Winner
Lippe Taylor and Curvation, VF Intimates, Vanity Fair Corp.: Curvation Celebration Campaign – Curves, confidence, caring

When VF Intimates, an affiliate of apparel maker Vanity Fair Corp., decided to enter the plus-size market with its first internally developed brand, it sought to redefine the category and reach out to the 60 million women in America whom it saw as the target audience for its new Curvation line of intimate apparel.

Lippe Taylor, VF's agency, sought to alter consumer and media perceptions of so-called “plus-size women.” The campaign instead used the term “curvaceous women” and looked to portray them in a more active manner using positive role models. Queen Latifah was brought on board as the spokesperson.

Entertainment Tonight was given an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at ad shoots with Queen Latifah. B-roll and an audio news release were created featuring sound bites from shoppers at Wal-Mart outlets, the exclusive distributors of the new line.

In the summer of 2003, a contest was launched to honor women who've made a difference in the lives of other women. Consumers could vote in the contest at www.curvation.com. In addition, a charitable tie-in debuted in August, when each Curvation bra or panty sold at Wal-Mart resulted in a 10-cent donation to a scholarship fund established by Queen Latifah in memory of her late brother, Lance Owens. The month of August also saw outreach to the business press, with an opening-bell ceremony at the New York Stock Exchange in celebration of the brand's six-month anniversary.

The campaign succeeded in building brand awareness among media and consumers, securing 355 million impressions in only five months. The initial audio news release generated 955 radio placements, reaching an audience of more than 7 million. B-roll placement included national exposure on Fox's Good Day Live and regional coverage in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, Denver, North Carolina, and Tennessee.
Print coverage kicked off with a New York Times piece, and a survey on curvaceous women appeared in such major print outlets as The Chicago Tribune, Detroit Free Press, and The Miami Herald.

From July 27 to August 22, as the campaign began and the NYSE event was held, the Curvation line saw a 58% sales unit rise compared to the prior four weeks. Also, retail chains Kmart and Shopko are starting to carry the brand.

Honorable Mention
MS&L and Procter & Gamble: Aiming for the Largest New Brand Launch in History – the Prilosec to Prilosec OTC switch

As the top-selling prescription drug in the world, Prilosec already enjoyed high consumer brand recognition. But as the drug prepared to switch from prescription to over the counter, a campaign was needed to alert consumers to the change and to educate them on the self-diagnosis of frequent heartburn. Procter & Gamble and its PR agency, MS&L, created the BurnTown Challenge, a 12-week educational effort spanning 24 cities. A 37-foot RV wrapped in Prilosec purple served as a backdrop for enrollment events that featured local firefighters and a pharmacist offering free heartburn screenings. Overall, the campaign generated more than 200 million impressions following FDA approval of Prilosec OTC. Samples were sought by 24,000 people, and the BurnTown Challenge garnered 78 million impressions. The official launch earned 5 million impressions in the business press on the first day the OTC version was available.

Finalists 2004
Dome Communications and Interface FLOR: Inspiration at Your Feet – 2003 Interface FLOR launch

Lippe Taylor and Curvation, VF Intimates, Vanity Fair Corporation: Curvation Celebration Campaign – Curves, confidence, caring

MS&L and Procter & Gamble Aiming for the Largest New Brand Launch in History: The Prilosec to Prilosec OTC switch

MS&L and Swiffer: Swiffer Helps Maid in Manhattan Clean-up

Ogilvy PR Worldwide and National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute: The Heart Truth campaign

Sponsored by Deveney Communication
Achieving exceptional results for clients, Deveney Communication (www.deveney.com) is a full-service public relations firm that provides integrated marketing solutions for a host of nonprofit, public, corporate, and dot-com leaders. Congratulations to the Consumer Launch Campaign of the Year finalists.