A&P TV SPECIAL HIGHLIGHTS 135 YEARS, AMERICA'S CHOICE

RICHARD TURCSIK

MONTVALE, N.J. -- A&P here decided that the best way to celebrate its 135th anniversary and promote the rollout of its new unified America's Choice private-label banner was with a good old-fashioned, star-studded, televised variety show.

The one-hour program, called "America's Choice," aired in New York on independent station WPIX Channel 11, on Sunday April 10. It also aired in 19 other major markets, including cities such as Los Angeles, where A&P does not operate any stores, said William Vitulli, A&P's vice president of government and community relations.

"The whole idea behind this special is that we're such a major factor in the food industry and we're celebrating 135 years. A&P was the first chain store, the first private label. We've been first in so many things," Vitulli said. He added that while it provided a convenient tie-in to the chain's new private label, production of the special was being discussed before the America's Choice brand came about.

The special was hosted by Tony Randall, and starred George Burns, who joked about A&P being the only thing that is older than he is; Russian singer Masha Itkina; Shirley Jones, who sang numbers from "Oklahoma" and "The Music Man"; actor Jack Klugman; comedienne Wendy Liebman; impersonator Rich Little; actor Dennis Weaver; the Newark Boys Chorus; Robert Sacchi, an actor who impersonates Humphrey Bogart; and Charles Nelson Reilly, who starred in a skit about a checkout lane.

The show was filmed at the Marriott Hotel in Park Ridge, N.J., before an audience of store employee contest winners from throughout the company.

Corporate sponsors were Coca-Cola, Kraft General Foods, Thomas J. Lipton, McCormick & Co., Nabisco Brands and Western Union.

Vitulli said the TV special was supported in-store through extensive signs.

The company also ran a full-page ad in the New York Times the Wednesday before the show aired that featured a drawing of all the stars with the tag line "A Collection of America's Favorite Performers Celebrating 135 Years of the Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co."

At the bottom of the ad was a line-up of some of the America's Choice grocery products. Similar ads ran in other papers in the metropolitan area.

As reported, A&P announced last year that it is replacing all its individual store labels with the unified America's Choice brand. In addition, the chain will maintain the upscale Master Choice label.

"We expect the America's Choice rollout to be completed by the end of the year. Right now we have 400 America's Choice products and we're looking to bring a total of about 1,400 under the America's Choice label.