• by Adam Bernard , April 20, 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 the major launches of the week that was, and the week that will be.

Carmen Electra and Marie Osmond will be starring in Pizza Hut's new television commercial for Twisted Crust pizza, the biggest product launch for Pizza Hut in 2001. The spot features Electra and Osmond debating the ongoing Twisted Crust pizza question: which to eat first, the pizza or the breadsticks? The 30-second spot begins airing on Monday, April 23 on national and cable networks during primetime. The Electra/Osmond spot is one facet of the $70 million marketing campaign Pizza Hut has prepared for the continued launch of Twisted Crust pizza.

Continuing with the eating theme, Damon's International, an Ohio-based restaurant chain best known for its ribs and big-screen sports, is launching an extensive re-branding strategy, and campaign, under the theme, "The Grill is On." The campaign highlights Damon's new focus on grilled menu items, communicating that Damon's offers more than ribs, sports, and entertainment.

In other food-related news, Brach's is giving people a new way to say "bye bye bye" to snack cravings as they are introducing a new fruit snack brand featuring *NSYNC. The new fruit snacks product will be marketed under the "Hot Hits" name and will be in stores beginning April 2001. Brach's will feature *NSYNC Fruit Snacks in upcoming print advertising, including a national FSI in June 2001. Brach's is also considering a television campaign after the product's introductory period. The Brach's "Hot Hits" fruit snacks will be sold eight pouches per box with a suggested retail price of $2.49 per box.

Going from Food to drink, Real Branding, an interactive agency in San Francisco, has launched two websites this week, one for the Japanese beer Sapporo, www.sapporousa.com, and one for Smirnoff Ice, www.smirnoffice.com. The Sapporo site will attempt to show people that Sapporo can be an everyday beer, and not just a beer to have with Sushi, while the Smirnoff Ice site includes information, and recent advertising campaigns.

If you're a teen, an NBA All-Star thinks milk should be more your style, as Kevin Garnett, of the Minnesota Timberwolves, is jumping into the Milk Mustache Campaign. Garnett's ad is geared toward teens, and speaks of the importance of drinking milk to help bones grow in density and strength, as well as reach maximum height potential. The ad will debut in USA Today on Monday, April 16, and will read, "You grow about 15 percent taller during your teen years. Wanna play?" The power forward is the latest superstar to wear a milk mustache, joining the ranks of Mark McGwire, Laila Ali, and Venus and Serena Williams.

Or perhaps a carbonated drink is more your taste. Coca-Cola will be launching a global advertising campaign with 31 TV spots, on April 22nd, introducing the tagline "Life tastes good." In one of the first spots for the U.S. market, Jakob Dylan, son of Bob Dylan, and lead singer of the Wallflowers, is shown drinking a Coke before returning to the concert stage. Instead of singing the "Life tastes good" jingle, though, he sings part one of his own songs as the 30-second spot winds down. The campaign was created by 14 offices of McCann-Erickson Worldwide, and its Amster Yard subsidiary in New York, and plans call for distribution in more than 200 nations.

Now it's time to hit the road again, and on that road you will surely find a Toyota, as the company has launched a new corporate advertising campaign entitled "Today Tomorrow Toyota." The campaign focuses on the vision and thinking of Toyota, and will run in over 50 national publications, ranging from Newsweek to Environmental Design and Construction. The campaign was created by Oasis Advertising, New York.

This spring, consumers with a creative flair will have the opportunity to produce their own "Stay Smart" commercial through the Holiday Inn Express "Express Your Smarts" contest. Entries will be judged on creativity, originality, audience appeal, and synergy with the "Stay Smart" advertising campaign, with the winning commercial will be aired on the Discovery Network this fall.

MetLife, Inc. is launching a national brand advertising campaign with three new 30-second television commercials and a new print campaign. The "have you met life today?" campaign emphasizes the company's new vitality, scope, and growth, while at the same time retaining the brand's familiarity, strength and stability established over its 133-year history - including Snoopy. MetLife developed the brand repositioning strategy in collaboration with BrightHouse, an ideation company located in Atlanta, GA. The $25 million campaign, which will make its TV debut on April 18, was developed by the New York office of Young & Rubicam, and directed by Tony Kaye.

Speaking of life insurance, the new football team at Florida Atlantic University and EACTIVE, Inc., have launched an interactive marketing campaign to build awareness and support for the Fighting Owls of FAU, the newest team in college football. The nationwide campaign will be a 30 second email commercial, with the primary focus on reaching FAU Alumni and college football fans.

For those Owls who aren't quite ready to fight, Russell Athletic has launched a new web site, http://www.forthelongrun.com, which is the first site to introduce the Virtual Workout Partner (VWP) program. Designed for everyday athletes aspiring to lead healthy lifestyles, the VWP program helps members find partners with similar fitness goals, abilities and interests. Through the site's e-mail system, partners can encourage each other as if they were side-by-side at the gym or on the playing field. The site also offers community discussion forums, a gym locator, healthy lifestyle articles written by experts and much more.

FRED Joaillier has launched their 2001 advertising campaign with the intention of "opening up the American woman's appetite for seductive jewels." Photographer Jean-Baptiste Mondino took the photos, which are meant to "capture today's woman as she indulges in the pleasures of jewels." The ads are... well... seductive.

Need to cool off after that? Heil brand air conditioners and furnaces is launching their new ad campaign, which features Dudley, a basset hound, and Beaumont, a bloodhound, talking about heating and cooling. Gish, Sherwood & Friends (GS&F), a Tennessee-based agency, fused live action with computer animation to create the visual effect of the dogs conversing. The four :30 spots are slated to run on cable and national networks starting in May.

The Technology Marketing Group has re-designed and re-launched their website, www.tmgroup.com. The new site focuses on speaking to marketers in plain language about how technology can improve marketing efforts by lowering costs, increasing ROI, generating sales leads, converting prospects to sales, and moving customers up the value chain by developing long-term relationships.

Camares Communications has announced the launch of a large-scale, fully integrated, advertising and marketing campaign, and the unveiling of a whole new corporate identity, for PCR Corporation. The campaign includes print advertisements, marketing materials, stationary, promotional items, and sales collateral for PCR to maintain its stature as a comprehensive technology solutions provider.

International Channel Networks, a majority-owned company of Liberty Media Corporation has announced a "We the People" citizenship campaign that will be centered around National Citizenship Month in September. The campaign will incorporate public affairs elements for its cable affiliates, as well as an on-air original production, with online resources to assist immigrants in their process of becoming United States citizens. International Channel's affiliates will be given the tools to support local naturalization classes. Also, throughout the month of September, International Channel will air "In America," an original series profiling prominent immigrants in America today.

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