Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!enterpoop.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 Wed, Sep 23 1992 Date: Wed, 23 Sep 92 04:36:28 EDT Message-ID: Lines: 112 09-23 0000 DECISIONLINE: Advertising USA TODAY Update Sept. 23, 1992 Source: USA TODAY:Gannett National Information Network CHRYSLER AIRS FINAL IACOCCA ADS: Not since Henry Ford has an automaker been as closely tied to one man's image as has Chrysler to Lee Iacocca. His jowly face and tough talk have appeared in 60 Chrysler television commercials the past 12 years. Now he's on the air this week with his 61st and last ad for the automaker he has twice revived. Chrysler now must decide how to use its $500 million a year ad budget. (For more, see special Chrysler package below.) ROSEANNE WINS CROWN: ABC's "Roseanne," back for a new year with money woes for the Conners and a teen marriage, took No. 1, the best showing for a returning show since "Cosby" in 1989. "Roseanne's" audience helped the premiere of "Delta," starring Delta Burke, to No. 2. "The Miss America Pageant" was NBC's highest-rated program at No. 10. NBC was third for the week. NEW SHOWS DO WELL: Familiar faces - some in new places - proved to be a ratings winner for CBS for the week that ended Sunday. Three of the new series made strong showings: "Hearts Afire" with Markie Post and John Ritter at No. 13; The Golden Palace" starring three of the four Golden Girls at 24; and Bob Newhart's new "Bob," No. 34. "Murder, She Wrote" kicked off its ninth season at No. 6. MUTOMBO DOES EUROPEAN ADS: Dikembe Mutombo of the National Basketball Association's Denver Nuggets is appearing in his first TV commercials - ads for adidas and Vangrack clothing. But there's a twist: The adidas ads with the Zaire native, who speaks several languages, will appear only in Europe. SWOOSH STANDS ALONE: A consumer study of corporate logos found Nike's swoosh logo is actually viewed more favorably when it's shown without the Nike name. The Schecter Group, a New York consultant, found the logo drew a 9% better response when shown alone. In its infancy, Nike paid an art student $35 for the logo design. REVLON TALKS TO AGENCIES: Revlon is talking with agencies about assigning its $50 million international account, according to Advertising Age. Several agencies have met with the cosmetics marketer. Among them: Bozell, a former Revlon agency, and CME KHBB, the new worldwide network of Saatchi & Saatchi Co. formed last week. SOKOLOF RUNS FULL-PAGE ADS: Phil Sokolof, president of the National Heart Savers Association, is running full-page ads in USA TODAY, The New York Times and seven other newspapers. Reason: The Food and Drug Administration and some consumer groups support a format with detailed nutrition information. Sokolof is in favor of the FDA format, and says the USDA formats give a lot less information. WEDNESDAYS ARE A DOGFIGHT: Wednesdays are shaping up to be among the most hotly contested - thus watchable - nights of the week, with something for every taste in just about every hour block. The battle royal was engaged last week as ABC's "Home Improvement" and NBC's "Seinfeld" went head-to-head at 9 ET:PT,with "Home Improvement"winning by a wide margin. But the stakes are also high in other time periods. QUAYLE BOOSTS MURPHY PREMIERE: Vice President Dan Quayle was joined by an estimated 70 million others when he tuned in to CBS' "Murphy Brown" Monday. The show, for which Quayle generated worldwide publicity by criticizing Murphy's single motherhood, had a 29.3 rating:41 share. It was the highest-rated series episode since the Nov. 18, 1990, "Cheers"on NBC, and helped CBS win the night. SPECIAL PACKAGE ON CHRYSLER: IACOCCA ADS WERE A RARE FEAT: Lee Iacocca, who steps down as Chrysler chairman at the end of the year, has been one of the few company executives to be a long-lasting and credible spokesman. Iacocca first appeared in a Chrysler ad in 1979, touting its 1980 Horizon. Since then, he has introduced K-cars in 1981 and accused Americans of having an inferiority complex over Japanese imports. CEOS ARE RISKY IN ADS: Iacocca is unusual because, aside from notable exceptions, few big CEOs do their own advertising. It's a risky strategy, say advertising executives: Chairmen can get sick, get in trouble or get fired and, unlike celebrity endorsers, they aren't easily replaced. And however powerful in the boardroom, CEOs don't always come across on TV. SUCCESSOR WON'T DO ADS: Iacocca successor Robert Eaton has already said he doesn't want to do ads - a decision ad executives praise. Chrysler is losing its public face at a make-or-break time: The introduction of its LH cars. The new line, now arriving in showrooms, has been highly praised, and its success could put Chrysler back in the hunt in passenger cars market. (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. Redistribution to other sites is not permitted except by arrangement with American Cybercasting Corporation. For more information, send-email to usa@AmeriCast.COM