Reebok Int'l is expected to award Lowe Howard-Spinks,
London, its soccer assignment following a pitch that
included Boston's Heater Advertising, according to sources
of ADWEEK's Sarah Jones. Reebok's newly appointed Dir of
Worldwide Advertising, and former Coca-Cola exec, John
Wardley said "his first goal is to determine the company's
immediate business needs." Wardley: "It might be that we
need to look at other resources. I only recently started a
relationship with Heater and don't want to send a signal
that we're not satisfied." While different shops "may end
up contributing to the creation of Reebok's new image,"
Wardley "stressed" the importance of "conveying a single,
consistent message." Wardley: "We've got a really strong
product story to tell, and I don't know that we've been
doing that as well as we could." Wardley added that part of
Reebok's strategy will be "highlighting its new technology,"
which will be included in future ads for basketball shoes,
Reignman II and The Answer, which is the first to use DMX
technology (ADWEEK, 10/27). AD AGE's Jeff Jensen adds that
Reebok will continue to "market aggressively to African-
American teens and the urban marketplace" in '98, but that
Wardley "would like to reach a broader audience as well."
Wardley "wouldn't say" if Reebok will increase or decrease
spending, "estimated" at $92.5M last year (AD AGE, 10/27).
