• by March 9, 2001

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 of the major launches of the week that was, and the week that will be. Everybody gets enough food down here in launch lady land!

Burger King Corporation today announced the debut of its new national broadcast advertising campaign, titled "THE WHOPPER SAYS." The campaign, which will air nationally on network and cable television, consists of two :30 spots, and is designed to give the WHOPPER a personality that is entertaining, fun and confident. Through these spots, the WHOPPER sandwich offers its unique "wisdom" on life, and what it means to be a true fan of flame-broiling. The ads also employ a new logo - a flaming crown - and tagline "In The Land Of Burgers, WHOPPER Is King." This new campaign marks the first effort of new advertising agency McCann-Erickson, targeting burger lovers.

Marcis has created a complete marketing program that combines offline and online tools to promote A|X Armani Exchange. The "Being Me" campaign has been created to drive in-store traffic into the Armani Exchange Internet store. In March, 50,000 shopping bags will be distributed, each with a mini-CD ROM attached that contains a thirty second "netmercial," and a small fashion show that allows the customer to navigate through sample men's and women's fashions. Additionally, each CD links the customer to the Armani Exchange website for a $500 online sweepstakes, and the ability to shop the Armani Exchange website. Marcis has also developed a fifteen second netmercial that it will distribute through a targeted email campaign to an additional 35,000 consumers.

On March 12, Lexus will break two new commercials, entirely in French, on national network and cable television for its first-ever retractable hardtop convertible, the SC 430. The theme of the campaign, which also includes a specially designed website, www.lexus.com/desire, is "Parlez-vous desir?" Though the voiceovers use French words that are easily understood, such as 'magnifique,' 'splendide,' and 'desir,' the point of the ads it to elicit a feeling of sensuousness and romance. The two TV spots are both set in French locales, with the action revolving around the love affair with, and attraction to the SC 430.

Diet Coke, the "healthy" alternative to Coke, is launching dietCoke.com, a new website that will serve as the brand's online hub. The site, which goes live this week, is designed to tap into entertainment, celebrity and lifestyle-based activities. The centerpiece of dietCoke.com's launch will be "What's Your 20?", a 13-episode broadband series that follows one diet Coke fan as she pursues her lifelong dream of making it in the movie business.

A I M Distributors, Inc., the retail marketing subsidiary of A I M Management Group Inc. (AIM), announced the signing of a multi-year agreement with three-time World Figure Skating Cha