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 Mon, Sep 14 1992 Date: Mon, 14 Sep 92 04:32:03 EDT Message-ID: 09-14 0000 DECISIONLINE: Advertising USA TODAY Update Sept. 14, 1992 Source: USA TODAY:Gannett National Information Network L.A. GEAR SUES MICHAEL JACKSON: Athletic shoe distributor L.A. Gear has filed a $46 million lawsuit against entertainer Michael Jackson and his company. The shoemaker wants to rescind the endorsement contract Jackson signed in 1989 and wants back the $5 million it says Jackson received for his endorsement of the Signature line of shoes and accessories. L.A. Gear says the delay of Jackson's greatest hits album hurt it. (For more, see special L.A. Gear package below.) CAMPAIGN ADS ARE INTIMATE: The heavy dose of televised political ads being readied for the final weeks of the presidential campaign will be big on intimate appeals - personal, face-in-the-screen, voice-on-the-speaker calls from the candidates themselves. Stephen Hess, an analyst of politics and the media said Sunday that voters are turned off by manipulative advertising, thus the straight-forward approach. BUSH, CLINTON READY ADS: Straight-forward presidential campaign ads are picking up. Democratic candidate Bill Clinton has aired some interview-style ads in which the candidate responds to an imaginary question on welfare reform. And President Bush tipped his hand Thursday night with one of the longer, nationally televised political ads in history. Bush spoke directly into the camera for five minutes. JOYNER-KERSEE SIGNS CONTRACTS: Olympics heptathlete Jackie Joyner-Kersee is emerging as a gold-medalist in advertising, too. Joyner-Kersee has signed a contract with business-systems provider Executone Information Systems, a one-year endorsement extension with bottled-water marketer Evian and a four-year deal with sunglasses maker Bausch & Lomb. Her manager, husband Bob Kersee, said Sunday that more deals are expected. LIZ CLAIBORNE LAUNCHES ADS: Liz Claiborne Inc., New York, in cooperation with Gannett Outdoor, is running 200 billboards in paid and public service media to address the problem of domestic violence. The outdoor campaign, which launches in San Francisco next week, also plans to publicize a new local help line for battered women. Officials for Claiborne hope the ads "give people a good feeling about our company." SAAB TO LAUNCH CAMPAIGN: Saab Cars USA, Inc., importer and distributor of the Swedish-built Saab 9000 and 900 passenger cars, said Friday it will launch an aggressive fall advertising campaign to support its 1993 new model line. A strong mix of television and print advertisements will highlight Saab's attention to safety, environmental and performance engineering, as well as the fun of driving a Saab. USA TODAY MAKES DEAL WITH GM: USA TODAY International has finalized a deal with General Motors' Opel division involving the automaker's sponsorship of World Cup Soccer from January, 1993 through July, 1994. Under terms of the agreement, GM will secure exclusive advertising positions adjacent to USA TODAY's World Cup editorial coverage, including all of the paper's planned special events sections. FOOTBALL ADS SLIP: Advertisements for CBS' and NBC's National Football League telecasts are down due to escalating prices and the weak economy. At the regular season's start on Sept. 6, ads were said to be 20% to 30% unsold. That led both networks to offer 17% discounts from what each had initially sought for their Sunday afternoon games. ABC's prime-time Monday night games are virtually sold out. CHRYSLER COMMERCIALS AIR: Chrysler starts airing its last commercials with retiring Chairman Lee Iacocca Monday. Iacocca, 67, introduces the automaker's new LH sedans which he says are probably Chrysler's most important new product in a decade. In an interview withAdvertising Age,Iacocca, talks about his dual role as CEO and ad star. SPECIAL PACKAGE ON L.A. GEAR: DELAYED RELEASE HURT PROMOTION: Athletic shoe distributor L.A. Gear, claiming Michael Jackson's delayed album release hurt its promotion of its Signature line. It wants $5 million Jackson has received; the contract rescinded; $18 million to settle two shareholder suits; and $23 million Jackson got from Sony for a new recording contract. L.A. Gear said Jackson delayed the album to increase his bargaining position with Sony. L.A. GEAR WANTS REPAYMENT: The shoe distributor also wants the defendants to repay L.A. Gear for the two shareholder class action suits partially settled in July for $5.5 million and 1.1 million shares of stock worth $12.5 million at Friday's closing price of 11 3:8. The suits blame the plaintiffs' stock losses in L.A. Gear in part on problems associated with Jackson's endorsement contract. SINGER ACCUSED OF BREAKING DEAL: The complaint alleges that L.A. Gear lost millions of dollars because Jackson broke the contract by failing to fulfill any of his obligations to provide video footage for use in commercials. The company also claims Jackson broke the contract's exclusivity clause by endorsing a Michael Jackson video game with Sega of America. L.A. Gear says Jackson repeatedly delayed commercial shoots. (End of package.) Advertising Editor: Martin Baucom. (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. 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