Out to Launch
Wednesday, April 5, 2006
Vegas oddities. Cartier gets possessive. Texaco unveils a global ad campaign. Let's launch!
  • Vegas oddities. Cartier gets possessive. Texaco unveils a global ad campaign. Let's launch!

    "Spring Changes Everything," according to the campaign launched last week by Sears. "Arboretum" is great. It begins with various nature shots, frogs in a pond, blossoming flowers, but upon closer inspection viewers see that inside the blooming flowers are products offered by Sears such as gas grills, lawnmowers and patio furniture. "This spring, the changes are everywhere. But they all start at Sears," concludes the ad. "Lawn Garden" is basically the same as "Aboretum" except it promotes the sale prices of the products in the ad. Print ads are running in Better Homes and Gardens, House and Garden, InStyle, Lucky, and Women's Day. Next week, 100 women dressed in the same Sears apparel will distribute style guides, coupons and flowers in New York City. Y&R Chicago created the campaign and MindShare handled the media buying. Watch "Lawn Garden" here.

    There's a bigger performance than Wayne Newton's at the Stardust Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. A 55,000-square-foot ad for Samsung is wrapping the outside of the hotel during the Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association Wireless convention, which began today. The wrap features two of Samsung's slimmest multimedia mobile phones, the a900 and t809, was formed out of 350 individual panels, and took 60 hours to erect. The ad is made out of a see-through weather-resistant material, can cover 61 football fields, and is touted as the largest outdoor ad in Vegas history. Cheil Communications created the ad and handled the media buy.

    File this under reasons why NASA loves Maxim. To celebrate its 100th issue, Maximandthe Las Vegas Convention and Vistors Authority constructed a 75 x 110 feet cover in the Las Vegas desert that can be seen from space on Google Earth and passing airplanes. The cover features Maxim Hot 100 winner Eva Longoria and coincides with the April 7 - 9 celebration at the Wynn Las Vegas Resort and Country Club. Eva can be found in the desert area near the Primm Valley Casino Resorts, 35 minutes south of Las Vegas, and will stick around for a few weeks.

    Cartier launched a campaign in Tokyo this week revolving around the Japanese wordsokubaku, meaning, "to hold captive." The campaign promotes Cartier's LOVE collection, which originally launched in New York in the 1970s, and is expanding and relaunching this year. The collection is famous for its screw-motif bracelet which contains tiny screws, takes two people to put on, and locks onto its owner. Now on to the campaign. Fallon Tokyo poses the question "To possess or be possessed, which do you prefer?" as the centerpiece of the campaign. A Web site, also created by Fallon, features a host of celebs expressing their preference on the question. Users can also vote online for their preference. The campaign, which runs only in Japan and though the holiday season, also consists of print, outdoor and guerilla marketing elements. The work is Fallon's first for Cartier since winning the account earlier this year. Hakuhodo and Futabatsushinsha handled the media buying.

    Chevron Global gains exclusive rights to the Texaco brand in July and has launched a global advertising campaign using the theme "People in the Know Trust Texaco." "Car Whisperer" shows a group of five men, but only one speaks "car," so he talks to the vehicle to find out what's wrong. "Junkyard" shows a forklift operator at a junkyard who imagines each car that he flattens as new and pristine. He starts crying the moment the car is destroyed. The ads also feature a new tagline: "Trust your car to the star." The campaign includes radio, online and outdoor components. Y&R New York created the campaign and mediaedge:cia handled the media buying.

    NBC promoted its new series "Heist" on St. Patrick's Day in New York City and Los Angeles by hiring a street team of 14 men and four women dressed in black suits and dark shades (think "Men in Black") that distributed fake diamond rings and bracelets with price tags listing the "when, where and what time" information of the "Heist" premiere. The teams also gave out information directing people to the "Heist" Web site, where they could enter a sweepstakes to win $5,000. Online and radio ads also supported the campaign.

    Big Brothers Big Sisters, The Advertising Council and Laura Bush launched a PSA encouraging adults to volunteer to become a mentor. TV and radio PSAs feature Mrs. Bush encouraging adults to volunteer and become a mentor to any of the estimated 14 million youngsters without positive reinforcements in their lives. The spots emphasize the simplicity of the role of the Big Brother or Big Sister, and conclude with Mrs. Bush encouraging adults to "Help America's Youth. Be a friend. Be a mentor. Just be there." VogtGoldstein created the pro bono campaign.

    This week's Web site launches include one highlighting fashion; the other, health.

    Adidas has launched a Web site to promote the "Pistol Pete" Maravich apparel line. The site reads like a scrapbook and provides a way to learn more about basketball player Maravich (I had no idea who he was) and the clothing line. The sneakers, T-shirts and hats offered are old school, but I learned more about the man than the apparel. For instance, Maravich is known as "Pistol Pete" because of the technique he used to shoot the ball--out of the hip. The site has a section devoted to photo clips that showcase Pistol Pete's style of play (complete with the short shorts). In addition, users can upload their own photos and send them to friends through a viral "All Star Generator." Carat Fusion created the site.

    Abstract Edge has relaunched the AtkinsWeb site. The site promotes the Atkins Advantage brand and a new business strategy, abandoning the emphasis of little carbs, lotsa meat to highlighting its line of "to go" foods. The Web site provides product information, nutrition education resources, recipes and a way to purchase products online.