Times Wants New Image in Ad Campaign : Review Could Lead to Another Agency

A more contemporary advertising image--and possibly a new ad agency--are on tap for the Los Angeles Times.

In a bid to present a more up-to-date image and to boost circulation, The Times, which spends about $5 million each year to advertise and promote itself, has begun an agency review. The current ad agency, J. Walter Thompson, is still in the running, but several other agencies, including BBDO/Los Angeles, have made presentations to Times officials.

“We’re looking to see if there’s a way to energize our advertising and build circulation,” said Don Clark, executive vice president of marketing. Clark said The Times plans to break a more upbeat campaign--with a strong Southern California theme--in the fall.

The new campaign is expected to focus on some of the recent changes that have taken place at The Times. Changes include the redesigned Real Estate and Sunday Calendar sections, addition of color photographs to the front page and introduction of several new columns and the new P.M. Final.

To spur circulation, The Times plans to offer special discount prices to new subscribers in some areas this fall--a rarity for the paper. The Times will rely heavily on direct response advertising for this circulation drive--both through the mail and also with the use of TV commercials that provide toll-free phone numbers, said Clark.

Also, The Times recently hired a Los Angeles specialty company, Edge Films, to create new ads shown before movies at theaters. Clark said the new ads will be more entertaining and have the theme line, “Southern California--where anything is possible.”

“There’s a lot more to the Los Angeles Times than the ‘gray lady,’ ” said Jeffrey S. Hall, vice president of marketing services, referring to the blur of black print on white paper. “The paper is more engaging and more compelling, and we want to get that message across.”