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 Thu, Jul 30 1992 Date: Thu, 30 Jul 92 04:32:02 EDT Message-ID: 07-30 0000 DECISIONLINE: Advertising USA TODAY Update July 30, 1992 Source: USA TODAY:Gannett National Information Network ADS TOO PRICEY FOR POLITICIANS: Olympic Games broadcaster NBC had hoped to sell some pricey Olympic ad time to President Bush and Democratic challenger Bill Clinton. But neither is likely to go for the Gold. At about $320,000 per 30-second spot - or nearly twice the price of many top 20 shows, the Olympic Games are no bargain, especially to politicians. (For more, see special Olympics package below.) ARE ATHLETES SHAMING USA? Dream Team memeber Charles Barkley acts like a boor off and on the Olympic basketball court. The U.S. volleyball team turns into Hair Club for Men candidates to protest a match with the Japanese. In this global showcase of sportsmanship, the athletes could be setting a bad example for the USA - and hurting U.S. marketers abroad by being bullies, kvetchers and rule-breakers. NIKE SEES NO PROBLEM: "There's no question that we're coming across as the Ugly Americans," marketing consultant Allen McCusker of Canaan Parish Group says of the raucous U.S. Olympic team. Nike doesn't think Charles Barkley's antics will hurt the company. Beach-apparel maker Club Sportswear, a sponsor of member's of the now-bald men's volleyball team, says the incident shouldn't hurt foreign sales. MORPHING USED FOR GAMES: In two ads getting heavy play during the Olympic Games, Kodak fills a stadium with computer-generated people, and Miller Lite uses morphing - Terminator 2-style metamorphosis - to change dancers' costumes. Kodak filmed 200 people with cards in a stadium in Buenos Aires, shot a crowded soccer game in the same stadium, then used computer graphic imaging to re-create card-flipping. GAMES ATTRACT $2.6B: The Summer Games will attract about $2.6 billion in U.S. and foreign corporate sponsorships, advertising and product tie-ins - nearly 30% more than what marketers spent on the past two Summer Games combined. According to sports-marketing consultant International Events Group, a total of $790 million was pulled in for Olympic broadcast advertising with $500 million going to NBC. TRIPLECAST HAS 14 FREE HOURS: NBC is hoping to entice viewers to buy its poor-selling Triplecast coverage by offering cable subscribers 14 hours of it free. The three channels will show repeat segments on CNBC using a split screen. Hours: 6-10 p.m ET on Thursday and Friday; 1-4 a.m. ET Friday and Saturday. UNITED TAKING A TRIP: Taking a cue from its own commercials, one which exhorts employees to get out of the office and visit customers, United Airlines Wednesday is sending 40 executives to airports worldwide to meet its customers. United President John Pope will greet top frequent fliers at Chicago's O'Hare. The event reflects an urgent objective: To improve customer service. UPI CHIEF RESIGNS: United Press International's president and chief executive, Pieter Van Bennekom, has resigned after what he describes as "two harrowing years trying to keep UPI afloat while we searched for a buyer." Van Bennekom will be senior vice president and managing editor of EastNet in Washington. UPI has not named a successor. NETWORKS PLAN FOR GOP: Absent from Madison Square Garden during the Democratic National Convention was NBC's "Today" and ABC's "Good Morning America." "CBS This Morning" had co-anchor Paula Zahn stationed there. Similar plans are in store for the Republican Convention. "Today" will handle interviews via satellite. "GMA" will send host Charlie Gibson and Harry Smith will represent "CBS This Morning." `MELROSE PLACE' JOINS FLOOD: Now that the market is flooded with stuff from the Fox Television hit "Beverly Hills, 90210," get ready for more from its spinoff, "Melrose Place." Hamilton Projects will license everything from books to fashion. ANTI-AGING PRODUCTS FIGHT: Products are pitting cosmetics companies and drug marketers against each other in a battle for consumers seeking anti-aging remedies. Next year, Johnson & Johnson is expected to make a major consumer push for Renova, a prescription drug that treats sun-damaged skin. Some new players: La Prarie's Age Management Serum; and Chanel's Day Lift Refining Complex. SPECIAL PACKAGE ON OLYMPICS: CLINTON DOESN'T NEED ADS: Bill Clinton - riding on the euphoria of a successful convention, a strong showing in the polls and plenty of free media exposure - doesn't need to buy ads to reach the big national TV audiences the Games attract. And President Bush is likely to concentrate on local and regional spots in key swing states where the race is expected to be tight. NBC RUNNING 1,400 SPOTS: NBC will run more than 1,400 ads during the Olympics. Political spots could get lost in the clutter. The Bush:Quayle re-election campaign plans to spend $7 million on ads during a two-week, pre-convention blitz beginning Monday. But most Bush ads will run on Cable News Network and on local stations in the Midwest. BUSH HAS NOT RESPONDED: NBC says Bush strategists have asked for Olympic ad schedules, but have not bought any time. The Bush campaign isn't talking, but if it decides to broadside Clinton on NBC during the Olympics, the Clinton campaign would retaliate. There may not be much room left to buy. Earlier this week, NBC said it had sold 98% of its Olympic time. (End of package.) 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