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, Jun 19 1992 Date: Fri, 19 Jun 92 05:24:16 EDT Message-ID: 06-19 0000 DECISIONLINE: Advertising USA TODAY Update June 19-21, 1992 Source: USA TODAY:Gannett National Information Network ADS HELP BOOST J.C. PENNEY: J.C. Penney saw its net income jump 70% in the first quarter. A new ad campaign, lowered prices and rejiggered merchandise are seen as reasons for the success. The key phrase, repeated over and over throughout a new set of TV commercials is "We've Changed: J.C. Penney." The new spots are the product of ad agency Temerlin McClain (formerly Bozell), which Penney's hired last June. (For more, see special Penney package below.) GM, TIME WARNER EXTEND DEAL: General Motors Corp. and Time Warner Inc. said Thursday they have agreed to another one-year multi-media advertising contract similar to the one announced between the two companies in March, 1991. It involves advertising in Time's major magazines, as well as the company's other businesses, which include cable television, home video, films, books, records and direct mail campaigns. BATMAN, BATMAN, BATMAN: "Batman Returns" comes out Friday, and so does a whole slew of promotional tie-ins. Among consumer products firms involved in "Batman Returns" promotions: McDonald's, Coca-Cola, and Ralston Purina. They'll provide giveaways such as Batman toys and drinking cups. John DiGianni of brand-image consultant Gianninoto Associates says the tie-ins may be excessive and have little market pull. CHOICE HOTELS MAKES PITCH: Choice Hotels is conducting a two-month, $10 million television ad blitz. It's designed to reach 98% of U.S households more than 20 times each to promote a "Batman Returns" sweepstakes. In the high-concept ads, a Choice Hotels "Batman suitcase" jets through Gotham City before landing in a hotel room loaded with a $250,000 grand prize. CAYMAN AIRWAYS PLEADS IN ADS: Cayman Airways is using ads to plead with American Airlines to discontinue a second flight it started to the islands in the West Indies from Miami this week. A Cayman newspaper ad asks: "How are we to explain to our children that an airline bearing the name of the only country which the average Caymanian admires even more than our own Great Britain has taken bread out of their mouths?" CBS SPECIAL WINS TIME PERIOD: CBS and CNN aired Watergate specials Wednesday in prime time. ABC's "Nightline" had a Watergate special, too. From 9-11 p.m. EDT:PDT, CBS' "Watergate: The Secret Story" won every time period, with an average 11.6 rating:21 share. CNN's special pulled in the same 1.1 rating it usually draws. "Nightline" finished second to NBC's "Tonight Show" in overnight ratings. NBC MAKES PROGRAM CHANGE: NBC has yanked "Glory Boys" and Norman Lear's "The Powers That Be" from its planned fall schedule to make room for "Final Appeal: From the Files of `Unsolved Mysteries"' and "What Happened?" The half-hour shows will air Fridays from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. EDT:PDT. The axed series will be used as backups for the 1992-93 season. SUPERSTATION BILL PASSES: Sports fans could find slimmer pickings on their basic systems under a bill approved Thursday to end cable's free access to over-the-air broadcasts. The bill passed by a House Judiciary subcommittee is expected to move major league baseball games from superstations, such as Atlanta's WTBS and Chicago's WGN, to pay-per-view TV or premium cable channels. SUMMER OLYMPIC PROMO TO BEGIN: NBC will unveil a Summer Olympics promotion Monday, featuring pop music stars Elton John and Eric Clapton. The campaign, cosponsored by Coca-Cola and Time Warner's Warner Music Group, aims to build audiences for the games. FOOTWEAR ADS TO AIR: Hyde Athletic Industries says its Saucony footwear brand will air a new 30 second TV commercial on EuroSport TV during coverage of the Tour de France Bicycle Championship, July 4 to July 26. The commercial is for GRID running shoes. Saucony is the exclusive footwear sponsor of EuroSport's coverage of the Tour de France. SPECIAL PACKAGE ON PENNEY: ADS TRY TO CHANGE IMAGE: New ads for J.C. Penney try to change the retailer's image. "People are used to thinking of Penney's as dowdy, not style oriented. But the new ads are on the level of a department store," says retail consultant Barbara Wold. "With the sound off, you might not know it's a Penney's commercial. ... That ad makes me think the store has something fun for me." ADS HAVE STRUCK A CORD: In fast moving MTV-style, the new ads for J.C. Penney highlight vibrant, stylish shoppers in Penney's stores. The camera focuses on famous brand names, fashions and sale signs. Top brass recognizes the commercials have struck a chord and plans to increase their air time in coming months. PENNEY SPENDING MORE ON ADS: J.C. Penney's ad spending is up an estimated 10% over last year. Penney's also has beefed up its newspaper circular program, from 24 to 26 weeks. "There were customers out there who didn't know we'd made changes, or didn't understand the changes," says Barger Tygart, Penney's director of merchandising. "We had to communicate to them - get them to give us a try." (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. 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