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Lowe To Unveil New Heineken TV Campaign NEW YORK--Lowe & Partners/SMS here is preparing a series of TV spots for Heineken USA which would be the agency's first major branding effort since it won the $40 million account. In one spot, said sources, a man at a party switches a bottle of beer resembling Budweiser for the Heineken that previous guests have left in the fridge. In another execution, a pool player throws his cue as he scrambles to intercept a waitress who is about to pick up a Heineken that still has an ounce or so of liquid in it, only to send the bottle to the floor. The tagline refers to Heineken as "the beer," one source said. Neither client nor agency could be reached for comment. USA Network Starts $30 Mil. Media Search NEW YORK--USA Network has started an agency search for its estimated $30 million media buying business, said sources. It was unclear if the search applied to USA's sister Sci-Fi Channel. Mary Ellen Holden, the cable network's vice president and brand manager, is leading the search, said sources. Holden could not be reached. Team One Features 'Mr Bill' in '99 Lexus Ads LOS ANGELES--Mr. Bill, the clay character from Saturday Night Live, will be featured in a new dealer spot from Team One Advertising, El Segundo, Calif., for Lexus. In the spot, Mr. Hand takes Mr. Bill for a ride in his Lexus GS400 but turns the wheel over to Mr. Bill's tormentor, Sluggo. The spot is one of six for the 1999 model year campaign and the Lexus Dealer Association. The tagline remains: "The relentless pursuit of perfection." Nissan Nixes 'Toys' Sequel and Mr K. NEW YORK--Nissan Motor Corp. USA has spiked a proposed sequel to the celebrated "Toys" spot from TBWA/Chiat/Day, Playa del Rey, Calif. "Certainly, we considered [a sequel] after the recognition and popularity of the original," said a representative, "but that was then. This is now." Executives at TBWA/C/D declined comment. Nissan is also dropping the Mr K. character from its TV ads for the "foreseeable future" in favor of hard-sell ads, said director of marketing communications John Rinek. The character will continue to appear in print and collateral ads; Nissan will also keep the "Enjoy the ride" theme. Account Activity In a move that sets up a rematch between two finalists from the 1996 Acura review, Balance Bar Co. has named Deutsch/LA, Marina del Rey, Calif., and Suissa Miller, Los Angeles, as finalists for its estimated $9 million account Effective Marketing Strategies in Marina del Rey is conducting a national search for the creative portion of the estimated $6-8 million account from an undisclosed Southern California company. The search is open to Southern California shops or those with a willingness to open an office there, said EMS president Mike Marsak Bozell Worldwide, New York, is breaking a new campaign for Waltham, Mass.-based Internet search engine Lycos with the new tagline, "Go get it."

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