WHAT'S NEW: PORTFOLIO

BY MARK DOLLIVERROWNTREE'S FRUIT PASTILLESSomehow the loony-eyes ploy works better here than it did in Tory ads attacking Tony Blair. But why didn't the Saatchis think of painting Blair's tongue Old Labor red? Might have made all the difference on election day. Anyhow, in this ad it's a fun way of letting people know Rowntree has a new raspberry flavor. A red tongue puts across that information more vividly than mere words possibly could. And kids (the target audience) are never averse to seeing grown-ups look ridiculous, so the visuals will be pleasing on that score. At the same time, the implication that these pastilles are a secret indulgence of adults-albeit a secret that can't be kept once one opens one's mouth-can only make the brand more attractive to youngsters.AGENCY : Ammirati Puris Lintas, LondonCLIENT: Nestlƒ-Rowntree, York, U.K.MEDIUM: postersCREATIVE DIRECTOR: Nick WelchART DIRECTOR: Nelson TajCOPYWRITER: Joolz Sparkes______MICROSOFT EXPEDIAAt last, a Microsoft ad in which it's pertinent to ask, "Where do you want to go today?" The visual properly subordinates the marvels of Expedia to the consumer's goal of having a fun trip. And without raising it explicitly, copy answers the question: Why muck around in cyberspace when you could place one call and have a travel agent do the legwork for you? In addition to letting you book flights and hotels, Expedia enables you to "Get tips from other parents on that easy hike around the lake." If Expedia can hook you up to the disinterested opinions of folks whose circumstances resemble your own, you could get a better outcome than the one you'd obtain through a travel agent. The tone of the ad is practical without being prosaic, and that's what it will take to interest most people in transacting their business on the Web.AGENCY: Anderson & Lembke, San FranciscoCLIENT: Microsoft, Redmond, Wash.MEDIUM: consumer magazinesCREATIVE DIRECTOR: Adam KaufmanART DIRECTOR: Dave DevencenziCOPYWRITER: Leynete CariapaPHOTOGRAPHY: stock______FOLONARI WINESBut why just one wine? An ad has enough work to do in persuading us to try the client's product. This one makes its task harder by seeming to suggest we drink the client's wine to the exclusion of all others. Happily enough, people are always ready to overlook this or that word in an ad if the pictures are arresting. And the visual display here is delightful-grabbing our attention and then holding it as we inspect each element. Cooked foods often look ghastly on the page, but the raw ingredients look terrific. Folonari basks in the reflected glow of culinary knowhow without taking on the haughty (and joyless) airs that often accompany an explicit claim of connoisseurship. That alone gives the ad an edge over many vintners' efforts.AGENCY: Ryan Drossman & Partners, New YorkCLIENT: Frederick Wildman & Sons, New YorkMEDIUM: consumer, trade magazinesCREATIVE DIRECTOR/COPYWRITER: Neil DrossmanART DIRECTOR: Cindy CohenCOPYWRITER: Mark NelsonPHOTOGRAPHER: Robert Ammirati______LIPTON BRISKIf you were compiling an anthology of the most shrill commercials of 1996, the Lipton Brisk spot starring a latex-doll Frank Sinatra (with voice by Joe Piscopo!) would be indispensable. But a sequel featuring a Rocky Balboa likeness (with Sylvester Stallone himself providing the voice) is surprisingly acceptable. The lead character of the Rocky movies was something of a cartoon figure to begin with, so (unlike Sinatra) it lends itself well to the latex treatment. And the campaign's story line-you're worn out, you get a second wind, you triumph-dovetails neatly with that of the Rocky movies. Here, we see Rocky being pummeled by his opponent. "It's over, Rock," his cornerman says, as a groggy Rocky awaits the start of Round 15. Just then, a ringside vendor walks by with a washtub full of Lipton Brisk on ice. The cornerman grabs one, Rocky gulps it down and the rest is ring history as a rejuvenated Rocky wins by a knockout. The vignette is perfectly entertaining, not least because it's fun to hear Stallone reprise his famous role. And it positions the brand as a pick-me-up for weary souls who are doing their best, not as an elixer for petulant superstars.AGENCY: J. Walter Thompson, New YorkCLIENT: Pepsi Lipton Tea Partnership, Somers, N.Y.MEDIUML: 30-second TVEXECUTIVE CREATIVE DIRECTOR: J.J. JordanCREATIVE/ART DIRECTOR: Mickey PaxtonCREATIVE DIRECTOR/COPYWRITER: John ZissimosAGENCY PRODUCER: Vic PalumboPRODUCTION COMPANY: Loose Moose Ltd., LondonDIRECTOR: Ken LidsterCopyright ASM Communications, Inc. (1997) ALL RIGHTS RESERVED New England

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WHAT'S NEW: PORTFOLIO

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