Gillespie will roll out Sierra 'safety-freeze' By M.H. Moor

NEW YORK--The Gillespie Organization of Princeton, N.J., has been tapped for the launch of an environmentally friendly anti-freeze from Safe Brands Corp.

According to sources who also pitched the account, billings for the national launch of the brand, which is called Sierra, will be $10-20 million.
In winning the account, Gillespie beat out Bozell and incumbent agency The Scott Anderson Group, both of Omaha, Neb.
Sierra is the first product to be launched by Omaha-based Safe Brands, a division of Warren Distribution. The client did not return calls.
Believed to be the first nationally marketed environmentally correct anti-freeze, Sierra is made with propylene glycol, a chemical manufactured by Atlantic Richfield in Philadelphia, which is non-toxic and biodegradable. The national launch campaign will describe Sierra as a “safety-freeze,” and will make the distinction between anti-freezes that use ethylene glycol, which is toxic.
According to agency president Dick Gillespie, the launch will have a significant orientation toward network TV and will break later this month. The brand was tested and supported by spot TV and spot radio in the latter half of 1991 in Boise, Idaho, Madison, Wis., and Spokane, Wash., and then again in the latter half of 1992 in Boise, Spokane and Omaha while the account was at The Scott Anderson Group.
Kresser/Craig, Santa Monica, Calif., handles Arco’s gasoline advertising. Arco Chemical has worked with Foote, Cone, & Belding in Philadephia, though only on a project basis.
The anti-freeze automotive after-market is said to be worth $146.8 million in sales, according to Information Resources Inc. Arco spent $11.7 million in advertising in 1992, according to Competitive Media Reporting.
Sierra’s biggest competitor in the anti-freeze market, Prestone, manufactured by First Brands, has gradually decreased its spending, dropping its ad backing from $7.2 million in 1990 to $4.1 million in 1992.
Copyright Adweek L.P. (1993)