• by Adam Bernard , February 7, 2002

After taking a week to focus on the Super Bowl (Congrats to the Pats), Out To Launch is back to its normal format. This week we've got food, finance, and title fluctuation. Let's launch!

First off, Sprint announced it will continue to run its popular television ad featuring skeleton athlete Jim Shea, Jr. , following the recent death of his grandfather, Jack Shea, who is featured in the commercial along with Jim's father, Jim Shea, Sr. A slightly revised version of the TV commercial with a tribute to the late Jack Shea aired from January 28th through February 3rd.

Moving to food, on February 7th, Bread & Circus Whole Foods Market, a retailer of natural and organic foods, will be launching a new advertising campaign. The company's northeast region, which has opened five new stores in the last two years, including its River Street store in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is running the "Passionately Picky" label campaign to reinforce its core values, highlight its stringent quality selection processes and support its store expansion in the northeast. Whole Foods Market has over 130 stores throughout the country and 21 stores in the northeast. The campaign, which was created by White Rhino Productions (Burlington, MA), features a series of full-color print ads each with the tagline: "Passionately Picky. That's a Label We Like." The print ads will run in major daily and weekly newspapers across the northeast region, including the New York Times, Boston Globe and Boston Herald.

Staying culinary, a new advertising campaign for American Lamb was unveiled in San Antonio. The new ads are the most significant effort in support of American lamb in nearly a decade and are part of a heightened effort by lamb producers to help build awareness and demand for fresh American lamb products. The new campaign hopes to show consumers how American lamb has changed in recent times and spotlight the variety of cuts available and the versatility of American lamb. The new ads were developed by Campbell-Mithun in Chicago, the people who turned pork into "The Other White Meat."

Moving from sheep to mountains, as The Nevada Commission on Tourism has launched an advertising campaign in outdoor magazines and various western newspapers portraying Nevada as the ideal adventure destination and offering the challenge to "Bring It On." Three ads are currently running in Outside, Blue, National Geographic Adventure, and Nevada magazines, and VIA magazine will feature an ad in the March/April issue. Each ad lists a location where people can experience the kind of adventure depicted. Newspaper ads will run in the Salt Lake Tribune during the 2002 Olympic Winter Games, Feb. 8-24 for exposure to adventure-minded people from around the world, in The Sacramento Bee, a prime market for visitors arriving by car; and in metropolitan Nevada, to acquaint residents with attractions in their own state's vast unpopulated areas.

In financial launches, Coldwell Banker Real Estate Corporation blazed into new territory in real estate brand advertising when it launched its innovative "tango campaign." The campaign features one 60-second, and two 30-second, black & white spots showing Coldwell Banker real estate agents dancing the tango throughout the home buying and selling process with their customers. In addition, each ad ends with the Coldwell Banker Golden Retriever next to the brand's "Sold" yard sign. The ads were created by The Kaplan Thaler Group in NYC and were directed by the award-winning director Bob Giraldi.

Ameritrade Holding Corporation also announced the launch of a new, multi-channel advertising campaign this week. The campaign includes a series of new television spots and will feature a life-like bull and bear who share a friendship fueled by continual banter about the market. Their personalities are shaped by their market perspectives: the Bull has a confident, optimistic attitude which plays directly against the Bear's more reserved approach. The situations highlight the differences in market viewpoints and needs of investors. The first spot, which debuted on February 6th, finds the characters in a diner making market predictions for the year ahead. Future ads will appear over the next month and emphasize tools for the individual investor as well as execution quality.

Moving onto websites, as Rediff.com India Limited, one of India's Internet communications and consumer services companies, has increased its interest-specific content and service offerings, providing users with a comprehensive online healthcare resource. Additionally, Rediff.com is in the process of launching a series of interest-specific channels. These channels are in keeping with the company's India strategy of providing comprehensive offerings across specific interest areas by forging alliances with trusted, world-class organizations.

Lastly, The Direct Marketing Association (The DMA) and their subsidiary Association for Interactive Media (AIM), announced that AIM's brand name has been changed to Association for Interactive Marketing (AIM). AIM is also unveiling the first phase of an enhanced new website at imarketing.org. Enhancements include: Extensive Resources: White papers, industry research and current news; Participation Opportunities: Through surveys, events and councils; Detailed 'About AIM' information for members and other industry representatives.

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