Commentary

Out to Launch

Talking billboards. Fake wedding ads. Got Milk? goes to outer space. Let's launch!

HBO recently ran ads in the New York Times wedding section promoting its series "Big Love." HBO's campaign flows seamlessly with the editorial content; meanwhile, it's hard to overlook a car in the wedding announcements. Chevy Tahoe has been running two print ads in daily newspapers throughout the country that infiltrate the wedding announcements and travel sections. The Wedding ad is hysterical---it talks about the marriage of fuel efficiency and power, how the bride and groom were introduced by Active Fuel Management, and where the honeymoon took place: in the Chevy Tahoe natch, with trips to the store and the weekend cottage. Ads are running in the Seattle Post-Times, Modesto Bee, Sacramento Bee, Orlando Sentinel, Chicago Tribune, San Francisco Chronicle, New York Daily News, New York Post, Philadelphia Inquirerand Houston Chronicle, to name a few. Campbell-Ewald created the campaign, and here's a useless but cute piece of information: The names used for the fictional wedding announcements are the names of Campbell-Ewald employees. GM Planworks handled the media buying.

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Looking to curb the decline in milk sales, Got Milk? created five ads that are out of this world. Literally. The ads feature alien scientists and their obsession with a "magical white elixir" loved by earthlings. I say bring back the oldies but goodies. Two words: "Aaron Burr." "Landing Party" shows aliens with appendages in casts discussing the discovery of an elixir that promotes strong bones. A team is sent to find this "nectar" and they find a barn containing what's pronounced as Da Iry (dairy!). "Farmer" shows the two aliens that have landed on earth greeting Da Iry (a cow) and offering hay in return for some miracle tonic. "Communication" cracks me up. It shows the two aliens reading from a book called Earth Phrases in an attempt to speak to Da Iry. "I love what you've done with the place. Now give us the wonder tonic," says an alien. "The Ship" shows Da Iry aboard a spaceship where it's studied by our two bumbling aliens. "Homecoming" shows Da Iry being presented to all the aliens. Da Iry is wearing a crown and cape and everyone is bowing to him. Goodby, Silverstein & Partners created the campaign. PHD handled media buying.

My ankles are suffering from major sympathy pain as I type. On March 9, 150 women in stiletto heels no less than 2 and ¾ inches high ran through an expensive shopping region of Amsterdam for the Glamour Magazine Stiletto Run. Of the 4,000 contestants that applied for the run online, only 150 women were selected to compete. A 20-year-old woman with ankles of steel won a 10,000-euro shopping spree. Glamour magazine launched in the Dutch market last September. BSUR Concepting Amsterdam developed the campaign.

Physicians Formula has launched an integrated campaign for its cosmetics and skin care divisions. The campaign includes eight print ads, two TV ads, guerrilla and outdoor components. "Bronzer" shows a perky blonde who is too pale for words: "I'm Kelly. Kelly the friendly ghost." While Kelly ponders using a spray-on tan, she decides to go with Physicians Formula bronzer so she won't look like an orange. "Mannequin" shows a woman with dull, fake skin... like a mannequin. The woman uses Physicians Formula powder palette to bring her pasty skin back to life. Both spots conclude with the tag line, "your eyes won't believe your face." TV spots are running nationally, predominantly on cable. Print ads are running throughout the year in Vogue, Cosmo, In Style, Elle, Marie Clare, Glamour, Lucky, Latina, Chatelaine, Self, Shape, and Seventeen. Looney Advertising created the campaign and WMI handled the media buying.

Honda is combining radio and outdoor components in an extension of its "Element and Friends" campaign. Talking billboards (162 in all) are launching in 15 major markets across the country. The month-long promotion can be found in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Cleveland/Akron, Dallas/Fort Worth, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami/Ft. Lauderdale, New York (tri-state), Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Francisco/Oakland/San Jose, Tampa/St. Petersburg and Washington, D.C. The billboards ask questions such as, "What would an Element and a crab talk about?" and consumers can tune into a specific radio frequency to find the answer. The radio frequency works within a two-mile radius of each of the billboards. RPA created the campaign; Outdoor Vision handled the media buying.

Add Kevin Bacon and Christina Applegate to the growing list of celebs selling their souls and appearing in Hanes' "Look Who We've Got Our Hanes On Now" campaign. "Shot Blocker" comes in 15- and 30-second formats and features Kevin Bacon channeling his inner basketball player, shooting his keys into a bowl and throwing paper in the trash. Only problem is that a real-life ball player, Michael Jordan, consistently blocks his shots. Applegate's spot launches at the end of the month. Magazine ads featuring both Bacon and Applegate launch in July. The entire campaign runs throughout the year. The Martin Agency created the campaign and Starcom handled media buying.

The Ad Council, along with the Department ofHousing and Urban Development, have launched a national campaign to fight housing discrimination faced by hurricane evacuees. The PSAs inform people who rent or sell property that housing discrimination is illegal. The TV spot shows cities like New Orleans covered in floodwaters, symbolizing that hurricane victims have a long way to go in terms of rebuilding their lives. The campaign also consists of radio, newspaper and magazine ads stating "the storm isn't over" for hurricane victims. All ads encourage viewers to call 1-800-669-9777 if they feel they were victimized. Lowe Worldwide created the campaign.

This week's Web site launches feature beauty and bratz.

Bratz has launched a Web site and sweepstakes for the Bratz Genie Magic dolls. Rub the lamp in the "The Bratz Genie Magic Win a Wish Sweepstakes" and see what happens. This site promotes the latest line of Bratz dolls and sales of a new video/DVD movie starring the Bratz Genie Magic characters that's due out in April. The contest coincides with a national TV ad and e-mail marketing campaign supporting the promotion. The site features Katia, a Bratz genie guide, who challenges kids to read her mind for a daily chance to win one of three wishes/prize packages. Once the quiz is completed, users can sign up for a chance to win one of the prizes and join the Bratz Fan Club. Geary Interactive and L.A. Promo created the site.

Giorgio Armani has launched a Web site that offers fragrances and cosmetics outside the retail store realm, a first for the company. GiorgioArmaniBeauty.com is clean, elegant, and you can change the colors on models in real time. This is great. Choose a lipstick color and two seconds later the model is wearing it. The "Giorgio Armani Beauty Bar" allow consumers to view all the products in a single location, as if they're in a brick-and-mortar store. ID Society created the site.

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