• by Adam Bernard , March 29, 2001

By Adam Bernard

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.

TBS Superstation is re-teaming with Columbia TriStar Television Distribution (CTTD), producer of the network's Ripley's Believe It or Not!, basic cable's top rated original series among adults, to launch a new prime time series based on the odd bestseller "The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook." TBS Superstation has ordered 22 episodes of the one-hour series, to be titled WORST-CASE SCENARIO, from CTTD which, with Craig Piligian, acquired the highly sought-after rights to the property from Chronicle Books. Piligian, who is co-executive producer of CBS' Survivor, and Survivor: The Australian Outback, will serve as executive producer. WORST-CASE SCENARIO will make its premiere in early 2002, exclusively on TBS Superstation.

Jackpot.com, an online sweepstakes, promotions and direct marketing services company, announced the acquisition of SportSkill.com, a fantasy sports development company based in Los Angeles, and the launch of its own fantasy sports destination site: JackpotSports.com. Jackpot.com identified and absorbed SportSkill.com, which developed a patentable Fantasy Sports Management System, prior to the company's formal launch, as a way to capitalize on the significant market opportunity. SportSkill.com also plans to offer its fantasy sports product as an application service provider (ASP), to help advertising-based companies monetize their own member databases and create new revenue streams for their organizations.

KOCH Entertainment has launched their website, www.kochentertainment.com. The new flash site allows the user to search through the many genre's that encompass the KOCH Entertainment catalog from Hip-Hop to Classical, Rock to Country, Jazz to Childrens. Some key points of the new site are up to the minute news on KOCH artists, such as added tour dates, artist appearances and a constantly updated album release schedule. Also offered are a number of contests and giveaways of signed promotional material, limited edition merchandise, and KOCH releases before they are available in stores. The new site also allows the fan to become more involved in the music of KOCH artists, with a community message board that allows fans to share their opinions on new releases, performances, rumors or anything that comes to their mind about music. There is also a Garage Band page that allows fans to submit their band's music for review.

In other recording industry news, George Carlin, announced the launch of a new record company that will focus entirely on comedy CDs. The new company, called Laugh.com, Inc., has set out to be the Internet's leading comedy record company and world's first Comedy Service Provider (CSP). Bob Kohn, Chairman and CEO of Laugh.com, and co-founder and chairman of digital music download pioneer EMusic.com, Inc. has teamed up with some of the best names in comedy, including Milton Berle, Shelley Berman, Red Buttons, George Carlin, Norm Crosby, Bill Dana, Phyllis Diller, Rich Little, Jackie "The Joke Man" Martling, Johnny Brennan, writer and creator of the Jerky Boys, Jonathan Winters, and a truckload of younger comedians such as Jeff Altman, Bob Zany, and Jeffrey Ross. In addition to Mr. Kohn, the executive team includes co-founders Marshall Berle, Sr. Vice President of Content Acquisition and Neil Leiberman, Sr. Vice President, Editorial. The company's website may be accessed at www.Laugh.com.

StickyFish Rewards, the first loyalty program to reward consumers for every minute they spend interacting with streaming content, was launched today by PlanetJam Media Group. StickyFish Rewards features PlanetJam Media Group's patent-pending Rewards Plug-In for the RealPlayer, an application that rewards users for every minute they spend streaming. Points earned are redeemable in free online auctions featuring valuable premiums such as electronics, jewelry, sold-out concert tickets and more. Unlike other loyalty programs, consumers are not forced to go anywhere specific or buy anything to earn points, and they can begin using their points right away in free online auctions.

Sybase, Inc. is driving home its message of e-Business infrastructure leadership with its new 2001 corporate advertising campaign. Dubbed ``Everything Works Better When Everything Works Together,'' the campaign highlights integration as key to a successful e-Business. Sybase meets customers' e-Business needs with proven products and solutions like Sybase Enterprise Portal (EP). Advertising agencies GMO Hill-Holiday and Fox Parrack Hirsch designed the campaign, which can been seen and heard on TV, radio, print and billboards throughout the United States, Europe and Asia.

The Center City District of Philadelphia is launching its new advertising campaign targeted to people who work in Center City, but primarily live in the city's surrounding counties, as well as center city residents. The campaign features 30-second television spots that will air on KYW-TV. In addition to the television spots, the campaign will include radio, targeting the suburban commuter, and airing on morning news shows as well as all Metro Traffic outlets, outdoor ads will be seen on SEPTA, PATCO and all regional rail lines. One of the three ads features a couple having dinner and a virtual timeline of their day. From a 4:15 p.m. visit to a new office space, a 4:50 p.m. trip to a bookstore, a 5:10 p.m. shopping excursion and a 5:55 p.m. dinner, so much can be done in a lot less time in downtown Philadelphia.

The Ackerley Group, a media and entertainment company, announced the launch of iKnowRochester.com, its second hyper-local news and information site in the iKnow Network. Replacing the four-year-old Rochestertoday.com, iKnowRochester.com expands on its predecessor with additional up-to-the-minute local news, weather, sports, business and entertainment information that is generated and supplemented by a staff of online reporters who publish exclusively to the site. iKnowRochester.com also features a comprehensive classified advertising section and a business directory covering Rochester and the surrounding area. The company behind the new site, iKnowRochester LLC, is a partnership between two Ackerley Group properties -- Rochester's top-rated news station, WOKR-TV, an ABC affiliate, and The iKnow Network, an online media company. The first iKnow Network site, iKnowBakersfield, launched Nov. 15, 2000.

The Lorillard Tobacco Company's Youth Smoking Prevention Program has added three 30-second television commercials to its arsenal of ads designed to help spread the word among teens that it's not cool to light up. The new spots, "Roommates," "Sneaking Out" and "Street Rap," debuted on the UPN Network's "WWF Smackdown." The campaign will continue throughout the year on youth-focused prime time network and cable television programs. Subsequent commercials will appear on teen-oriented programming such as the "Teen Choice Awards" in August on FOX, "The Miss Teen USA Pageant" in August on CBS and the "Gravity Games" in October on NBC.

The Judge Group, Inc. announced that its Regional Job Board product for Information Technology professionals, ITNET.com, has launched its Spring advertising campaign featuring its ITNET.com logo and its web address. The campaign includes major outdoor advertising on heavily traveled highways in Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. It will also include print advertising in publications targeted to IT professionals such as "Delaware Valley Computer User," "New Jersey Computer User," and The Philadelphia Inquirer's "Philly Tech."

Edmunds.com, a consumer resource on the web for unbiased automotive information, announced today the launch of a new online advertising initiative, which for them is simply having advertising, as Edmunds.com has never carried advertising on its site before. Edmunds.com decided to adopt rich media ad units because of their enhanced interactivity and functionality available through new technology. The launch of the ads coincides with next week's launch of Edmunds.com's new site design, which sets up Edmunds.com offerings chronologically for the consumer, from general to targeted research, then through purchase, ownership and finally into the trade-in process.

iPlace, a provider of home sale and neighborhood data, in addition to credit information and services, announced the launch of Relocator.com for Relocation and Human Resource professionals. Through Relocator.com, companies and relocation service providers can quickly and accurately compare Cost-of-Living (COLA), neighborhood demographics, and analysis for every neighborhood in the country. The site's COLA calculator provides a detailed analysis of the financial impact between Departure and the Destination locations. Already a player in the corporate COLA report business with more than 500 clients, iPlace now brings its COLA engine to the web. The site was designed for the relocation and human resource professional that must rely on the information to make significant real-dollar budget decisions.

Braun Consulting, a professional services firm, have announced the successful completion of the first phase of a web-based disease management solution for Biogen, Inc. Focused on meeting the needs of people touched by multiple sclerosis (MS) and extending its customer service and community building models to the Internet, Biogen engaged Braun Consulting to develop an innovative disease information and management solution that combines the power of internet personalization with a highly targeted, multi-channel marketing strategy to build awareness for MS. The launch of the web site represents the first phase of a long-term commitment to deliver personalized disease management and information tools. The site provides disease information, an interactive community and other resources to patients, caregivers and physicians affected by and involved in the treatment of MS.

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