Vitaminwater Rolls Out Worldwide Olympic-Themed Ad Campaign

Vitaminwater Launches Olympics Ad Campaign

Coca-Cola's Glaceau has launched a new "billboard and facebook campaign to urge everyone in Canada -- including the athletes" competing in next month's Vancouver Olympics, to "Try vitaminwater," according to Janet Cho of the Cleveland PLAIN DEALER. The "eye-catchingly colorful" ads, via Brokaw Inc., Cleveland, feature Canadian Olympians "skating, skiing, snowboarding and bobsledding over and around giant bottles" of vitaminwater. The ads carry slogans that include, "Try vitaminwater. Don't try racing Denny Morrison. Don't even race this picture of him." Another ad reads, "Try vitaminwater. Don't try racing Dominique Maltais. Start with something slower. Like a meteor." The ads, part of a seven-nation campaign for the drink brand, will appear on billboards, "transit shelters, buses, subway stations, vendor kiosks and promotional items, such as cowbells, collectible pins" and vitaminwater-flavored lip balm. The campaign will be "translated and made culturally appropriate for consumers in Canada, Mexico, South Africa, South Korea, Japan, Australia" and the U.K. (Cleveland PLAIN DEALER, 1/29).

MAKING A SPLASH: Subway Thursday "defended its advertising campaign" featuring Gold Medalist Michael Phelps against the USOC's "attack on 'ambush marketing.'" The QSR, which is not an Olympic sponsor, is running a commercial that feature Phelps swimming his way across land toward Vancouver. Subway CMO Tony Pace in a statement said, "Regarding our latest commercial featuring Michael Phelps, Subway does not share the USOC's perspective and the conclusions being drawn from it." The QSR pledged to continue using Phelps in its advertising (AP, 1/28).

ON THE FLIP SIDE: In L.A., Lisa Dillman writes U.S. snowboarder Gretchen Bleiler "has that intangible cross-over appeal, landing her in magazines ranging from Rolling Stone to Vanity Fair to FHM and helping launch her own clothing and outerwear line with Oakley." Bleiler, who won a Silver Medal at the '06 Turin Games, said, "I've always had a very strong opinion of how I like to look on the mountain and off the mountain. And I think it's important when you're a woman to look feminine and flattering." She added, "That doesn't mean pretty in pink. I can be bold and edgy too" (L.A. TIMES, 1/29).

STARS & STRIPES FOREVER: Idaho resident Laddie Lee Whitworth was announced Thursday as the winner of the "public contest to design" U.S. skier Lindsey Vonn's Olympic helmet. Whitworth's design is "red, white and blue, with flames flowing from front to back, like something on the fenders of a drag racing car." There is an American flag "just over the helmet's brow." Whitworth said, "When I became a finalist and saw the other two designs, I thought I had an advantage. Their designs were kind of feminine-looking, and I said to myself: ‘Lindsey goes 70 miles an hour down those hills. She wants to look like she’s going as fast as possible. She wants to be charging forward'" (NYTIMES.com, 1/28).