Sharga on Branding; Del Taco Hopes Diners Dig Its New Promotion
Young & Rubicam in Irvine recently unveiled a new campaign for client Lincoln Mercury and its new sport utility vehicle, the 2002 Mercury Mountaineer. This is the first Lincoln Mercury campaign developed by John Doyle, the OC agency’s new executive creative director, and was two years in the making.
The integrated campaign, involving television, print, Internet, direct and event marketing, focuses on the SUV in urban rather than dirt-road settings.
The launch begins this month with a 12-page insert in publications such as Talk magazine and will be followed by television spots, which will hit networks on April 16.
Media planning was handled by The Media Edge, Irvine, and buy placement was handled by Ford Motor Media in Detroit. Mark Turner, EVP, Y & R; Advertising, did not disclose specific figures for Mercury’s media spend but said it “is the biggest advertising launch” for the brand in years.
Sharga Talks Branding
A relaxed Rick Sharga, executive vice president of neoBrands in Costa Mesa, brandished his funny side at an informational breakfast for technology companies in the American Electronics Association.
He broke the ice in his hour-long overview on brand basics with a question.
“How many of you are in sales positions? How many are in marketing?” he asked a crowd of about 40. “Good, then the rest of you are overhead, like me.”
Sharga, the featured speaker, covered some keys to branding, while giving his agency, neoBrands, a 1-year-old spin-off of Shafer Advertising in Irvine, a plug. The 30-plus-person agency focuses on technology companies and e-business and has 10 clients, including JD Edwards.
Sharga said “a brand isn’t what you sell, it’s who you are,” and delved into some brand basics. No. 1: build a real business first,a pitfall of now-defunct dot-coms including eToys and pets.com.
“Your brand can’t reflect what isn’t really there at least not for long,” Sharga said.
Del Taco Unearths “Mummy” Promo
Laguna Hills-based Del Taco is partnering with Universal Pictures to promote the May 4 release of “The Mummy Returns,” the sequel to “The Mummy.”
The Mexican fast-food chain plans to run an Instant Win Sweepstakes from April 18 through May 29 that offers more than 450,000 prizes, including food, a walk-on role in an upcoming Universal film, admission tickets to Universal Studios Hollywood and movie merchandise.
This is Del Taco’s first cross-promotion with a major motion picture and its latest move to increase market share. The agency also recently tapped al Punto Advertising to develop its first Hispanic marketing campaigns.
As part of the promotion, Del Taco has developed in-store tie-ins including tray liners, standees and themed cups with instant-win peel-off game pieces. Television spots will follow. Los Angeles-based G & M; Plumbing developed the English-language TV and radio spots, and Tustin-based al Punto worked on Spanish-language broadcast ads.
Healthcare Accounts Coming West
Things are looking up at advertising agencies specializing in the healthcare niche. At least that’s what Pacific Communications in Costa Mesa is reporting.
Agency president Ryan Abbate said the OC shop,which reported $117.1 million in OC capitalized billings for 2000,has seen increased business from current clients, including Costa Mesa-based ICN Pharmaceuticals Inc.
The shop’s growth and client work earned it a top award in MedAd News, an industry trade pub, last year and it is one of three finalists for another of the magazine’s honors: best healthcare Web site.
“That recognition of us and West Coast agencies in general are causing major pharmaceutical and medical companies on the West Coast to look to agencies locally versus going to the East Coast, which they would have done traditionally,” Abbate said. “That’s a very good trend for us.”
For example, a year ago the agency, which recently took on another 5,000 square feet of office space, won over ICN, which previously had used a Chicago-based ad agency, Abbate said. Now, the OC shop is looking to land other big biotech companies up and down the West Coast.
El Pollo Loco Pitches to Hispanics
Irvine-based El Pollo Loco recently unveiled its new Hispanic advertising campaign: “Una Locura sin Fin” or “Never-Ending Craziness.” The new campaign, created by LA-based cruz-kravetz: IDEAS, builds on last year’s campaign but focuses on individual ways to enjoy the Mexican chicken. Television and radio spots began airing in March in select West Coast markets.
