Panasonic has taken to the skies to find technology-savvy consumers and business people to entice with its array of products. As part of a sweeping, integrated re-branding campaign, Panasonic printed more than 12 million inserts and bound them into in-flight magazines on six major airlines.
“The airline audience is a great bridge for us because it targets both consumers and business decision makers,” says Carol DiStaulo, media director for Panasonic, Secaucus, NJ.
The campaign began in September and ends in March.
The 10-panel, barrel-fold insert features the new tag line, “Panasonic ideas for life.” It shows an array of its electronic technologies from high-end consumer products like plasma TVs, to the latest digital multi-function audio/video camcorder, to the likes of in-vehicle DVD entertainment equipment. Video cameras used for commercial photography, security products and other technology targets the business-to-business customer. A “Cool Ideas” sweepstakes offer sends participants to register at www.panasonic.com/coolideas, for a shot at the grand prize, a choice of home office and home entertainment products worth $25,000, or $16,000 in cash. Five first prizewinners get laptops. The inserts and sweeps run through the end of the month.
Creative is consistent across the inserts and online sweeps site to provide a uniform message.
“We wanted to develop a complementary online effort that would promote and target the same messaging that we have in the in-flight insert, so all of the creative looks very similar,” DiStaulo says.
The inserts can be found on Continental, United Airlines, American Airlines, Delta, Southwest Spirit and USA Air.
In December, a flash banner ad campaign got underway on Yahoo’s finance, technology news and entertainment sections. A print campaign that began in September and finishes up in March supports, with ads running in seven major newspapers — The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, Detroit Free Press and The Mercury News. A separate center spread ad, with the tag line, “Panasonic ideas for life,” ran on one Sunday in December in The New York Time’s special edition, “Year in Ideas” issue.
In addition to the holiday shopping period, the campaign coincides with a number major trade shows, including the 2004 International Consumer Electronics Show held this month in Las Vegas and the ASIS International 2003 Security Industry Trade Show, which took place last September.
Beiersdorf, Inc. last month distributed two million samples of its Nivea for Men lotion in train stations.
The effort targeted male commuters at more than 792 rail and subway stations located in Boston, New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Washington, DC, Connecticut and San Francisco.
“The geographic range ensures that Nivea for Men would not sample to any one individual more than once,” says Richard Green, president Maya Marketing, Greenwich, CT, which conducted the campaign.
Street teams, called Q Conductors (attractive girls, of course), handed out the samples of Nivea for Men’s new Revitalizing Lotion Q10, along with a coupon, co-branded CD samplers and playing cards.
Advertising and other merchandising efforts supported.
As part of its new approach to marketing, McDonald’s Corp. plans to execute a global restaurant marketing campaign for French fries in Canada.
The promotion, scheduled to launch in 2004, is part of McDonald’s ongoing, worldwide ‘Rolling Energy’ campaign.
The new marketing approach involves McDonald’s first-ever integrated global two-year marketing calendar that will provide consistency in messaging and communications to customers and employees worldwide. The ‘Rolling Energy’ attitude will be expressed in a variety of integrated marketing activities, including promotions, media planning, new products, merchandising and internal marketing, all geared toward creating excitement among their customers, employees and in their restaurants worldwide.
Cossette Communication Group, Quebec, Canada has been selected to develop and help execute the promotion.
“We are excited about the opportunity to deliver a sales and brand building promotion that leverages McDonald’s world famous French fries on a global scale,” says Claude Lessard, CEO, Cossette Communication Group.
The Walt Disney Co. prepares to celebrate Mickey’s 75th Anniversary over the next 18 months with a statue campaign. Disney has selected Jacksonville, FL-based The Suddath Cos. as transportation sponsor of the “Celebrate Mickey: 75 InspEARations” statue tour of the U.S.
Suddath will provide all transportation and logistics services for 75 Mickey Mouse statues on display through September 2005. The Coca-Cola Co., Home Depot and Eastman Kodak Co. are also tour sponsors.
To transport Mickey, Suddath Relocation Systems, an agent for United Van Lines, dedicated five specially designed 53-foot trailers for the nationwide tour, which will serve as moving billboards for the company.
The statues were unveiled at Walt Disney World in November and will remain at the theme park through April. Beginning in May, Suddath will move the statues to 12 other locations including Philadelphia, Boston, Atlanta, Minneapolis, Chicago, Denver, Kansas City, Houston, Dallas, Portland, Washington, DC and New York City before reaching Disneyland in fall 2004. As trucks move into each city, there will be an event to celebrate Mickey’s arrival.
The 6-foot-tall, 700-lb. polyurethane statues were designed by Disney Legends, artists, athletes, and actors including Raven, Wyland, David Willardson and Peter Ellenshaw. The statues will be auctioned off at Sotheby’s upon completion of the tour with proceeds benefiting the charity of each artist’s choice.
Additionally, the event will be promoted by a Visa card member sweeps and on www.disney.com.
The second phase of the campaign, still in approval phase at press time, includes miniature statues, miniature trucks, tee shirts, hats and other branded items.
Wendy’s is launching a promotion with Scholastic Entertainment’s Clifford the Big Red Dog as the top, ahem, dog.
Beginning next month, millions of Kids’ Meal bags will be customized with images of the stars of the animated series. One of five toys will be in each bag, including: a plastic dog dish with bone-shaped playing cards, a Clifford plush toy, a T-Bone vibrating toy, a plastic Cleo figurine and a plastic Clifford figurine that shakes his head and moves his ears. A mail-in offer entices kids to play for a free Clifford book from Scholastic.
More than 5,400 Wendy’s locations in the United States and Canada will participate.
In-store marketing efforts include signage and tray liners featuring Clifford characters. A special Clifford/Wendy’s Web site will be created, linking to Scholastic’s Parents’ Page.
First published by Norman Bridwell in 1963, there are 110 million Clifford books in print. PBS KIDS airs two animated series featuring the red cartoon dog: Clifford the Big Red Dog and Clifford’s Puppy Days. In addition, a new Clifford live show will embark on a national tour and an interactive Clifford children’s museum exhibit will open in Minneapolis. Both will debut in February. TV spots support. Bender/Helper Impact, New York City, handles p.r.
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