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 Fri, May 15 1992 Date: Fri, 15 May 92 05:12:19 EDT Message-ID: 05-15 0000 DECISIONLINE: Advertising USA TODAY Update May 15-17, 1992 Source: USA TODAY:Gannett National Information Network COKE II MAKING MOVE: New Coke is slowly re-emerging - under an alias. Relabeled and renamed Coke II, the soft drink has had an extended out-of-town tryout: Two years in Spokane, Wash. Now it has spread to shelves in Chicago, Indianapolis, Philadelphia, Albany, N.Y. and several smaller cities - all strong markets for rival Pepsi-Cola. Coke II is as sweet as Pepsi, which appeals to kids. (For more, see special Cola package below.) `TODAY' WINS TWO IN A ROW: NBC's "Today" won its second straight morning ratings race last week, the first time since December 1989 the show has spent two consecutive weeks on top. Last week's numbers: "Today," 4.1 rating:19 share; ABC's "Good Morning America," 3.9:18; "CBS This Morning," 2.7:13. A ratings point equals 931,000 households; share is the percentage of TVs in use. 800 WARS EXPECTED TO HEAT UP: No. 2 MCI and third-ranked Sprint are gearing up to wrestle a bigger slice of the 800-number market. Neither AT&T, Sprint nor MCI will disclose much about their marketing efforts because they don't want to tip each other off. AT&T has begun a series of ads touting the quality of its 800 service. Sprint plans a July campaign. GAP SPENDING MORE ON ADS: Gap showed a 10% increase in net income in 1991, but the competition may be catching up. Jeffrey Edelman, analyst at C.J. Lawrence, said the retailer now has to spend more on advertising and may have to lower prices to counter rising competition. Gap shares are down 37% from their record high of $59 3:8 in January. NBC RENEWS TWO SHOWS: NBC has renewed "A Different World" for its sixth season and Sisters for its second full season. "A Different World." which had been aired after "The Cosby Show," averaged a 14.9 rating and 24 share this season. "Sisters" averaged a 10.2:19 at Saturday at 10 p.m. GENESIS SHOWS SELLING WELL: Syndicator Genesis Entertainment says it has sold "The Whoopi Goldberg Show" to 129 stations. That represents 89% of the USA. Genesis also says its "Karaoke Show" has been sold in 113 markets, representing 83% of the nation. BERRY BERRY KIX ON MARKET: General Mills has begun selling Berry Berry Kix, the first line extension of its Kix corn cereal, which has been on the market for 55 years. The new brand is being test marketed in parts of the East Coast and will go national by early July. Saatchi & Saatchi of New York is handling the ad campaign. AMEX MEXICAN CAMPAIGN TO START: American Express Vacations and the Mexican Government Tourist Office say they will launch a $3.5 million Mexico Marketing campaign in June. Ad Agency McCann-Erickson of Atlanta will handle the TV and print campaign. KRAFT MOVES CHEESE ACCOUNT: Kraft General Fooods has moved its Kraft Cheese ad account, ADWEEK reports. J. Walter Thompson of Chicago was awarded the account, which had been held by Leo Burnett of Chicago. Just three weeks ago, Richard Helstein was named vice president of advertising at Kraft General Foods. SKIN BRACER ADS DUE OUT: Mennen is expected to break a new Skin Bracer aftershave campaign this month, Advertising Age reports. The ads will feature actor Jack Palance, the trade magazine says. Advertising agency Lowe and Partners of New York is running the campaign. SPECIAL PACKAGE ON COLA: COKE II AGITATES PEPSI: Coke II is as sweet as Pepsi. That appeals to kids, a long-time Pepsi target. Tiny as it is, Coke II is still a $188 million brand. Most important, the revamped brand gives Coke a brickbat to aim at Pepsi. Coke II "has no other raison d'etre but to give Pepsi (heartburn)," says Jesse Meyers of Beverage Digest. "They're going to want to keep that brand around forever." PEPSI HAS GONE ON ATTACK: As a perennial No. 2, Pepsi has run comparison taste tests and lambasted Coke in ads. One spot showed rap artist Hammer crooning the syrupy ballad "Feelings" after sipping a Coke. Coca-Cola Classic doesn't acknowledge the existence of Pepsi. But Coke II can, and does, in ads touting "Great cola taste...(and) the sweetness of Pepsi." NEW COKE COMPARED TO EDSEL: Pepsi, in return, heaps scorn on Coke II. "We view it as a bomb - a product with unshakeable Velcro baggage," says spokesman Andrew Giangola. "A name change and a coat of paint can't disguise Coke II's status as a floundering product that's been called the Edsel of the '80s." (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