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 Fri, Oct 9 1992 Date: Fri, 9 Oct 92 04:40:11 EDT Message-ID: 10-09 0000 DECISIONLINE: Advertising USA TODAY Update Oct. 9-11, 1992 Source: USA TODAY:Gannett National Information Network COKE TURNS TO HOLLYWOOD: Coca-Cola's next big ad campaign comes partly from Hollywood. The soft-drink giant has signed Creative Artists Agency as a consultant. The role of CAA worries ad executives who see it as an encroachment on their territory. "It should be of great concern to all agencies," says Alvin Achenbaum of ad agency Backer Spielvogel Bates. CAMPAIGN WILL BEGIN IN SPRING: In a memo to its marketing staff Thursday, Coke confirmed that Creative Artists Agency will produce a new campaign with longtime ad agency McCann-Erickson. The campaign, for flagship Coca-Cola Classic, will begin next spring and replace Coke's "Can't beat the real thing" slogan. Coke won't give details. CAA and McCann refused to comment. MARKETERS MISS OLDER CONSUMERS: They've got money in their pockets and they'll number 76 million by 2000. They are Americans who have turned 50, and the ad industry is just beginning to develop pitches aimed at them. "Five years ago, I would have promised you that the marketplace would start to pay more attention to this growing segment," said marketing psychologist Renee Frengut. "It hasn't really happened yet." (For more, see special Older package below.) CONTINENTAL TO MAKE PUSH: Continental Airlines, which said Thursday it would spend $20 million to expand and upgrade business class service on international flights, will spend another $20 million to promote the improvements, Bloomberg Business News reports. The ad effort will be one of the largest ever undertaken by Continental and will involve domestic and international print and broadcast promotions. PRODIGY TO BREAK NEW CAMPAIGN: A new J. Walter Thompson advertising campaign for the Prodigy service uses the theme "The Network of Active Minds." It breaks in mid-October and will primarily use spot TV ads. The ads consists of problem:solution vignettes that focus on the most popular features on Prodigy. Each spot ends with a look at how Prodigy members use the service. NBC TO TRY NEW FRIDAY LINEUP: NBC is planning to shake up its low-watt Friday lineup, shelving the reality series "What Happened?" and "Final Appeal" after Oct. 30. Aaron Spelling's "The Round Table" isn't on the Friday schedule after Oct. 16, but its survival elsewhere is still up in the air. No word on what will fill the time slots. MALESKA TO MAKE ANOTHER BID: Martin Maleska, adviser to Canadian publisher Conrad Black, told Reuters Thursday that Black might bid again for New York's Daily News. The News has accepted a bid from Mortimer Zuckerman, owner of U.S. News & World Report, but a bankruptcy judge has the final say. SCHEDULE FLIP MAY BACKFIRE: A well-intentioned move by CBS to flip Sunday's TV baseball playoff schedule might backfire if the Pirates are swept by the Braves in four games. CBS asked baseball to move Game 5 of the more highly rated National League series to 8:30 p.m. ET Sunday, from its 4 p.m. slot, to take advantage of the 40% to 45% larger prime-time audience. The times can't be changed if the Braves sweep. SPORTS MAG TO BE LAUNCHED: New England Sports Publications, based in Waltham, Mass., plans to launch New England Sports, a quarterly magazine, later this fall. Publisher John McGrath is shooting for 90 to 100 pages for the premier issue, which will be 50% ads. SPECIAL PACKAGE ON OLDER: SOME ARE REACHING MARKET: Some companies have reoriented products and ads for the older consumer. Levi Strauss & Co. sells its "looser-fit" jeans with young men leaping and running exuberantly, telling customers they don't have to give up that "Wild One" look just because of some saddlebags. General Mills Inc. is trying to bulk up its market for Cheerios with older eaters by offering a multigrain flavor. SOME FOCUS ON YOUNGER SET: Many ad executives still seem to flee in panic from advertising food, drink or other goods directly to the older consumer for fear of alienating youngsters. "Advertising has been very slow to embrace the mature market," said advertising consultant Franckie Cadwell. At some point soon, however, ad agencies will be forced to throw open their arms: Baby boomers start turning 50 in 1996. COMPANIES TO STUDY AGE GROUP: A few companies are making an effort to rach older consumers. A consortium that includes Kmart Corp., CBS, Johnson & Johnson and Pepsi-Cola Co. is undertaking a three-year study to compare the buying habits of people now over 50 with those of people who are getting there. CONFERENCE SET FOR NOVEMBER: On tap in November: a New York meeting of analysts and other observers, such as feminist Betty Friedan, to ponder the "mature market." The conference is sponsored by Advertising Age and Modern Maturity, the magazine of the American Association of Retired Persons. It boasts a circulation of 34 million. (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