list for each project; a sign-up facility for in-store craft classes; and a store location search as well as access to weekly specials. Advance Design Interactive, Philadelphia created the site.

Sub-Zero Freezer Company has created a microsite, FresherFood.com, that profiles the real people featured in Sub-Zero's new TV commercial "Portraits." "Portraits" was the first TV commercial in the 60-year history of the company. The campaign features real people who produce fresh foods, including farmers, a clammer, a goat cheese maker, and a fisherman.

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