Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!news.media.mit.edu!americast.com!americast.com!usa-post Newsgroups: usa-today.ads From: usa-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: usa-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: ads Mon, Jun 29 1992 Date: Mon, 29 Jun 92 05:27:36 EDT Message-ID: 06-29 0000 DECISIONLINE: Advertising USA TODAY Update June 29, 1992 Source: USA TODAY:Gannett National Information Network STATUE REPAIR AD TAKES PRIZE: A Spanish commercial for rubber cement, in which nuns repair a delicate part of the anatomy on the statue of the Christ Child, won the Grand Prix at the International Advertising Film Festival in Cannes, France, Friday. Director Eduardo Maclean said the ad sparked a furor in Spain. The broken piece is attached upside down and a young novice corrects it after the piece has been glued on. (For more, see special Cannes package below.) BATTLE OVER BEFORE IT BEGINS: The Dan vs. Dave battle won't be "settled in Barcelona," as the ads promised. Instead, it ended Saturday in New Orleans, when decathlete Dan O'Brien blew three tries at the pole vault and his chance to be on the U.S. team. Reebok spent $20 million on ads portraying 1991 world champion O'Brien and rival Dave Johnson as friendly, hard-charging rivals in Reebok's newest athletic shoes. ADS YANKED AFTER LOSS: Marketing expert Al Ries says decathlete Dan O'Brien could have earned up to $5 million a year after the Olympics as a product pitchman. But the ads that began in a Super Bowl blitz ended abruptly after O'Brien failed to make the Olympic team. Within 10 minutes, Reebok told NBC to scuttle Dan and Dave ads for Sunday. The new plan: Ads showing Dave, with Dan supporting him. `RAVEN,' PANNED, WINS RATINGS: The premiere of CBS' widely panned action series "Raven" managed to win the ratings and boost CBS to a win last Wednesday. "Raven" pulled in a 13.3 rating:24 share. NBC's "Home Fires" also debuted Wednesday but didn't fare as well, pulling in a 8.8:15 (a ratings point represents 921,000 TV homes; a share is the percentage of sets in use). PAIR STILL WORKS FOR POST: A spokesman for the Manhattan district attorney says Rick Nasti and Steven Bumbaca, both New York Post vice presidents, colluded with mobsters named last week in a 99-count indictment. The Post itself pleaded guilty to defrauding advertisers by overstating circulation figures. Nasti and Bumbaca pleaded guilty to related charges. But neither was fired. AD BUYERS LIKE `MELROSE PLACE': "Melrose Place" hasn't even premiered yet, and already it's got advertisers drooling. The spinoff of Fox's superhit "Beverly Hills, 90210" is the network's vehicle to expand from five to seven nights and is offered by producer Aaron Spelling. "I would not bet against this show," says Madison Avenue TV advertising buyer Paul Schulman, who bought heavily for his client The Gap. NEWS CHANNEL TO DEBUT: The latest entry in the local cable news channel field, Time Warner's New York 1 News, debuts in September. New York 1 News joins Washington's NewsChannel 8, California's Orange County News Channel, the New England News Channel and Long Island's News 12 in providing local news. One difference: Reporters will double as cameramen and women, using 8mm camcorders. CHUNG MAY STAY WITH CBS: Word at CBS is that Connie Chung will likely stay with the network, rather than bolt to ABC to co-anchor its new untitled magazine program. Talks are going well - Chung is still working there on a month-to-month basis - and if she re-signs, CBS is hoping to launch another new magazine come January that would feature Chung. FNN COMES OUT OF BANKRUPTCY: Financial News Network emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy Friday as Data Broadcasting Corp. Each share of FNN common stock will be exchanged for 0.66 share of Data Broadcasting. FNN filed for bankruptcy protection in March 1991, after 1990 ad revenue fell below projections. CNBC, a unit of General Electric Co., bought FNN's broadcasting operations in May 1991 for $154 million. SPECIAL PACKAGE ON CANNES: NURSING AD `OFFENSIVE': A Dutch ad for Droste chocolates that was awarded a Silver Lion at the International Advertising Film Festival in Cannes, France, Saturday drew piercing whistles and boos from the crowd. The ad showed a nursing baby refusing its mother's breast, in graphic close-ups, until the woman eats a chocolate. U.S. judge Frank DeVito of Lintas:Worldwide called it "offensive." `EVERYTHING IS ABOUT SEX': U.S. television networks would never show ads that graphic. "Everything that wins here is about sex or penises or stuff we can't show on American television," says Tracy Wong, an art director who won a Gold Lion for Goodby, Berlin and Silverstein with ads for Chevy's restaurants. USA CAN'T COMPETE: U.S. judge Frank McElligott agreed that, when it comes to showing sexuality in advertising, U.S. agencies can't compete with foreign agencies. McElligott, of McElligott Wright Morrison White, agreed that, when it comes to showing sexuality in advertising, U.S. agencies can't compete with foreign agencies. To blame: "The sitcom mentality ... of network censors," he says. (End of package.) Advertising Editor: Beth Mann. (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