Commentary

Out to Launch

Allstate translates their famous logo into Chinese. Dow Jones and CIGNA get together. Verizon launches a Hispanic campaign. Welcome to highlights of ad campaigns launched this week.

Dow Jones & Company and CIGNA have launched an integrated marketing program, entitled "The Benefits of Planning." The program will provide strategies and tools to assist benefits decision-makers and their employees with understanding and meeting the challenges of today's benefits marketplace. The campaign includes research, print and broadcast advertorials, a website and customized events, and will run until November 2004. The advertorial topics are based on findings from original research, conducted by Dow Jones & Company, that investigated benefits issues facing employers and their employees. Print ads will run in The Wall Street Journal, Barron's and SmartMoney Magazine. TV ads will run on CNBC, and a series of roundtable discussions targeting senior benefits decisions-makers, will take place in key markets throughout the U.S.

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Allstate Insurance Company has launched an ad campaign targeting Asian Americans. This may not sound earth shattering, but this marks the first time that Allstate's "You're in good hands" slogan has been translated into Chinese. The campaign premieres in New York and will include Cantonese and Mandarin television and radio commercials as well as print, and outdoor ads. The creative is one of nostalgia for all of the little things one cherished as a child. The ads illustrate that while people continue to collect cherished items as they grow older, they also obtain a better appreciation of the need to help protect them. The campaign was created by Kang & Lee, and will debut in additional markets by the end of the year.

Allied Domecq Spirits and WET by Beefeater, a spirit created to transcend vodka and gin enjoyment, have launched their inaugural campaign. Entitled "Tension," the print campaign includes three narratives named "Table," "Polite Conversation," and "Piano." Created by Publicis Worldwide, The "Tension" campaign will run in cutting-edge lifestyle magazines and affluent regional lifestyle publications. The "Table" and "Polite Conversation" narratives will debut in October, while "Piano" will appear in spring 2004.

Keeping with liquor, GranGala Triple Orange Liqueur, an Italian import, has launched a U.S. campaign. Print ads will appear in Food & Wine magazine, inviting consumers to "Shake Up Your Margarita with a Rich Italian." GranGala will also target the Hispanic market through a series of print ads in Latina magazine. The Spanish-language print ads feature the headline, "You deserve the BEST. So does your Margarita." The ads were created by The Triangulate Group.

La Agencia de Orcí & Asociados has launched a Spanish and English-language advertising campaign for Verizon, honoring their efforts surrounding Hispanic Heritage Month. The campaign, titled "Achieve your Dreams. Preserve Your Heritage," announces Verizon's community outreach program for underserved elementary schools, and features New York City Local Superintendent Eduardo Genao in the campaign. The program provides schools with computer hardware, software and Internet access, as well as 4,000 bilingual books and dictionaries. The campaign debuted the week of September 22 in Dallas, Washington, DC, Boston, and New York markets and consists of posters, newspaper, magazine, and radio ads. The ads will run during Hispanic Heritage Month, 9/15 to 10/15, and are designed to increase awareness of Verizon's presence and involvement in the Hispanic community.

Panasonic's latest Digital Cordless Phone features Talking Caller ID technology. Owners can actually hear the name of the callers without having to read the number off their Caller ID. Using text-to-speech technology the caller's name is announced in between rings if name-and-number Caller ID information is available. To support the launch, ten-second radio spots began airing in August in conjunction with the Panasonic TrafficCam reports in 11 major metropolitan U.S. markets (NY, LA, Chicago, San Francisco, Boston, Detroit, Atlanta, Seattle, Minneapolis, Miami, and San Diego). Location-specific retailers are mentioned at the end of each spot. In addition to the radio buy, Panasonic targeted users with online ads on a number of search engines, including Google, Overture, and Kanoodle. Banners and pop-ups are served in response to triggered keywords, such as Caller ID, for instance. Renegade Marketing Group, New York, created the ads.

Leonhardt:Fitch has recently launched a new brand and identity campaign for Windows Mobile. Windows Mobile is Microsoft's new global brand for mobile devices running Windows software. The new brand comes as the result of a strategic branding program to help Microsoft position its contribution within the mobile device category. The ads, created by McCann Erickson, San Francisco, will run indefinitely.

In website launches this week:

VentureDirect Worldwide has created DirectDegree.com, an online resource for professionals and students seeking distance education and online degree programs, such as MBA and other degree and certification programs. DirectDegree.com offers prospective students an all-inclusive online source for researching and requesting enrollment information from multiple universities and educational institutions who offer both online and residential degree and training programs. Providers of these degree programs advertise on DirectDegree.com to generate highly qualified, cost-effective prospects, in hopes to increase enrollment.

And for women who like to gamble online, say hello to Goddess Poker. The site offers a $1,000 free roll tournament, $25,000 progressive jackpot, and a 100% match play bonus. Since the majority of gamblers are male, Goddess Poker hopes to gain a loyal following of women gamblers online. The site offers popular card games such as Texas Hold'em, Omaha, Omaha Hi Lo and Seven Card Stud and Seven Card Stud Hi Lo. Collectively these games account for over 95 per cent of all poker games and are available as play for cash, tournament games or play for free.

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