• by Adam Bernard , April 13, 2001

Every week brings a myriad of ad campaign, and website, launches and it's nearly impossible to keep up with them all. If you missed a few, here are some major launches of the week that was, and the week that will be. Do ya' smell what The Rock is cookin'? Yeah, smells like Launch!

Here he comes to save the day! In a logical marriage, cartoon legend Mighty Mouse is starring in the American Dairy Association's new "Ahh, the power of Cheese" advertising campaign. In the new spot, Mighty Mouse is distracted by his uncontrollable desire for cheese as mayhem mounts around him. In the end, he "caves to the crave" for cheese before saving the day. The commercial will debut on April 9, 2001, and can be seen at http://www.ilovecheese.com.

Ever wanted to enjoy a Big Mac with Regis? Well, this is probably as close as you're going to get. ABC and McDonald's are launching a multi-million dollar national promotion featuring an in-store scratch-off card game based on the hit TV quiz show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. Contestants can win cash prizes from $1 to $1 million, as well as menu items. The contest runs April 19 through May 17 at participating restaurants among McDonald's 14,000 U.S. and Canadian outlets. Game cards, featuring questions from Millionaire writers, will be distributed with orders of French fries or by following rules on McDonalds.com. Like the TV series, the game will provide a 50/50 lifeline, meaning that players can log on to ABC.com, type in a four-digit code from their game card, and the site will eliminate two incorrect answers. Hype for the game kicked off Tuesday with an appearance by Millionaire host Regis Philbin at a McDonald's in New York's Times Square.

The Clorox Company has teamed up with Women.com Networks for the launch of "Generations and Innovations," a new co-branded website from the two companies - women.com/generationsandinnovations. The 'Generations & Innovations' site, built by Women.com, is designed to meet the needs of busy women who are looking for cleaning tips to make home life easier. The site includes an 'Interactive Maid' tool that offers visitors the real dirt on cleaning, and dispenses practical advice for shortcuts and strategies. The interactive "Traditions for Today" video invites visitors to meet three very different women who are meshing the old with the new in their homes and everyday living. Discussion boards and consumer polls encourage visitors to share best cleaning tips from their mothers as well as new solutions that are working for them today.

VH1 and VH1.com have launched "VH1 Hear Music First," which will allow fans to pre-purchase a CD and have exclusive advance access to the entire album online at VH1.com. Stevie Nicks will kick-off VH1 Hear Music First on Monday, April 16, unveiling her newest album "Trouble in Shangri-La," and giving fans exclusive advance online access to the entire CD before it hits record stores on May 1. The VH1 Hear Music First venture will allow users to listen to a CD instantly after pre-ordering it from VH1.com. In addition to getting a stream of the CD, users who pre-order will be able to get the album artwork, lyrics, liner notes, interviews and more. On the day of the album's official release, fans will have the new CD sent to them directly by VH1.

On April 11, "The Village Voice," a national alternative weekly newspaper, launched Voice Radio, an online radio station. Voice Radio, which can be accessed at http://www.villagevoice.com, delivers a smart, edgy, lifestyle-driven format reflecting the attitudes and taste of the "Village Voice's" readers. Music will range from rock to jazz to blues and hip-hop, from techno to deep house to drum n' bass from blue-beat to back-beat and beat-box. Additionally, Voice Radio will host live music from clubs and local venues.

California's latest campaign to reduce teen pregnancy, "It's Up To Me" focuses on male responsibility in preventing unplanned pregnancies, provides information about clinical services available through the California Department of Health Services' (CDHS) Family PACT (Planning, Access, Care and Treatment) program, and advocates family involvement to help prevent teen pregnancy. Included in the new campaign are two English and two Spanish mall kiosk posters and three English radio ads that promote being sexually responsible and making positive choices, and encourage young people to postpone parenthood until they are financially and emotionally ready. Also featured are three English and three Spanish billboards that focus on the role of men in preventing pregnancies and the importance of responsible fathers. The ads began appearing in malls and on billboards and airing on radio statewide on April 9.

Brazilian Internet company Zip.Net plans to hit national television screens starting Sunday with an advertising campaign to bolster its brand name, even as the company is being incorporated into a bigger rival. The campaign, which comes as Zip.Net is being integrated into Brazil's No. 1 online media company UOL. Inc., shows its intention to keep its brand autonomy at least this year. PT Multimedia, which controls Zip.Net, in February agreed to give the company and more than $100 million to UOL in return for a 17.9% stake of UOL, a leader in Brazil's growing Internet market.

- Compiled by MediaPost Staff Writer Adam Bernard. He may be reached at Adambernard@mediapost.com or 203-222-0330, ext. 319.