• by Amy Corr , Staff Writer @MediaPostOTL, February 23, 2005

Vacation destination launches. A banned pickle ad. More body parts sold as ad space. When will it end? Let's launch!

Carnival Cruise Lines launched its largest ad buy in company history in the form of a multimillion-dollar broadcast and print campaign. "There Are a Million Ways to Have Fun," consists of four TV spots created by Cooper DDB. All the spots are set to the song "Beyond the Sea," and feature guests enjoying various aspects of a "Fun Ship" cruise -- dining, spa, shore excursions, service, and entertainment. "Family" depicts parents relaxing in a whirlpool, the kids sliding down Carnival's waterslide and the entire family swimming with dolphins during a shore excursion. The spots also include signature Carnival features such as the "towel animals" and wait staff dining room performances. Spots are expected to air during "24," "The West Wing," "Gilmore Girls," "Law & Order," "The O.C.," "Amazing Race," and on A&E, The Discovery Channel, TNT, HGTV, Bravo, The Travel Channel, VH1, Fine Living, and Food Network. Print ads will appear in Oprah, Real Simple, More, Food & Wine, Travel & Leisure, Cooking Light, Conde Nast Traveler, Vanity Fair, and People.

I love these next ads. Now I finally know who's behind them. Universal Orlando unveiled a multi-million dollar TV campaign that began as un-branded spots directing viewers to a micro Web site dedicated to the issue of vacation deprivation -- a trend that is great for corporate America, but bad for the working class. The commercials point out that Americans don't take vacations -- and as a result line the pockets of corporate CEOs, the pharmaceutical industry, and funeral directors who bury them after they work themselves to death. In one ad, an undertaker looks straight at the camera and thanks Americans for working themselves into early graves. In another, a pharmaceutical industry spokesperson commends overworked Americans for driving his industry to record profits thanks to "stress-induced illness and depression." A third ad showed a smirking corporate executive saying that a dedicated "26 percent of Americans don't take any vacation time at all," selflessly transforming "their time" into "our money." The spots direct viewers to a Web site where working stiffs can get information about the effects of vacation deprivation as well as specific vacation options offered by Universal Orlando. The ads were created by davidandgoliath (dng), and close with the tag line, "Have a life, take back your vacation."

Fleetwood Enterprises, a manufacturer of recreational vehicles and a producer and retailer of manufactured housing, has launched the Fleetwood Vacation Club (FVC) - a national motor home shared-ownership program. Draft Chicago is developing the print, online, direct mail, fulfillment kits, and dealer merchandising components of the campaign, launching in the spring. The campaign will target consumers between the ages of 25 and 55 who enjoy driving vacations and outdoor activities, as well as consumers who currently own a motor home but would like to upgrade.

Infiniti has launched a national print, TV, radio, outdoor, online, and grassroots marketing campaign to support the 2006 Infiniti M. TV spots launched last week, but the company's guerrilla marketing efforts intrigue me even more. From March 1 through March 15, street teams will project the light gesture representing the Infiniti M on sides of approximately 50 buildings in Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York. In addition, MSN and Infiniti co-branded the Infiniti Web site where content is displayed in four areas: Infiniti, design, entertainment, and technology. The program will deliver embedded headlines, text links, and banner ads throughout the MSN network. The campaign was created by TBWA/Chiat/Day Los Angeles.

Billboard and radio ads for Ivanabitch, a Russian vodka, have been banned by Viacom Outdoor, ClearChannel Outdoor, and a number of radio stations. All because of a pickle. Or a phallic one, depending on who you're talking to. The billboard ads, which depict a cocktail glass containing vodka and a pickle were turned down by Viacom and ClearChannel; radio spots in which a female states that she likes her vodka "with a pickle," were banned by certain radio stations. The company was asked to show the pickle chopped up and on the side, rather than in the drink. Ivanabitch is being positioned as "Vodka with Attitude," targeting 21- to 35-year-olds.

When will advertising on appendages go out of style? Make it go away. I'm talking to you, GoldenPalace.com. Known for buying obscure things for obscene amounts of money (think Virgin Mary grilled cheese and the Lincoln fry), the company bought ad space on model Shaune Bagwell's cleavage on eBay for $15,099. Bagwell will have the casino's Web address tattooed on her chest for 30 days. And this henna tattoo is HUGE. Bagwell will improve the logo's visibility by wearing strapless dresses, low-cut tops and bikinis. And she'll even attend some Houston Rockets basketball games. And how did she come up with this idea? By watching a fellow model sell her used chewing gum on eBay.

Who doesn't love March Madness? Allstate, in association with CSTV, College Sports Television, is hosting the Allstate Alumni 3 on 3 Classic with regional tournaments in Charlotte, N.C., San Francisco, New York, and Chicago. The winning teams from each region will qualify for a trip to St. Louis the weekend of April 1, where the finals of the Allstate Alumni 3 on 3 Classic will be played. The games are supported through broadcast, print, radio, and online ads. The ads feature Coach Mike Krzyzewski, as well as the Syracuse Orangeman's mascot "Otto." In "Coach K," Krzyzewski makes a surprise appearance to congratulate pick-up basketball players after a reenactment of Christian Laettner's last-minute, game winning shot in 1992. In "Orange" the Syracuse Orangeman's mascot provides a sports massage to a tired college basketball fan as he watches a game in his living room. Leo Burnett USA created the campaign.

Bread now has a voice - in the newly formed Grain Foods Foundation. Hoping to debunk the hype of fad diets that say "no" to bread, the foundation launched a campaign entitled "Bread. It's Essential." Outdoor ads including large billboards, wallscapes, pedi cabs, and posters in doctors' offices and fitness centers were placed throughout New York City and Washington D.C. The creative depicts the key benefits of bread consumption, from preventing birth defects to assisting with brain function. Mullen developed the campaign.

Aflac debuted "Broken Leg" during the CBS Evening News on February 15. And the duck isn't screaming "AFLAAAAAAC" this time. In the new spot, the Aflac Duck manages the financial responsibilities of a policyholder who has a broken leg while the injured man relaxes nearby. The commercial concludes with the duck chasing a food deliveryman to his car after overhearing that the delivered food may include "duck." The Kaplan Thaler Group created the ad.

In Web site launches this week:

As a tribute to Black History month. the Schomberg Center for Research in Black Culture, and Avenue A | Razorfish, designed and created the African-American Migration Experience (AAME) Web site. The AAME site includes 8,000 photographs, 65 maps, and contains 17,000 pages of book text and manuscripts from the Schomburg archives, which can be accessed and navigated in several ways: a 13-chapter overview, an image gallery, a map browser, a timeline, and a search engine.

To provide children with cancer, cancer survivors, their families, advocates, and health care professionals with a comprehensive information and community resource about childhood cancer, CureSearch National Childhood Cancer Foundation has launched a Web site. The site features photos of patients and survivors with a brief profile that includes their favorite food, pet, school subject, or superhero, the type of cancer with which they were diagnosed, and their future aspirations or life's recent accomplishments. The site is built around the four stages of childhood cancer: Newly Diagnosed; In Treatment; End of Treatment; and After Treatment. The Web site was designed and built by Siegel & Gale.