Commentary

Out to Launch

Every week new ad campaigns and websites are launched, and it’s hard to keep up with them all. This week Britney is scheduled to speak out against online piracy, Shakira signs an endorsement deal with Reebok, and Burger King unveils its own version of “reality TV.” Read about these launches and others you may have missed in this week’s edition of “Out to Launch.”

Pop princess Britney Spears will appear in a commercial to warn people of the evils of online piracy. Spears, along with rapper Nelly, hip-hop diva Missy Elliott and other pop stars will be featured in TV spots funded by the Music United for Strong Internet Copyright (MUSIC) Coalition to educate people about illegal downloading of music, which the music industry blames for a protracted sales slump. The print ads ask the question, "Who Really Cares About Illegal Downloading?", then answer it with a diverse list of nearly 90 major recording artists and songwriters. While the labels succeeded in idling Napster through copyright litigation, the once popular song-swap service exposed an entire generation of youths to the concept of file-trading, leaving in its wake a more powerful crop of imitators including Morpheus MusicCity, Grokster and Kazaa.

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Reebok has signed Shakira, who many consider the “Latin Britney,” to an endorsement deal under its "Sounds & Rhythm of Sport" platform, making her the first female artist to join the campaign. Previous efforts have featured hip-hoppers Fabolous, Scarface and Jadakiss. The belly-dancing diva will promote a spring '03 footwear and apparel collection via TV, print and outdoor ads, POP and promotions. Ads will debut in April.

U.S. Cellular, the nation's eighth largest wireless service provider, will be endorsed by a celebrity with a different kind of image. Actress Joan Cusack has signed a multi-year contract to appear in the company's upcoming national television, radio and print campaign. The advertisements, which will begin running in the fall, will be designed to increase awareness of U.S. Cellular by heavily focusing on Joan's personality and character to convey the company's message of complete customer satisfaction.

Panasonic will launch a comprehensive advertising and marketing initiative under the theme "Ideas for Life." Both print and television campaigns developed around the new Ideas for Life brand theme will launch this fall and extend through the fiscal year. The campaign reflects a new marketing approach developed with Landor Associates, a leading brand strategy and design consultancy, and Buzz Grey, a division of Grey Worldwide New York.

Domtar Inc., Montreal, one of the largest manufacturers of business, specialty and technical papers in North America, has launched an ad campaign intended to personalize the company and its products for customers in the U.S. and Canada. The effort will target graphic designers, commercial printers, publishers and office supply buyers. Themed "A different feel," via BBDO, Montreal, the effort will run through February in industry trade publications. Each of five ads shows company employees humorously expressing themselves with paper. The tag for the campaign: "Paper would be boring without people."

Burger King Corporation and the Los Angeles office of Deutsch Inc. have together created a new "reality TV" campaign for Burger King Corporation's nationwide rollout of its 99¢ BK VALUE MENU. The spots feature a humorous talking BURGER KING Menu Board personified by the distinctive voice of actor-comedian Adam Carolla of MTV's Love Line and Comedy Central's The Man Show. The ads "star" ordinary people whose interactions with the "talking" BURGER KING menu have been captured by six hidden cameras in unusual places like an elevator, the zoo and a golf course. The television, consisting of ten :30 and five :15 spots, launched on Sunday, September 15th with a primetime network roadblock.

The Florida Dept. of Citrus will launch a $2 million print push on Sept. 30 to rev up grapefruit juice sales. The effort, via The Richards Group, Dallas, will target health-oriented women ages 21-40, with the tag, "Florida grapefruit juice: Refreshingly all-natural." Ads will run in People, Fitness and others featuring a tall glass of ruby red grapefruit juice, and may also include a scent strip (similar to perfume strips in beauty magazines) that emits the aroma of a glass of grapefruit juice.

Marshall Field’s will run 13 ads celebrating the Chicago-based retailer's 150th anniversary. The print campaign, entitled "The View From State Street," will feature cutting-edge fashions with unique and creative depictions of classic Field's traditions, including the 28 Shop, Frango Mints and the shoe department. Photographer Victor Skrebneski, who shot his first fashion assignment from Marshall Field's in 1952 at the age of 23, shot the campaign. Ads will run through year-end in the Chicago Tribune.

CMD & Partners announced that Gund has selected the marketing communications firm as its agency of record. In the fall of 2002, Gund will break with its first national print advertising campaign in 15 years as part of a new branding effort also being developed and implemented by CMD & Partners. The print ads, which underscore the hug-ability of Gund's plush toys, will premier in the November 2002 issues of consumer magazines, including Parents, Rosie, Child, Family Fun, Teddy Bear Review, as well as Teenpeople.com. In addition to the print ads, which target women 25 to 44 with children between the age of 2 and 7, CMD & Partners' campaign for Gund also includes web promotion on Teenpeople.com, as well as trade support.

News Online: washingtonpost.com has kicked off a new fall advertising campaign that focuses on its specialized knowledge of the Washington area job market. The campaign, which will run through mid November, features a series of print and radio ads in the D.C. area, and is aimed at delivering a candid message that washingtonpost.com/jobs outperforms the national Web sites when it comes to the Washington market. The ads highlight the more than 20,000 job listings on washingtonpost.com in the D.C. area and humorously address the local knowledge advantage washingtonpost.com has over its competitors in the online recruitment industry. Adworks, a Washington, D.C. based advertising firm, produced the radio and print ads for the campaign.

Lastly, Critical Mass, a leading interactive firm announced today that Hyatt Hotels Corporation has recently launched a completely new and highly personalized Web site, www.hyatt.com. The new site has been built in partnership with ATG (Art Technology Group Inc.), a developer of online CRM applications for commerce, portals, and relationship management. The new site will help Hyatt improve online customer service while simplifying travel planning and reservations for Hyatt Hotels Corporation’s 123 domestic properties. By personalizing the experience using ATG personalization capabilities, Hyatt encourages its members to visit and utilize the site for reservations.

-- 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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