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 Tue, Jul 21 1992 Date: Tue, 21 Jul 92 06:06:53 EDT Message-ID: 07-21 0000 DECISIONLINE: Advertising USA TODAY Update July 20, 1992 Source: USA TODAY:Gannett National Information Network SPONSORS CLUTTERING OLYMPICS: This may be the Dream Team Olympics, but the Barcelona Games could give marketers nightmares. There are so many official sponsors (43), licensees (28) and Olympic-related products (160) that some firms fear their message will be lost in the clutter when the Games begin July 25. The sponsorships range from the official Olympic pain reliever (Nuprin) to official bike helmet (Bell). (For more, see Olympics package below.) GRIGGS TRIES INSIDE APPROACH: One sponsor tried a different advertising approach during ESPN's cablecast of Sunday's Miller Genuine Draft 500. Griggs Publishing wanted viewers to buy its product in mid-race, so the Concord, N.C. company sponsored an ESPN in-car camera in driver Bobby Hillin's car. And Griggs displayed a toll-free number for its "Racing for Kids" magazine on Hillin's dashboard. BASEBALL TEAMS SEND MESSAGES: Baseball teams are getting involved in advertising with a message. San Diego and Seattle this month joined Oakland, Baltimore and Minnesota in barring tobacco billboards from their baseball stadiums. In Cleveland, the Indians have reduced ticket prices by $2 for Canadians as part of a Cleveland business coalition's effort to lure Canadian tourists. FOX PRESIDENT TARGETED: Fox network president Jamie Kellner got hammered repeatedly Monday at a state-of-the-business press conference for the double standard between Fox's series content - especially the bawdy sex comedy of "Married ... With Children" and "In Living Color" - and the much-publicized recent firing of executive Stephen Chao for hiring a male stripper to perform at a corporate retreat. AT&T ATTACKS MCI'S CLAIMS: AT&T questions the ethics of MCI in new TV ads that may be the most sharply worded yet in the battle between the long-distance companies. In the commercials, which began airing Friday, AT&T claims MCI's ads mislead viewers into believing MCI's international calling rates are 50% cheaper than AT&T's. The MCI ads compare rates under its discount plan with AT&T's standard rates. BELL COMPANY TESTING COMPUTER: Southwestern Bell, in a four-month test run, has been bypassing the U.S. Postal Service by billing some business customers via floppy disk or modem, Compute magazine says. Electronic billing also can be used to track employee phone usage and detect telephone fraud. CABLE SYSTEMS TAKE ON SIGNUPS: Beginning the final push Monday, NBC's 1-800-Olympics number tells people who want to buy the $125 pay-per-view Olympics package to do so through local cable systems. As of a week ago, NBC reports it had sold 50,000 between 60,000 PPV Olympics packages. The network's Joe Rutledge says no sales updates are planned before the Games begin. P&G ENTERS NEW MARKET: Procter & Gamble Co. just launched an assault on the baking soda segment of the toothpaste category, Advertising Age reports. Last week, P&G started its first market test of Baking Soda Crest toothpaste in Arizona, as the company is trying to catch up in the $1.1 billion toothpaste market by moving into the race of the fastest-growing segment. POST OFFICE AVOIDS OLYMPICS: The U.S. Postal Service has nixed an offer to re-sign as worldwide Olympic sponsor for the 1994 Winter and 1996 Summer Games. New Postmaster General Marvin Runyan, who vows to reduce USPS costs, reportedly balked at the $30 million-plus asking price. SPECIAL PACKAGE ON OLYMPICS: COMPANIES NEED OTHER TOOLS: The idea of Olympic sponsorship has been tarnished by too many marketers climbing aboard the Olympic bandwagon this year. Sponsorships alone - which average about $5.7 million but can hit $35 million - are no longer effective as a sole marketing tool. Other complications include ambush marketers, the commercial-free Olympic Triplecast, and the absence of marquee-name athletes. 30 SECONDS COST $350,000: More than 60 advertisers have reserved spots during the Olympic television coverage. A prime-time, 30-second Olympic spot costs about $350,000. NBC won't say just how much time is being sold, but the network hopes to reap at least $500 million in ad revenue after shelling out $401 million for broadcast rights and another $100 million in production costs. EXPECT LOTS OF ADS: If NBC is to hit its revenue goal, it will have to air nearly 1,400 commercials over 161 hours of Olympics coverage. Expect more, though, since big advertisers have cut deals for the Barcelona events for better rates and non-prime-time spots will be cheaper. (End of package.) CORRECTION: General Motors ads marking Oldsmobile's 95th birthday will appear in major newspapers Aug. 21. An item in Monday's Decisionline was wrong. Advertising Editor: Kate Coughlin. (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