Competitors Come Out Swinging in New Ads
Next week, a full-page map of Madrid will appear as an advertisement in a number of daily newspapers. The map, however, won’t be placed there by the Spanish National Tourist Office.
It will come courtesy of Visa International. Visa isn’t pushing travel in Spain. It’s pushing around its credit card rival American Express.
The map will show the location of the one American Express office in Madrid. A headline will read: “Convenient Cash Access According to American Express.” The ad, created by New York-based Batten, Barton, Durstine & Osborn Worldwide, will point out that unlike American Express, Visa has dozens of designated locations throughout Madrid where customers can quickly get cash just by flashing their Visa cards.
Visa isn’t the only company spending big money on ads that compare itself to the competition. Recently, Tide laundry detergent has been taking it on the chin from upstart rival Fresh Start. In a melodramatic ad called “Confessions of a Tide Dropout,” by the Young & Rubicam ad firm, an actress laments: “I’ll never forget the first time Tide failed me.”
Similarly, makers of everything from automobiles to analgesics are having at each other--by name.
But with its latest print advertising campaign--called “Disadvantages of Membership”--industry executives say Visa may be pushing comparative advertising to its limits. Far more than having a little fun at a competitor’s expense, Visa has launched a summer-long, hit ‘em-where-it-hurts series of ads. Not only does Visa criticize American Express products, but also attempts to make a mockery of the firm’s current campaign that stresses the advantages of membership.
Visa will spend more than $5 million “to set the record straight,” said Jan Soderstrom, vice president of advertising and marketing at Visa U.S.A. “Consumer perception is that American Express is accepted in more places than Visa,” she said. But actually--executives from both companies agree--Visa is accepted in nearly twice as many places as American Express.
“If you want to play the numbers game, you can sign up every little drugstore and beanery in the world,” responds Ed Cooperman, president of American Express’ consumer card group. “But the real trick is to be where your customer wants you to be.” With its current campaign, he said, “Visa is putting smoke in the consumers’ eyes.”
While staying away from comments on the Visa campaign, Len Matthews, president of the New York-based American Assn. of Advertising Agencies, noted that comparison ads can be very misleading. “Too often,” he said, “this sort of advertising deals with selective truths.”
Comparison ads often are also confusing, said Donald Bruzzone, president of Alameda, Calif.-based Bruzzone Research Co. “Half the people that see these ads get the brand names mixed up,” he said.
“It’s one of those decisions that ad agency executives approach very delicately,” said Abbott Jones, president of the Chicago-based ad firm Foote, Cone & Belding. “But the use of comparison advertising is definitely on the uptick.”
A few companies have been pulling off successful comparison advertising for years. When the “Pepsi Challenge” against market-leader Coca-Cola was introduced in 1975, it was among the first successful big-time product comparison campaigns. In taste tests nationwide, Pepsi showed that its taste was preferred to that of Coke--and eventually forced Coke to develop a new formula. “When you own a claim as powerful as that,” said a Pepsi spokesman, “you’d be dumb not to use it.”
L.A. Shop in Riney Deal With Security Pacific
The ad firm that created the zany Bartles & Jaymes characters will soon open a Los Angeles office.
Hal Riney & Partners, the fast-growing San Francisco agency, last week picked up Security Pacific National Bank’s $8-million retail bank advertising account. As part of the deal, Riney will open a Los Angeles shop within a few months to service Security Pacific, said Barbara Fallon-Walsh, the bank’s senior vice president for marketing. Earlier this year, Riney opened a New York office, but only recently picked up its first account there--for a new Revlon cosmetics product.
David Bowie, Tina Turner Add Sparkle
Having written off singer Michael Jackson as a summer spokesman, Pepsi-Cola has turned to rockers Tina Turner and David Bowie for some commercial sparkle.
The unlikely duo--who are both kicking off U.S. tours within the next two weeks--sing about Pepsi’s taste to the tune of Bowie’s single, “Modern Love.” The 60-second spot features Bowie in the role of a mad scientist. Using a computer, he diagrams a creature that he plans to create. He then starts tossing oddball items--including one high-heeled boot--into an exotic machine. When he accidentally spills his Pepsi into the machine, the laboratory explodes into a mass of sparks. Suddenly, Tina Turner steps out from the machine. Bowie reacts by taking his new creation out dancing.
The $1-million-plus ad, created by the New York ad firm Batten, Barton, Durstine & Osborn Worldwide, is scheduled to premiere on MTV on Saturday, and on network television next Monday during the NBC comedy, “Valerie.” The ad was filmed in Europe in May while the two rock stars were on tour there.
Later this fall, Pepsi still hopes to break its series of already filmed Michael Jackson ads that have been gathering cobwebs while Jackson continues work on his new album, “Bad.” The album is scheduled for release early this fall, when Jackson is also scheduled to begin a concert tour in Japan. “We still don’t have a firm date on when the ads will break,” said a Pepsi spokesman. “But we’ll track the album’s success very closely.”
Footballers Kick Off a Challenge to Fonda
A handful of National Football League players--led by New York Giants quarterback Phil Simms--are out to prove that they can out-aerobic Jane Fonda.
And they have two big advertisers as sponsors--the investment firm Drexel Burnham Lambert Inc. and Alka-Seltzer. “The Phil Simms NFL Workout Video” would be prefaced with one-minute ads for both advertisers. It is scheduled for release in September and will sell for $29.95.
“Video advertising is the future,” said Steve Leber, president of New York-based JX Productions, which produced the video. His company has also produced a set of NFL football tapes that teach the basics of football to the pre-teen set. That sponsor--who else?: Wheaties, Breakfast of Champions.
McCann-Erickson Gets Columbia Pictures Ads
The agency that creates much of the advertising for Coca-Cola was named late Monday to also oversee advertising for its big-screen subsidiary, Columbia Pictures.
And the Los Angeles office of that New York ad firm, McCann-Erickson Worldwide, will handle the bulk of the $40-million account.
In motion picture advertising, said Rich Edler, general manager of the agency’s West Coast office, “you have to bring awareness from 0% to 90% in just five or six days.”
Advertising for Columbia’s most recent box office hit, “Roxanne,” was handled by the Los Angeles office of Ogilvy & Mather, which has overseen Columbia’s advertising for six years. When McCann-Erickson takes over the account in October, its first assignment will be to place and create advertising for a Bill Cosby flick that spoofs sequels, “Leonard Part VI.”
