• by Amy Corr , Staff Writer @MediaPostOTL, August 27, 2003

Campbell's Soup gets real. Sport Clips debuts a new ad. CuervoNation wants to extend summer. These are just a few of the ad campaigns launched this week. Read on for more details.

Campbell's Soup announced the launch of a reality-based advertising campaign under the theme: "Make It Campbell's Instead." The campaign will support Campbell's full line of soups: Campbell's condensed soup, the company's new "M'm! M'm! Good! To Go" convenience platform, and Campbell's Chunky and Campbell's Select ready-to-serve soups. The campaign features Gordon Elliott intercepting consumers in their home, at work, and on the street - urging them to enjoy a delicious meal featuring soup rather than other meal and snack options. Each spot closes with Elliott reminding viewers to "Make it Campbell's Instead." The campaign designed by BBDO-New York. The campaign marks the first time Campbell has utilized a single theme and spokesperson to link all promotional elements for its soup brands.

Sport Clips unveiled a $2 million ad campaign, entitled "Guys Win," at their annual national meeting in Las Vegas. TKO Advertising will design creative for consumers as well as new operators and stylists. The campaign capitalizes on the energy and male focus of the company, featuring the bold corporate tag line "Guys Win" in every radio, print and TV ad. Combining humor, sports references and a good dose of style, the campaign creates a "guy-centric" message unique in this category. Their inaugural radio spot, Inventing Sport Clips, is an account of the process of inventing "the perfect place for a guy to get a haircut." Dialogue and sound-effects bring to life disastrous haircutting concepts such as "Tool Clips" and "Race Clips," until an announcer explains, "...finally it hit us. Sport Clips, where guys win."

American Family Insurance has launched "Black History Jewels," a radio advertising campaign that highlights memorable moments and facts in African American history. The premier set of 60 second vignettes salutes three of the six organizers of the 1963 March on Washington. The spots began airing on selected urban radio stations the week of Aug. 18. James Farmer, John Lewis and A. Phillip Randolph are saluted in the vignettes, which reveal interesting and, perhaps, unknown facts about these men and the circumstances which led to their dramatic role upon the world's stage. According to one of the radio scripts: "In the wee hours of an August morning in 1963, over 30 special trains and 2,000 chartered buses converged on Washington, bringing more than a quarter of a million people to make history." This massive march for "jobs, peace and justice" was watched by millions of viewers on American television and had an enormous impact on stimulating passage of landmark civil rights legislation. It was here that the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his famous "I Have A Dream" speech. Future vignettes will be produced which will continue the Black Jewels series through 2004. E. Morris Communications, Chicago, created the campaign.

Pharmaceutical company Dey has launched a new patient communication and education campaign to support the EpiPen brand. The EpiPen epinephrine auto-injector is a prescription emergency treatment for anaphylaxis, an allergic reaction most commonly triggered by food, insect venom, latex or medicine. The campaign is designed to educate patients about severe allergic reactions and treatment with EpiPen in the event of an emergency. The tagline of the campaign is "Be Prepared, Because Every Second Counts." The campaign has been targeting women and mothers of children at risk for anaphylaxis, and will run until September. Online ads are running on Web MD, iVillage and About.com. Print ads are running in Redbook, Family Circle, Better Homes & Garden, and Cooking Light, and TV ads will run on cable networks. Gillespie Healthcare created the print and TV ads, and online ads were developed by i-traffic.

CIGNA has launched a series of broadcast campaigns created by DDB New York. The :60 and :30 spots, entitled "George," "Patricia," "Bill" and "Cheryl," show benefits managers relating their perspectives on their job responsibilities. "Every benefits manager has a story to tell," begins Donald Sutherland's voiceover. "At CIGNA, we provide employee benefits that hear them. CIGNA: A business of caring," he concludes. Endless Noise contributed the music to the unscripted ads.

Tufts Health Plan has introduced a new campaign, designed by Gearon Hoffman, to run in various parts of Massachusetts. The two 30 second television commercials, entitled "Cab" and "Luncheonette," were created to demonstrate the lengths to which the decision maker will got to get helpful advice - all in an effort to make sure that she is making the best choice for her fellow employees. The commercials will run on Boston, Worcester and Springfield cable and network broadcast stations.

Oak Street Mortgage has launched its first ever multi-media advertising campaign. Dubbed "Signs," the campaign consists of radio, TV and online advertising. Ron Foth Advertising developed the campaign. The campaign is targeted at home purchasers and mortgage refinancing customers, and will simultaneously build Oak Street's corporate brand.

In website launches this week:

CuervoNation's "Endless Summer" Celebration launched an online ad campaign on August 14. Their goal? Extend summer past Labor Day. The Endless Summer campaign targets Cuervo consumers who want to live in a care-free, fun-filled, uninhibited summer state-of-mind all year long - or at least as long as possible. People are encouraged to visit the CuervoNation website and sign an online petition to force the government to delay Labor Day until the "real" end of the summer season, September 23. The user who gets the most friends to sign the petition wins a Cuervo summer party and an assortment of prizes. Cuervo will also deliver a signed petition from the "CuervoNation" citizens to the steps of Congress. Draft Digital created the online ads. The banners are running on numerous sites, including FHM.com, Maxim.com, Premiere.com and Nylonmag.com.

Apollo Interactive has redesigned the website of Pala Casino. In addition to an improved user experience, the ApolloCMS Content Management System will empower Pala staff with the ability to update the majority of the site unaided. Other highlights include an Online Reservation System, and an extensive "How To Play" section that includes rules and strategies for all games featured at the casino.