Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!news.media.mit.edu!americast.com!americast.com!usa-post Newsgroups: usa-today.ads,americast.usa-today.ads From: usa-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: usa-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: ads Thu, Aug 20 1992 Date: Thu, 20 Aug 92 04:20:23 EDT Message-ID: 08-20 0000 DECISIONLINE: Advertising USA TODAY Update Aug. 20, 1992 Source: USA TODAY:Gannett National Information Network BLACKS USED MORE OFTEN IN ADS: More blacks are being cast in magazine ads, but their roles haven't improved, says a study released Wednesday by the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs. The percentage of black models used in ads rose from 3.4% last year to 5.2% this year, according to the survey of 2,108 ads in 10 magazines. But they are mostly seen as musicians or athletes. (For more, see special package Blacks package below.) BUSCH ADS ALLOWED TO RUN: Anheuser-Busch can go back on the air with ads slamming Coors Light, U.S. Distict Jugde Micheal Mukasey ruled Wednesday. Coors Brewing sued Anheuser-Busch over ads for Anheuser-Busch's Natural Light. The ads say the Coors Light sold in the Northeast is shipped in concentrated form from Colorado to Virginia, then diluted with local water. COORS MAY RUN COMPARATIVE ADS: Coors admits it ships high-gravity beer to its Virginia plant, where as much as half the water is added. But Coors says all beer is made that way. It says Anheuser-Busch is using Natural Light ads to attack Coors Light because the beer threatens Bud Light. Coors says it may retaliate with its own comparative ads, or it may appeal a judge's decision that allows the Busch ads to run. `DIGGSTOWN' TO GET NEW CAMPAIGN: MGM is trying to resuscitate "Diggstown," which bombed in its opening weekend, with a revamped ad campaign that breaks Thursday. MGM is also doubling its number of screens to about 1,400, says the film's producer, Robert Schaffel. New newspaper ads drop the actors' pictures, running just the title and critics' quotes. TV ads will also focus on more critics' reviews and less on boxing. CBS PICKED TO WIN SEASON: The fall season should be an easy win for CBS, followed by ABC, NBC and Fox, says ad buyer Paul Schulman. CBS' strategy is smartest, aiming for viewers 18 and older with wide appeal, he says. The other networks are targeting viewers 18-49; ABC will win among this group, with CBS and NBC almost even at No. 2. BIRD'S MARKET APPEAL MAY END: Larry Bird's future success as an endorser might depend on his willingness to remain in the public eye. Michael Reisman of Sports Partners International says, "The thing I would question is his desire. He's never been one to revel in the public spotlight." Still, Bird has had contracts with Spalding and Converse for 13 years. NIKE CANCELS CONTRACTS: Nike has canceled its sponsorship contracts with German sprinter Katrin Krabbe, 1991 world champion at 100 and 200 meters, and teammate Grit Breuer. Both tested postive for a banned stimulant and face four-year suspensions. Their coach, Thomas Springsteen, who admitted giving them the drug, also had his Nike contract canceled. NBC TO SHOW BOXING: NBC plans to show live professional boxing in October for the first time since September 1990. Its first two broadcasts are Oct. 3, between featherweights Troy Dorsey and Jesse James Leija, and Oct. 24, between lightweights Joey Gamache and Tony "the Tiger" Lopez. TENNIS ADS MAY MISS MARK: TV ads on tennis broadcasts rarely include minorities. A survey of 15,000 consumers by research firm American Sports Data Inc., suggests advertisers could be missing the mark. The study finds that 11.6% of Hispanics play tennis - compared to 9% of whites. An earlier American Data study found 20% of blacks and 26% of Hispanics say they watch TV tennis, compared to just 16% of whites. BEACH VOLLEYBALL DOES WELL: NBC's Sunday afternoon beach volleyball received a respectable 5.8 overnight rating. Saturday, it drew a 4.3 rating. Last year, NBC's midsummer beach volleyball, in a Saturday time slot, had just a 3.5 rating. SPECIAL PACKAGE ON BLACKS: BLACKS ARE IN STEREOTYPES: Advertisers present black models as "stereotypes, as musicians, as athletes, as objects of pity in corporate philanthropy ads, rather than as consumers," says Consumer Affairs commissioner Mark Green. While Toyota showed blacks in 24 of 135 ads the group studied studied, only one ad showed a black person as a car buyer, and that was basketball player Isiah Thomas. SOME DON'T USE BLACK MODELS: Another study of 14 of magazines' most frequent advertisers showed that seven - including Estee Lauder and Lancome - used no blacks in their ads. Estee Lauder and Lancome both argued that their ad campaigns are focused on just one model. "It's a decision to use one model and to have consistency throughout the years and around the world," says Jim Nixon of Cosmair, Lancome's parent. SOME USE DIVERSE MODELS: Cover Girl said it runs ads featuring black models in black publications such as Essence. That boosts the presence of black models in its ads to 10%, nearly proportionate to the population, says spokeswoman Kerry Desberg. "They still can't ignore the fact that (at) GQ and Esquire, 25% of their readers are black," says Green. (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