Reebok Int'l is "trek-ing down a new advertising path
with a back-to-basics campaign focusing on the benefits of
wearing Reebok's athletic shoes," according to Greg Gatlin
of the BOSTON HERALD. Reebok Dir of PR Dave Fogelson said
that the focus of the new campaign is on the products,
"namely shoes" that use Reebok's DMX technology. Reebok
wants to "motivate people to try on the product in stores."
Fogelson: "The focus is more on what people feel when they
wear the shoe. It's very much a utilitarian type of
advertising -- you've got to go in and try one on." A
Berlin Cameron & Partners TV campaign, debuting in April,
features testimonials from Reebok endorsers, including Allen
Iverson and Venus Williams (BOSTON HERALD, 3/23).
CONVERSE QUIET ON THE WORM: In Boston, Gregg Krupa
reports that MA-based Converse "quietly ended" its $15M
endorsement deal with Dennis Rodman. Rodman "believes" the
company "still owes him about" $3M and has "vowed to fight
the decision." Converse Senior VP/Marketing James Solomon
"did not return" Krupa's phone calls, and Converse Senior PR
Manager Kellie Buckley said, "I'm not in a position to shed
any light on this" (BOSTON GLOBE, 3/23).
MOURNING HAS BROKEN? Heat C Alonzo Mourning was fined
$5,000 for wearing the "wrong-colored" Nike shoes during
Saturday's Pacers-Heat game (See THE DAILY, 3/22). NBA
Senior VP/Operations Rod Thorn: "His team wears black shoes,
and he was wearing all-white shoes" (MIAMI HERALD, 3/23).
SPOTS: The latest of Nike's "March Madness" TV spots
shows four college coaches sketching images of Tropicana
Field, the site of the NCAA Final Four. St.Petersburg/
Clearwater Area Convention & Visitors Bureau Assistant Dir
Lee Daniel: "We like it. It is cool. There's no way to put
a price tag on this kind of exposure" (TAMPA TRIBUNE,
3/20)....NEW YORK's Simon Dumenco profiles the new adidas ad
campaign, running on MTV and other nets, with the tag, "Take
What You Want." Dumenco: "Throw in some infectious,
exuberant music and a killer tag, ... and you've got the
year's best new TV campaign" (NEW YORK, 3/22 issue).
