THE NAME OF THE 'THINGY'
t here went looking for a spokesman for Zest Body Wash, it may have been the nickname that first brought to mind St. Louis Rams running back Craig "Iron Head" Heyward.
After all, not many men can get away with calling a white puffy shower sponge a "thingy" on national television. But Iron Head may be one guy who can. Or at least that's what Zest is counting on to help break down the perception that body washes are just for women. The company is convinced that men all over the country will give up their regular soap in favor of the body wash. Why? Because it's all about getting cleaner.
The campaign will run on network and cable TV channels in prime, day, late night and male syndication. There is also a print campaign involving such magazines as Sports Illustrated, Rolling Stone, Sporting News and People. Other aspects of the campaign include product sampling, direct mail and a nationwide sweepstakes where participants can cast votes as to what they think the new name for the "thingy" should be.
TRAVELING 'LITE' THROUGH TIME
MILWAUKEE -- If you've been dreaming about driving a race car all the way back to Arthurian England only to have a beer with some folks in heavy metal armor, perhaps it is because your mind favors the eccentric when it comes to free association. Of course, the other and more probable explanation is that you've been inspired by Miller Lite's new promotional campaign. Miller's TV promotions feature National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing driver Rusty Wallace driving so fast that he is hurled back in time. Drinkers then get to decide where in time they would go with Wallace, and in doing so they enter a sweepstakes with a chance to win their own Miller Time Machine, a Ford Taurus. Other prizes include leather jackets, a portable CD player, a trip to see stock-car racing in Daytona, and Miller Time Matco toolboxes. Entry forms are available at Miller displays.
There are also point-of-sale promotions featuring display cards, danglers, static stickers, cutouts and posters of Wallace with his Miller Lite No. 2 Ford Thunderbird.
CORONA GOES GREEN
SAN ANTONIO -- Corona will be launching its first ever St. Patrick's Day promotion this year with a campaign whose theme will be "All the green you need on St. Pat's," referring to the green lime wedges that frequently go along with the beer.
The company has humorously managed to marry the Mexican beer to an Irish holiday using an old picture of a man in a sombrero with green clovers as ornaments and a caption stating, "Kiss Me, I'm Irish!" The promotion will include banners, pennants, table tents and T-shirts.
WITH A SONG IN MY...SOAP
NEW YORK -- It is perhaps one of the great mysteries that almost anyone can sound good to himself or herself while singing in the shower. Maybe it's the strange acoustics created by hard tile walls, or maybe we've all just gotten too much water in our ears. One thing we all know, however, is that everyone sings in the shower.
Unilever Home & Personal Care-USA here is taking advantage of this showertime reality to promote its cleansers, which include Dove, Caress, Lever 2000 and Shield. The company is putting together the 1998 Third Annual National "Singing in the Shower" Contest, which encourages the bathroom performer to share his or her talent with the rest of the world by performing an original song having to do with soap.
Customers can enter the contest by mailing in entry information and an audiotape, by calling the contest information phone number, or by participating in the regional contests that will be conducted by radio stations in 20 local markets across the country in local Wal-Mart stores. Regional finalists win a trip to Hollywood, where they will compete to win the $5,000 grand prize. The deadline for all mail-in entries is Aug. 15, 1998.
