Commentary

Out to Launch

Every week new ad campaigns and websites are launched, and it’s hard to keep up with them all. Companies like Zenith, Eddie Bauer and KFC are set to debut exciting new campaigns. Read about these and others you may have missed in this week’s edition of “Out to Launch.”

Zenith Electronics Corporation is kicking off its massive fall advertising campaign with new television commercials designed to help position Zenith as "the ultimate authority" in digital high-definition television (HDTV). The new 30- and 15-second spots, which will debut on Sept. 1, capture experience of HDTV, which Zenith pioneered. The commercials, along with a comprehensive consumer and trade print campaign, are the major part of a $30-million-plus marketing effort. Produced by Zenith and its New York-based ad agency Avrett Free & Ginsberg, the new commercials coincide with the September premieres of fall network TV programming.

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Lugz Footwear this week breaks a national TV and print campaign, per the Interpublic Group of Cos.' Avrett, Free and Ginsberg, New York. The ads will run through September on MTV, BET, WWE, Much Music, Mad TV, Jerry Springer and others. Print will appear in Source, Vibe, Maxim, ESPN, Spin, XXL, Slam, FHM, Lowrider, Mass Appeal, URB, Urban Latino, Strength and Stance. The campaign, called "The Arrow", features three animated characters that break dance through urban settings to the beats of tracks created exclusively for Lugz by DJ Funkmaster Flex. Each character has its own break dancing style and a pair of Lugz shoes. While the characters navigate through the ad, a black 3D graffiti arrow simultaneously follows their graceful moves. The arrow darts around spinning legs, is captured by one character's cupped hands, and is propelled on to the next scene by the Lugz on his feet.

Out with a TV and print push is mavi Jeans. In a campaign from San Francisco shop Leagas Delaney, mavi emphasizes four letter words, such as legs and hips with a tag line: mavifits. The spots will run on MTV and MTV2 in the U.S. and MuchMusic in Canada. Mavi print will run in YM, Teen People, Jane, Interview, Blackbook and Wallpaper magazines as well as Elle Quebec, Norway and Sweden.

Saks Fifth Avenue is launching a new integrated campaign around the tag, "Make it your own." The effort, which includes print in magazines and newspapers, radio and in-store, is expected to run for several years. Ads break in September issues of Vogue, Vanity Fair, Architectural Digest, House & Garden, Gourmet, Grace and others. "Make it your own" is the result of focus group studies that indicated it resonated with the store's customers. "They feel very proprietary about Saks Fifth Avenue," said a company spokesperson, “they truly believe it is 'their' store.” Creative focuses on a mix of merchandise rather than a single designer. Copy is lighthearted and sophisticated with lines such as, "My psychic said I see Saks in your future" and "Saks lets me play dress-up whenever I want."

KFC Canada this week will launch a nationwide campaign in which Colonel Sanders returns to celebrate the brand's history. KFC Canada's "Heritage Days" effort will include TV, print, radio and POP that will incorporate packaging and pricing from the 1950s. Colonel Sanders has not been used in KFC Canada advertising since the 1970s. The effort, per Ogilvy & Mather Toronto, will run through Oct. 6. A TV spot, "Dream," uses original 1970s ad footage featuring the Colonel and a group of KFC employees singing and dancing to the "Colonel's Boys" song, a jingle that KFC used in its advertising throughout the '60s and '70s. A modern scene is then integrated into the spot in which a KFC customer in 2002 dreams that he has become one of the "Colonel's Boys" in the song-and-dance routine. The spot will run in 30- and 60-second versions.

The next time you look up in the sky your eyes may suddenly focus on a new and unusual sight -- a low-flying mini-airship created by SkyMedia Airships, Inc.. The ship will allow advertisers to display their promotional messages day or night, in the form of banner ads, commercials, or full color video presentations. They'll be seen on 30-by-60 foot display areas on both sides of the new 144-foot long airships, built to fly at altitudes of 500 to 1,000 feet. SkyMedia Airships hopes to have its first and perhaps second airship ready to be visible to attendees at the next Super Bowl in San Diego's Jack Murphy Stadium, as well as to hundreds of millions of others worldwide who'll be tuned into the event.

Under Armour Performance Apparel will launch its first national TV ad on Aug. 31. The 30-second spot will debut on ABC's Kickoff Classic during the college football game between Maryland and Notre Dame. Creative was developed by Under Armour owner and founder Kevin Plank and Producers Video of Baltimore, MD. The commercial is set to a re-mixed version of Iron Butterfly's classic song, "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida," and climaxes with Ogbogu power lifting 364 pounds. The words “Lighter, Faster, Stronger and Better” appear on the screen throughout the spot.

MetroPCS, a wireless service provider, will roll out new general market and Hispanic advertising campaigns on September 2. These campaigns will mark the company's first venture into television advertising. The new ads deliver the message that wireless service should be priced by the month, not by the minute, and extend the "no nonsense" appeal of MetroPCS' offer within its core markets of Miami, Atlanta and Sacramento. MetroPCS worked with Dallas-based advertising agency The Richards Group and Seal Beach, Calif.-based Grupo Gallegos to develop the media strategy and creative concepts for the advertisements. The campaign is closely tied in with an integrated marketing and public relations program supported by Edelman.

On Tuesday, Sept. 3, Eddie Bauer will launch the interactive media portion of their multi-million dollar integrated, multi-media fall branding campaign. The campaign runs through September. Interactive agency Avenue A developed the marketing strategy for Eddie Bauer’s online campaign including the media buying, planning and execution. Through exclusive, distinctive home page placement on some of the Web’s highest trafficked sites, Internet users will be the first to be introduced to Eddie Bauer’s new washable suede product line, “Seattle Suede." Using an innovative rich media campaign to introduce its new washable "Seattle Suede," Eddie Bauer will dominate websites Ask Jeeves, Weather.com, About.com, Excite and iWon.com.

And to end on a sweet note: Finale Dessert Company has launched finaledesserts.com. In a clean and simple way, the new website features photographs of desserts, sample menus, restaurant hours, reservations policy, directions, the story of Finale, awards and a way to get in touch with them. IdentityOne of Boston developed and designed the site.

-- This newsletter is compiled weekly by MediaPost staff writer Lindsey Fadner. Past issues are archived at the MediaPost website. Your comments, questions and submissions are always welcome and appreciated.

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