Jamieson airing 'reality TV' infomercials

Jamieson Laboratories is hoping guests will "lose it" on a new TV show.

This weekend, the company launched Slim Down TV, a "reality-style" infomercial series to promote its Slim Down weight loss products and supplements. The program follows the lives of several Canadians who are trying to lose weight.

"The show really embodies all of the pieces that the Slim Down program is about,"says Kevin Edwards , vice-president of marketing at Jamieson Laboratories in Toronto. "We've got a life couch, exercise, nutrition, and of course we talk about Jamieson products and how you use them as part of a healthy lifestyle and to achieve your weight loss goals."

Twenty-six 30-minute episodes will air on local stations across the country. Viewers can download weekly episodes at slimdown.ca, where they'll also find recipes, fitness tips and nutrition advice.

Jamieson launched an outdoor, transit, online, radio and print campaign to promote the show and products. The creative features the tag line, "Use it and lose it." The campaign was created in-house, with public relations handled by Apex Public Relations and media buying handled by AORMedia Management .

- Rebecca Harris

Sprite chases youth market with annual Remix campaign

A tropical vacation is now as close as a bottle of Sprite. Continuing in its annual spring tradition, Sprite is launching this year’s Sprite Remix flavour, Aruba Jam.

The teen-targeted Sprite Remix Aruba Jam includes strawberry, pineapple and passion fruit flavours. It follows last year’s Berryclear and 2003’s mint-flavoured Sprite Ice.

This year’s drink “will appeal to youth who like to experiment with variety,” says Nicole de Larzac, group brand manager, non-cola soft drinks, Coca-Cola Ltd. “Our research shows strong consumer demand for this product.”

Advertising includes 15-second television spots created in the U.S. and adapted for Canada by Toronto’s Cossette Communication, sampling in key cities across Canada and public relations by Apex Public Relations. Sprite Remix Aruba Jam is also now the “drink of choice” in a Sprite-sponsored virtual room named “Club Thirst” at HabboHotel.ca, an online community popular among Canadian teens.

Spriteremix.com has also been updated to feature Aruba Jam. As in previous years, the site allows users to create music mixes online.

Aruba Jam will be available across Canada, except for P.E.I., in bottles, cans and Fridge Mate packaging.

– Michelle Halpern

PR firm singled out for Mosaik Mastercard campaign effectiveness

Apex Public Relations emerged as the big winner at this week’s Achieving Communications Excellence (ACE) Awards, held by the Canadian Public Relations Society (CPRS), Toronto.

Apex took home best of show for its campaign to launch Mosaik Mastercard’s travel rewards program. The campaign, which was also awarded gold in the Product Brand Development Campaign of the Year category, yielded 13 million media impressions across Canada. The client had requested positive comparisons between Mosaik and other credit card travel programs, and Apex delivered, with 71% of the impressions containing those comparisons. Apex won a total of eight awards, including the gold and best of show, as well as two silver and four bronze. The awards, judged by public relations professionals, were presented Tuesday night at the Arcadian Court in Toronto.

Also in the Product Brand Development category, Environics Communications won gold for a campaign titled “Puretracks.com VoteMusic! Who Should Run the Stereo at 24 Sussex Drive?” Hill and Knowlton Canada was awarded the Best Creative PR Campaign Award for its work with the World Rock Paper Scissors Society, which also won gold in the Sports, Arts, Entertainment Campaign of the Year category. The last of four golds went to the Toronto District School Board, for tactical excellence in the Best Use of Internet Category.

Several public relations professionals were also honoured at the awards show. Sheila Corriveau, president and CEO of Porter Novelli Canada, was named PR professional of the year. Kristina Sanecki, president of KS Marketing and PR, won CPRS Mentor of the Year. Ryerson University’s Jenny Shin won the Toronto Hydro PR Student of the Year Award. Two CPRS Volunteer of the Year Awards went to Matt Drennan-Scace and Carol Gravelle. A full list of winners is available at cprstoronto.com/ace.

– Michelle Halpern

Kellogg’s works out with Cindy Crawford

Kellogg Canada is partnering with supermodel Cindy Crawford and offering a free workout to consumers of its Special K line of cereals.

Beginning this month, more than 1.5 million specially marked boxes of Special K Original, Red Berries, Soy and CarbFit cereals will contain one of three DVDs from Stott Pilates, a Toronto-based company. The boxes feature an image of Crawford and are available while quantities last.

The promotion is being supported by national English and French television commercials by J. Walter Thompson. The English spots feature spokesperson Crawford, while the French spots feature French media personality France Beaudoin.

Other campaign components include public relations by Apex Public Relations, point-of-purchase materials and and online presence on kelloggs.ca and stottpilates.com.

– Michelle Halpern

Spidey lands in Kellogg products

Following the huge debut of the movie Spider-Man 2, Kellogg Canada hopes fans will also gobble up Spidey-themed cereal.

The cereal giant has introduced its limited edition Kellogg's Spider-Man toasted oat cereal with Spidey-berry (wildberry) fruit-flavoured toasted oats. Or consumers can opt instead for Spider-Man Pop-Tarts, featuring red icing with grey webbing and Spidey-berry fruit filling.

In specially marked boxes of Kellogg cereals, fans can collect one of three Spidey-signal wristbrands. A Super Slim Spider-Man watch is also available as a special mail-in offer on promotional packs of Eggo waffles.

A campaign from Toronto's Leo Burnett includes national print advertising and bilingual POS. A 15-second promotional ad is also airing on English Canadian television. Toronto's Apex Public Relations is executing media relations.

"Kellogg Canada has a long history of bringing movie excitement to breakfast tables," stated Wendy Berry, associate director of promotions, Kellogg Canada, in a statement. "With Spider-mania building, we're pleased to bring the Spider-Man phenomenon to households across Canada."

–Chris Daniels