Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!news.media.mit.edu!americast.com!usa-post Newsgroups: usa-today.ads From: usa-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: usa-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: ads Fri, Mar 13 1992 Date: Fri, 13 Mar 92 05:47:47 EST Message-ID: 03-13 0000 DECISIONLINE: Advertising USA TODAY Update March 13-15, 1992 Source: USA TODAY:Gannett National Information Network `LETTERMAN' TO LEAVE A&E: NBC Thursday canceled its contract with cable's Arts & Entertainment network to air reruns of "Late Night With David Letterman." Letterman has said he's angry with the deal because NBC didn't consult him. NBC acknowledged Letterman's "unhappiness with the deal" contributed to the decision to cancel as of Sept. 30. Some say Letterman is considering leaving NBC. LA TIMES FIGHTS DOWNTURN: Amid southern California's deepest economic downturn since the Great Depression, the Los Angeles Times has found that its boundless growth isn't guaranteed. Publisher David Laventhol, named Times publisher in 1989 after arriving from Newsday, has found it increasingly difficult to improve profitability. Times' circulation is 1.2 million daily and 1.6 million on Sundays. TIMES' AD PAGES DECLINE: The Los Angeles Times which has led the nation's dailies in total ad volume since 1955, watched Carter Hawley Hale Stores, one of its largest advertisers, slide into Chapter 11 bankruptcy-court protection in February 1991. Help-wanted ads, another category in which the Times has led all others, fell 50% from October 1989 to October 1990. DAN, DAVE A RISK FOR REEBOK: Dan O'Brien and Dave Johnson are real athletes and top prospects in the decathlon in the Summer Olympics. But the pair, which star in a Reebok ads, aren't real athletes in the traditional marketing sense. Marketers often go for athletes who've enjoyed years of TV exposure and offer proven success - even if they're retired, injured or past their prime. (For more, see special Reebok package below.) JACKSON MAY LOSE ENDORSEMENTS: Bo Jackson's potentially career-ending injury could cut his endorsement revenue now, and in the long-run, says Gerry Horton, a University of Georgia professor and former marketer. "History proves that athletes whose careers are ended prematurely have a very short afterlife" as endorsers. Arn Tellem, Jackson's agent, says the star has no insurance to cover potential future earnings. NBA RATINGS UP 17%: In ratings for sports shows, NBC's NBA games have seen an increase of 17% to 5.6 rating points this season compared to last year. CBS' college basketball is up 3% to 3.2. But ABC's college basketball games are down 23% to 2.3. The main reason for the decline might be because the Big Ten Conference switched to CBS. CNBC TO MAKE PUSH: CNBC will begin an estimated $20 million campaign Monday in an attempt to boost its prime-time viewership. Network television and radio spots, as well as print ads are planned. The campaign was created by BBDO Worldwild of New York. CELLULAR ONE OF FLA. MAKES MOVE: McCaw Cellular One of Florida, headquartered in West Palm Beach, has moved its $2 million to $3 million regional account to Cramer-Krassett of Orlando. The McCaw Cellular Communications unit had used national agency Leo Burnett, Chicago. But Leo Burnett resigned the account last month. AD AGENCY CUTS 19: Rosenfeld, Sirowitz, Humphrey & Strauss of New York has laid off 19 members of its staff, ADWEEK reports. The ad agency had recently lost the $35 million ad account for Royal Caribbean Cruise Line. But not all of the employees cut were working on the cruise line account. SPECIAL PACKAGE ON REEBOK: REEBOK GOES WITH PROSPECTS: Marketers usually minimize the risk of putting athletes in advertising campaigns by going with established superstars such as Arnold Palmer, Jimmy Connors, Nolan Ryan or Joe Montana. But Reebok bucks the trend in its $20 million ad campaign starring "Dan and Dave." Dan O'Brien and Dave Johnson are top prospects in the decathlon in the Summer Olympics. REEBOK HOLDS 24% OF MARKET: Reebok, with 24% of the $5.8 billion sneaker market, isn't waiting to see how well, or whether, O'Brien and Johnson perform at the Games; it's building its own stars. After the ads debuted during the Super Bowl, Reebok advertising vice president David Ropes says he knew Reebok would "lose the consumer recall battle. But we wanted viewers saying `Who are Dave and Dan?"' REEBOK WANTS SERIOUS IMAGE: The idea behind the campaign is to convey Reeboks as shoes used in serious competition. In other words, chip away at the strong suit of rival Nike, which used many world-class athletes to accumulate a 30% share of the sneaker market. In upcoming ads, O'Brien and Johnson will appear with baseball's Roger Clemens, tennis' Michael Chang and golf's Greg Norman. REEBOK ALSO PROVIDING SUITS: Reebok says it bought $10 million in ad time for the Olympics. It will also supply the suits athletes will wear to accept medals. If O'Brien and Johnson wear those suits, Reebok will have cemented tie-ins with Olympic stars as other marketers just start building them. (End of package.) Advertising Editor: Ed Kelleher. (1-919-855-3491) Making copies of USA TODAY Update (Copyright, 1992) for further distribution violates federal law. This article is copyright 1992 Gannett News Service. Redistribution to other sites is not permitted except by arrangement with American Cybercasting Corporation. For more information, send-email to usa@AmeriCast.COM