Candidates Sign Up Creators of Well-Known TV Ads

Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Bill Clinton is signing up a cadre of new ad makers who have proven their prowess at marketing everything from build-it-yourself tables to California wine.

Prospective independent candidate Ross Perot, meanwhile, has hired for his campaign the creator of the “Swedish Bikini Team” beer commercials and Ronald Reagan’s 1984 “Morning in America” reelection theme.

A Perot campaign spokesman said Hal Riney is preparing a nationwide blitz of television ads that may begin in a few weeks.

Clinton’s campaign announced Friday it is bringing in the advertising talent that designed spots for IKEA, Gallo wine, Toys R Us and other companies.

Frank Greer and Mandy Grunwald, the political ad makers who got Clinton through the Democratic primaries, still will head his advertising team.

The new hires include Deutsch Inc., a New York firm whose work includes innovative ads for IKEA, the furniture giant that has sold its wares with quirky spots saying, “It’s a big country. Somebody’s got to furnish it.” The firm also has worked for Time-Warner Inc., E&J; Gallo Winery and others.

Some of the other newcomers are:

--Linda Kaplan Thaler, who created and composed ad campaigns and tunes such as “I’m a Toys R Us Kid” and “Kodak . . . Because Time Goes By.”

--Valerie Graves of the New York firm Uniworld Group, currently working on accounts for Burger King, AT&T; and Eastman Kodak. Her specialty is reaching black audiences.

--Mike Donilon of Doak & Shrum, the Washington firm that handled the ads of one of Clinton’s primary rivals, Sen. Bob Kerrey of Nebraska. Donilon, who will be working independently of Doak & Shrum, handled polling and media for upset Senate winner Democrat Harris Wofford of Pennsylvania last year.

The spots Riney is devising for Perot likely will include biographical material on the Texas billionaire and may feature testimonials from high-profile personalities, Perot deputy campaign manager Charles Leonard said.

“We want to reach those people who are intrigued by Mr. Perot and his message, but want to know more about this man and what he’s done with his life,” Leonard said.

Riney, based in San Francisco, gained acclaim for the “Morning in America” ads for Reagan’s reelection campaign that amounted to a patriotic celebration of the United States. Along with the “Swedish Bikini Team” ads, which some have criticized as demeaning to women, he has designed folksy ads for Bartles and Jaymes wine coolers.

Perot, who has yet to declare his candidacy for President, reportedly was drawn to Riney partly because of the ad executive’s theme for General Motors’ Saturn cars, “A whole new kind of car, from a whole new kind of car company.”