• by Amy Corr , Staff Writer @MediaPostOTL, October 12, 2005

Sunoco returns to TV advertising. Joe Torre hawks Bigelow green tea--it's not like he has much else to do now. Stanley Tools spoof "The World's Strongest Man" in its latest campaign. Let's launch!

To coincide with National Coming Out Day, which was yesterday, Planet Out's Gay.com has launched "More Than Meets The Eye," a print, outdoor, online and video campaign. The campaign's tagline is: "Whether you want an eyeful of the hottest guys online, or a peep at the latest in entertainment and fashion, there's always more than meets the eye at Gay.com." The campaign is running from October through December and was created in-house. Online ads will run on a variety of sites including GayMonkey, GayWired, Friendster, and MySpace. The banners direct users to a video created for the campaign that will also be played in gay bars around the country.

Coinciding with the Yankees elimination from the ALCS playoffs, team manager Joe Torre can now be seen as a spokesman for R.C. Bigelow, specifically its line of green teas. The print campaign kicked off last week in publications such as The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Sports Illustrated, Money, Forbes, Golf, Golf Digest, and Men's Health. A radio campaign will be heard on WFAN, and pictures of Torre will be featured on grocery store displays throughout the tri-state area. The print ads also promote a Web site where consumers can find more information and facts about green tea and read studies and articles about tea and health. Tracey Edwards O'Neil created the campaign.

Tell the truth: when ESPN runs marathons of "The World's Strongest Man," it's hard not to watch all 10 hours. Which is why Mullen's two TV spots for the Stanley SharpShoooter Stapler that spoof the show are hysterical. Launched last week, "The World's Weakest Man" ads show the powerful and user-friendly sides of the SharpShoooter Stapler. "Mini-Truck Pull" and "Peanuts" launched October 7 and are running throughouttheMajor League Baseball Playoffs, NCAA College Football, and NASCAR.

iRobot launched its "I Love Robots" campaign last week, featuring satisfied consumers talking about their love of robots. The ads highlight two products--the iRobot Roomba Vacuuming Robot and the iRobot Scooba Floor Washing Robot. The campaign consists of print, TV and outdoor ads. For the TV campaign, nine real-life robot owners were selected from thousands of iRobot customers who responded to a company survey. The Roomba spot is airing on national cable in 30- and 60-second spots. For the Scooba model ad, people were recruited off the street and shown a product demonstration; commercials show consumers' unscripted reactions and launch on national cable on Nov. 3. Print ads will run in November and December issues of Good Housekeeping, Real Simple, Martha Stewart Living and O, The Oprah Magazine. Gardner Nelson & Partners created the campaign.

72andSunny has launched "I Have A Secret" for DC Shoes' new girls division. The campaign revolves around a 44-page book showcasing the DC Girls snowboarding team and its Holiday line of apparel, footwear, outerwear and snowboard boots. The book will be available at retailers and poly-bagged with fashion and lifestyle magazines. Other components of the campaign include a 12-page teaser book, print ads in ELLEGirl and SG magazines, and a soon-to-launch Web site. The book features DC-sponsored pro snowboarders outfitted in DC Shoes gear, including Priscilla Levac, Erin Valverde, Jacqui Berg, and Drea Russell.

The 2006 Lincoln Zephyr launched a print, TV, and subway-level campaign this month. Four 30-second TV commercials will begin airing Oct. 24, using the theme "Reach Higher." "Landmarks" shows... you guessed it, various U.S. city landmarks such as the Empire State Building, St. Louis Arch, and Golden Gate Bridge--and how they relate to the Lincoln Zephyr. The subway ad is actually a 60-second flipbook version of the TV spot "Red Carpet." Riders of the PATH train can see the ad this month along the subway walls. As the train speeds by, the Zephyr drives into motion via a series of backlit pictures that resemble frames in a film reel. Submedia created that portion of the campaign. Print ads are running in Motor Trend, Men's Journal, Bon Appetit,Sports Illustrated, Wired, Vanity Fair, Architectural Digest, and Money, to name a few. Y&R developed the campaign.

Useless factoid of the week: racecar spelled backwards is racecar. Sunoco is making its way back to TV advertising, its first in ten years, by touting itself as "The official fuel of NASCAR," for use both on and off the racetrack. Two 30-second spots--"Take Jimmie Johnson to Work" and "Take Kevin Harvick on Vacation"--launched this month and humorously relate racecar fuel usage to daily driving. The spot is airing nationally throughout TNT and NBC's coverage of NASCAR. SFGT created the campaign.

Bar and restaurant patrons will receive unexpected "assistance" during their next trip to the bathroom, thanks to the latest TELUSHigh SpeedInternet ad campaign. Using Soundboards and eBoards of trickling water sounds and cascading fountain images, the campaign's headline tells viewers to "go faster." More than 50 eBoards and 90 Soundboards will be posted above urinals and behind stall doors in various Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton bathrooms. The LCD screens are equipped with looped audio/video footage, and the Soundboards have motion-triggered sound chips of flowing water that run for 30 seconds. The eBoards will remain in bathrooms throughout the fall. DDB Canada Vancouver developed the campaign.

This week's Web site launches both revolve around contests.

Carl's Jr. (makers of the sexy Paris Hilton ad) has redesigned its Web site. The site resembles a comfy living room, complete with a pair of disembodied feet on the coffee table. A few items in the living room are product placements. From the magazine (GIANT) to the flat screen TV (Syntax) that shows a preview of the upcoming movie "Domino," the site is user-friendly and retains your attention. The site goes a step further promoting "Domino," having teamed up with New Line Cinema to launch a sweepstakes where users can win a trip to Las Vegas. In "Roll Like a Bounty Hunter," users play an interactive slot machine for 90 seconds and try to rack up as many entries as possible. The promotion runs through the end of October. SPACEDOG created the campaign.

The Service Employees International Union has launched a national online contest looking for the best economic idea. SinceSlicedBread wants ideas that will help the economy grow by creating well-paying jobs and enlarging existing companies. Ideas can be submitted until December 5, and the winner receives $100,000 -- so get those creative juices flowin'! EchoDitto created the site.