Super Bowl Ads Aim for Sensation, but Not Too Much
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Osbournes, Osmonds, Clydesdales, and rabid squirrels are on tap for this year's Super Bowl commercials, as marketers desperately vie to make an impression in front of the biggest television audience of the year.
In a high-stakes game where each 30-second spot goes for more than $2 million, smaller advertisers like HotJobs, a unit of Yahoo Inc. are putting all of their marketing eggs in one commercial, while giants like brewer Anheuser-Busch Cos. Inc. and PepsiCo Inc. are fielding as many as 11 ads.
With under five days remaining, Walt Disney Co.'s ABC Network still has "less than five" commercial spots yet to be sold, according to a spokeswoman. That suggests that some former Super Bowl advertisers like Electronic Data Systems Corp. and Masterlock decided the game's exposure just wasn't worth the money this year.
The HotJobs ad, featuring a variety of workers singing Kermit the Frog's signature song "The Rainbow Connection," is a straightforward ad without high-tech gimmickry or gross-out hijinks.
At the other extreme are a series of slapstick ads for Pfizer Inc.'s Trident, which explain why only four of five dentists recommend the gum. (One Trident ad, guaranteed to cause wincing among male viewers, blames it on a bloodthirsty squirrel). And Pepsi's special effects-laden ad for its Pepsi Twist drink features the borderline-overexposed Osbourne clan, in which Ozzie has a trippy dream featuring the mirror-image Osmond family.
CROSSING THE LINE
Advertising in the Super Bowl must strike a delicate balance: an overly extreme commercial will alienate the public, but an overly cautious ad will sink without a trace.
"We try to find humor that's broadly appealing," said Bob Lachky, Anheuser-Busch's vice president for brand management. "It can be out there and edgy, but as soon as it crosses the line, you're running a gauntlet."
Anheuser-Busch will run one timely spot featuring its trademark Clydesdales playing football in a game marred by an instant-replay debacle. The NFL has had several hotly contested playoff games this year that hinged on questionable calls, including one where the league admitted officials made an error that cost the New York Giants a chance to win their game against the San Francisco 49ers.
The ad was shot before that game, Lachky said. He has been working since September to winnow down 25 to 30 contenders to the 11 spots that will run on Sunday.
Other Anheuser-Busch commercials, which are perennial viewer favorites, include a parody of "Tough Man" competitions and a spot where a man tries to woo women with a seashell with "hilarious consequences," Lachky said. He refused to speculate whether any of this year's ads would become franchises like the some of the company's past Super Bowl spots.
"You would always hope you'd have lightning in a bottle like you did with "Frogs," "Lizards," "Wassup" or "I love you, man," he said, "but that's dangerous to start predicting."
"If it's great work it tends to resonate, and the consumer will lead you to what's a franchise."
Other advertisers in the big game include the sandwich chain Quizno's Corp., Levi's, General Motors Corp.'s Cadillac unit, TMP Worldwide Inc.'s Monster.com. and Reebok International Ltd., which is returning to the game after several years' absence.
Sitting out the game this year, as with most years, will be Reebok's arch competitor Nike Inc., whose commercials are almost always a hit with viewers. Nike did, however, score a major hit with an ad during the NFL's conference championship game last week that depicted a streaker at an English soccer match who eluded a squad of police -- all thanks, naturally, to his Nike sneakers.
DMC happy with Jam Master Jay probe
NEW YORK (AP) -- Police investigating the killing of Jam Master Jay are doing "an excellent job," said DMC of the rap group Run-DMC.
No arrests have been made in the shooting death of the group's disc jockey, whose real name was Jason Mizell. The 37-year-old was shot execution-style on Oct. 30 in his Queens recording studio.
DMC, whose real name is Darryl McDaniels, was optimistic that the killer would be caught.
"You know a lot of people think that cops are the enemy and they really don't care. But the police that are working on Jay's death are doing an excellent job," DMC said in an interview with MTV News, airing Tuesday.
"You got hope that if the cops don't catch them, the streets will. Whoever did it, 'cause the streets talk. Eventually we will know who did it and boom bang."
Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said Tuesday he had nothing new to report on the case.
DMC also said that he and Joseph "Run" Simmons have retired from performing since Jay's death.
"When you see Run-DMC and Jam Master Jay it was something that was original, it was something unique, it was something special," he said.
"Out of respect to Jay, we looked at it like, all right, he served his purpose, he served his purpose and his job was done."
Will Smith And Columbia Records Split
Rapper-actor Will Smith and his label, Columbia Records, which is distributed by Sony, have reportedly parted ways. Several reports have surfaced, with some stating that Smith was dropped by the label while others maintain that he didn't renew his contract. When we contacted Columbia, the label would not comment on Smith or whether or not he was still on their roster.
Smith's last release, 2002's Born To Reign, was a commercial disappointment, but 1997's Big Willie Style sold more than 8 million copies, and its follow-up, 1999's Willennium, sold better than 2 million copies.
Smith also enjoyed success as one-half of DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince in the late '80s and early '90s. The duo's debut set, 1987's Rock The House, was certified gold. They returned with their breakthrough set in 1988, He's The D.J., I'm The Rapper, which sold more than three million copies. The 1989 follow-up, And In This Corner..., was a commercial disappointment, selling only about 500,000 copies.
DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince returned to prominence in 1991 with the release of Homebase, which went platinum. The duo's last release, 1993's Code Red, was certified gold.
Smith is scheduled to turn up next on the big screen this summer in Bad Boys 2, opposite Martin Lawrence. The film is the sequel to 1995's Bad Boys.
AGING ACTION HERO
Jackie Chan outed in a Chinese newspaper admitting he occasionally used a stunt double in The Tuxedo.
Big New Titles To Buy, Own And Spend Your Money On
The Farrelly Brothers' There's Something About Mary was a blockbuster with audiences.
Now Fox will give the smash sleeper comedy a new two-disc special edition, available in separate 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen and full screen versions, each with tons of extras.
Disc one features audio commentary by the Farrelly Brothers (taken from the previous DVD) plus a brand-new commentary by the pair, another commentary by writers Ed Decter and John J. Strauss, 13 deleted and extended scenes with commentary accessible via seamless branching, plus the original claymation opening credits. Disc two includes the "Getting Behind Mary" documentary with diary footage, the AMC Backstory: There's Something About Mary, Comedy Central's Reel Comedy featurettes "Best Fight: Ben Stiller and Puffy the Dog," "Up a tree with Jonathan Richmond," "Franks & Beans: A Conversation with W. Earl Brown," "Exposing Themselves: Ben Stiller Cameron Diaz, Matt Dillon, Chris Elliot," "Touchdown: A Conversation with Brett Favre," "Interview Roulette with Harland Williams," a˜d "Puffy, Boobs and Balls," the "Mary Marketing" still gallery, foreign language clips, "Everyday Should Be A Holiday" music video, outtakes, a karaoke version of "Buttercup," something called "Behind the Zipper," trailers and 13 TV spots.
Retail is $26.95 and street date May 13th.
Other New Titles Coming Soon
Hitting stores on April 8th are the recent indie dramas Paid in Full and The Other Side of Heaven, and streeting April 15th, the acclaimed drama Rabbit-Proof Fence from director Philip Noyce.
And although everyone knew it was coming, Disney has officially announced an October 2003 arrival for the third in its Platinum Collection of animated classics, The Lion King. Currently enjoying an IMAX theatrical re-release, expect another feature-packed two-disc set.
Last but not least, bad news for P.T. Anderson fans. Originally scheduled for an April 1st release from Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment, the auteur's latest quirky comedy Punch-Drunk Love has been pulled off the schedule until further notice.
'Chicago,' 'Hours' Get Directors Guild Nominations
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The directors of "Chicago," "The Hours," "Gangs of New York," "The Pianist" and "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" were nominated on Tuesday for the Directors Guild of America's top award, one of the film industry's most reliable barometers of Oscar gold.
It was the first time that British theater director Stephen Daldry ("The Hours) and American choreographer turned film director Rob Marshall ("Chicago") have been nominated for the DGA's outstanding directorial achievement award.
The award was established in 1949 and except on five occasions, it has gone to the director who later went on to win the Academy Award for best directing.
"The Hours"' and "Chicago"' were named best drama and best musical or comedy, respectively, at the Golden Globes on Sunday night.
Martin Scorsese, director of "Gangs of New York," has been nominated four previous times even though he has never won. His nominations include "Taxi Driver" in 1976, "Raging Bull" in 19980, "Goodfellas" in 1990 and "The Age of Innocence" in 1993.
New Zealander Peter Jackson, director of "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers," was nominated last year for the first film in his "Lord of the Rings" trilogy.
The nomination for Polanski, the Polish-born director of "The Pianist," is his third but first since 1974 when he was nominated for "Chinatown." He was also nominated in 1968 for "Rosemary's Baby."
In a statement he said, "Nothing can be more gratifying than recognition by one's peers. My nomination by the DGA for 'The Pianist" gives me the great pleasure . However, it would not have been possible without the collaboration of my magnificent crew. I am grateful to them and to the DGA."
The winner of the DGA Award for 2002 will be announced at a gala dinner on March 1.
P. Diddy Near Contract Deal with Universal-Sources
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Sean "P. Diddy" Combs, the rap music mogul-turned-actor who has produced such hit acts as Faith Evans and the late Notorious B.I.G., is close to a new record deal with music giant Vivendi Universal,sources close to the negotiations said on Tuesday.
The terms of the proposed deal were still being discussed, the sources said. But other industry insiders said that given the hard times for the music business, even a star like Combs was unlikely to command the $100 million he once vowed to earn and more likely to be offered between $20 million and $50 million for a multiyear contract.
"I've been quoted as saying I would not sell any part of my company for less than $100 million and I still feel that way," Combs told Reuters back in June when he bought back control of his Bad Boy Entertainment company, ending a 10-year 50-50 joint venture with Bertelsmann AG's Arista.
Combs, formerly known as Puff Daddy, would not be the first star to see his bargaining power undercut by market weakness.
Pop diva Mariah Carey, for instance, got a more modest $20 million three-album deal with Universal's Island Def Jam after a fallout with EMI Group Plc, which paid her $28 million to walk away from an estimated $100-million contract,
Combs in June announced he was talking with several labels including Vivendi, AOL Time Warner Inc. and Sony Corp.
One source close to the talks on Tuesday said Universal was the front-runner in negotiations, and could possibly announce a deal with Combs in the next two weeks, barring any last-minute snags. The source said terms were for below $100 million.
"I don't think any company is going to pay that kind of money," he said. "Who would get that today, except for maybe Eminem, who has the sales to back it up."
BAD BOY SAYS REPORTS 'INACCURATE'
The New York Times on Tuesday, citing people close to the talks, said Combs' best offer had been $10 million for three years from Universal/Motown Records, with incentives to encourage him to find new artists.
A spokeswoman for Combs said recent reports about the contract talks had been inaccurate.
"There have been numerous inaccurate reports on Mr. Combs' pending label deal. Bad Boy is in serious negotiations with several companies. The financial details and terms reported are totally inaccurate. Once we have a signed deal, we will be issuing a press release," the spokeswoman said in a statement.
The hip-hop star and media mogul who starred in the critically acclaimed film, "Monster's Ball," is reportedly worth more than $200 million and is the owner of businesses ranging from clothing to publishing and restaurants.
Bad Boy retains ownership of its catalogs, including works by Evans and the teen pop quartet Dream. The label made its mark in the early 1990s with hits by Combs himself as well as rapper Christopher Wallace, also known as Notorious B.I.G.
Wallace was killed in 1997 and Combs' faced several legal challenges of his own as the label's success started to flag.
Some reports said the Bad Boy label was losing tens of millions of dollars for Arista, but had started to turn around at the time that the two parted ways.
A highly publicized romance between Combs and Jennifer Lopez came to an end in 2001 as Combs was on trial in New York on weapons charges. He was later acquitted.
Only months after their split, actress/singer Lopez married choreographer Cris Judd, but the two have since split and Lopez is now engaged to actor Ben Affleck.