Commentary

Out to Launch

USA Network promotes its "Dueling Disorders." Lance Armstrong bikes circles around anything and everything. Viva La Diva. Welcome to highlights of ad campaigns launched recently.

"Dueling Disorders" introduces the new seasons of the USA Network'sMonk and The Dead Zone programs. The spot brings together the show's respective stars, Tony Shalhoub and Anthony Michael Hall, in a unique convergence of two TV worlds. "Dueling Disorders" opens in an empty conference room. A sign reads, "Welcome American Detectives Association." Shalhoub and Hall are engaged in small talk. Initially, Hall is a good sport, answering Shalhoub's questions. "So when you touch people," Shalhoub proceeds timidly. "I see their past and future," Hall replies. Shalhoub presses, "But you have to touch them? Can you wear gloves?" "No," Hall replies. But Monk persists with his own agenda. "Do you have to hold, or can you just poke quick jabs? What if you just hover nearby? Ok, what if you used your cane or a fork as a conductor?" Eventually, Hall loses patience and excuses himself. As he makes his exit, Shalhoub mutters, "What a weirdo," and then scrubs the brass handrail. 72andSunny created the ad.

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CASSkyDancers International teamed up with Playboy Golf for the Playboy Scramble golf event. For the event, SkyDancers International provided a 20' tall animated inflatable golf ball and club used as a backdrop for the events activities. During the two days of golf, celebrity foursomes teed off, Girls of Golf hosted each hole and a few Playmates caddied. The goal was to create an eye-popping focal point for event attendees.

Since late May, Nike has been airing a spot from Wieden+Kennedy featuring Lance Armstrong on a high-speed training ride. "The Magnet" is set to run nationwide in theatres before screenings of Spiderman 2 and on TV nationally. The spot begins with Armstrong cycling along on a high-speed training ride. Outpacing a passenger train, Armstrong's magnetism soon attracts a flock of geese, a gang of bikers, kids inside a hospital and - back on a remote road - a herd of buffalo. Armstrong pushes on through a rainstorm, amidst flocks of fireflies and bats, before arriving in San Francisco where amateur racers literally fills the streets behind him. A52 provided the visual effects and design work.

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Schools Chancellor Joel I. Klein launched a campaign to help New York City attract its largest pool of teaching candidates, to increase candidate quality, and to elevate the status of teachers. The campaign, "Join New York's Brightest. Teach NYC," consists of TV and radio announcements that will air on broadcast and cable. Participating media outlets include WCBS-TV, WNBC-TV, WABC-TV, WNYW-TV (FOX 5), WPIX-TV, Cablevision, Infinity Radio, Clear Channel Radio, and Yankees Entertainment and Sports Network (YES). "Join New York's Brightest. Teach NYC" is the result of more than a year-long collaboration between the Division of Human Resources in the New York City Department of Education and the Appleseed New York City Project. The campaign was created pro bono by Agent 16.

Deutsch LA has launched a humorous campaign for CiCi's Pizza. The commercials use a behind-the-scenes approach to juxtapose CiCi's friendly environment of quality service with comical images of uninspired fast-food restaurants. "Their Way vs. Our Way" breaks in CiCi's key markets and includes three :30 and three :15 TV spots, print, outdoor and radio components.

Taco John's introduces a new star in its latest campaign - Whiplash the Cowboy Monkey. The TV spots star Whiplash, who delivers fresh burritos from his saddlebag while riding on a Border Collie named Ben. The campaign supports Taco John's reintroduction of the Crunchy Chicken and Potato Burrito. In the first spot, "The Burrito Incident," a man is so enamored with his Burrito that he walks into a mailbox, sending the burrito flying through the air. An enthusiastic Taco John's employee slides a new burrito into Ben's saddlebag and tells Whiplash, "Ride, ride like the wind." Whiplash saves the day and the lucky guy says "Thanks, little monkey dude!" The spots will run in Midwest, North Central and Rocky Mountain states. Kerker created the campaign.

Flirting is good cardio. At least in "The World According to Diva" and the VIVA LA DIVA promotion created by Arnold Worldwide-St. Louis for Houlihan's Restaurants. With vampy humor and stiletto-heeled posturing, the print, point-of-sale, website and guerrilla campaign beckons divas of all varieties to a new take on ladies night every Thursday, all summer. "Man Child, Go Home" and "Gossip, Straight Up" are among the Diva-tude messages on posters, coasters, flyers, banners, print ads and in a booklet called "The World According to Diva" debuting for Houlihan's in Atlanta, Chicago, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Kansas City and St. Louis this summer. Guerilla teams in Chicago will distribute 11,000 VIVA LA DIVA flyers and posters at malls, salons and day spas.

In website launches this week:

Rowen/Warren has launched a website with an online game component for Chivas Regal. The site was designed as part of the brand's involvement with Playboy's 50th Anniversary celebration that includes a 50-city promotional tour and culminates in a 50th anniversary party at the Playboy Mansion in Los Angeles. The website brings the Playboy Mansion experience to life through a virtual trip to the fantasy playground of men around the world. Also on the site is an interactive contest that offers guys a chance to win tickets to the actual Playboy Mansion in Los Angeles.

Anthem, a progressive lifestyle-culture magazine, has launched its website. The site serves as an online home for fans around the world. The site gives viewers a chance to view highlights from the current issue as well as subscribe, order back issues, sign up for a street rep program, shop for limited edition goods, browse their favorite links and gain general info on the magazine. Funktion Designhaus designed the site.

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