Roundy's CEO Touts Store Brands in New Ads

ELLIOT ZWIEBACH

MILWAUKEE — Roundy's here has launched a new ad campaign touting the quality of its private-label lines featuring Bob Mariano, chairman and chief executive officer — or simply Chairman Bob, as he's called in the ads. The company began airing three TV spots Monday in Minnesota and yesterday in Wisconsin in which Chairman Bob and his "Bobtourage" — actors portraying three corporate executives and a chef — tour an orange grove, a potato chip factory and an ice cream plant, with narration that indicates Mariano personally approves each of the company's more than 2,500 private-label products, including the Roundy's Organic and Roundy's Select lines, by putting his signature on each label. Tie-in radio and print ads were also launched this week. In an interview with Mariano on the Roundy's website, he said his favorite item is Roundy's Select Italian sausage, which was taste-tested at the corporate office as well as at home by 25 members of his family. He also said some product formulations were rejected because they contained MSG. Mariano said his staff had to do "a lot of convincing to make me do [the commercials] because I like to keep a low profile. But I see myself as representing the 22,000 people who work at our Pick & Save, Copps and Rainbow stores."

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