ST LOUIS, Aug. 27 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Energizer is bringing back the
Energizer Bunny(R) as persistent as ever. And you'll find him beating the drum
for a powerful new message meant to inspire others to keep going. Energizer is
investing $68 million in a campaign launch that will put the Energizer Bunny
on billboards and taxicabs, bus shelters and skyscrapers from California to
New York to highlight the spirit and determination of people who keep going.
Energizer and the Energizer Bunny will honor those who defy the odds, overcome
obstacles, and always strive to do their best.
The campaign will feature the return of the Energizer Bunny, the well-
known and much loved icon who has been spinning his message from inside the
battery for the last two years. The "Keep Going(TM)" initiative will include
an advertising campaign that portrays Energizer and the Energizer Bunny as the
champion for those who keep going. "We provide inspiration, with the ultimate
symbol of endurance and perseverance, the Energizer Bunny," says Jeff Ziminski,
Vice President of U.S. Marketing.
"We took a step back and challenged ourselves to think differently about
the brand -- without any preconceptions, without any assumptions," said
Ziminski. "Energizer has always stood for longevity, endurance and the
absolute refusal to quit. It began as a product performance benefit
(longevity), but has grown into so much more."
To launch the "Keep Going" marketing initiative, the first of three
new :30 and :15 spots will break on August 30th during primetime television.
Created by TBWA\Chiat\Day\Los Angeles, each ad celebrates an individual who
keeps going. "For those that never quit, the battery that never quits.
Energizer---Keep Going," an announcer explains as the Energizer Bunny(R) comes
across the screen. The new spots include:
"We couldn't focus on Keep Going without the Energizer Bunny. The
Energizer Bunny is inextricably linked with the "Keep Going" message," said
Ziminski.
"The Energizer Bunny(R) is back in a big way. We decided to focus squarely
on the assets that were uniquely ours," he added. "This campaign evolves the
notion of keep going and going and going. It brings the essence of our brand
- perseverance, inspiration - to the next level."
The multi-faceted campaign will bring the Energizer Bunny to places he has
never been before, reaching people where they work and where they live in
cities like New York, Los Angeles, Tampa, Minneapolis, Cleveland, Philadelphia,
Houston, Phoenix, Miami and Chicago. Commuters in the Big Apple will see him
as they jump in and out of taxis, on bus shelters, and on phone booths. The
campaign with take the pink brand ambassador to skyscrapers and bill boards;
each component of the campaign celebrating people who keep going.
Guerilla Meets the Energizer Bunny
The Energizer Bunny himself will take to the streets meeting the people
who have made him so popular. He will greet the public in many of the places
that people keep going like subway stations and busy street corners handing
out memorabilia and offering encouragement. As part of the campaign, Energizer
is launching the "Keep Going(TM)" Hall of Fame. "As long as there are people
who keep going, the Hall of Fame will celebrate their achievement, paying
tribute to those who embody the spirit of the Energizer Bunny," explains
Ziminski.
"Keep Going(TM)" Hall of Fame
"A major component of the initiative to be launched later in the year is
the 'Keep Going(TM)' Hall of Fame. A search for individuals - both
celebrities and everyday people - who demonstrate the unstoppable perseverance
and dedication associated with Energizer and the Energizer Bunny.
"We have many letters and emails over the years from people wanting to
tell us why their loved one is like the Energizer Bunny or how the 'Keep
Going(TM)' message has inspired them," said Ziminski. "We wanted to find a
way to honor those people and bring their stories to life."
In the first year of the program, four celebrities will be announced as
Hall of Fame inductees with the fifth being a "peoples choice" that consumers
can vote for on the web. A similar nomination process will follow for
everyday people with extraordinary power. Specific details will be released
around the program launch in November 2004.
TBWA\ Chiat\Day\ www.tbwachiat.com has been the Energizer agency of record
for the past 15 years and is one of the leading advertising agencies in the
U.S.
Energizer Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: ENR), http://www.energizer.com
headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, is one of the world's largest
manufacturers of primary batteries and flashlights and a global leader in the
dynamic business of providing portable power.
SOURCE Energizer Holdings, Inc.
CONTACT: Jackie Burwitz, +1-314-985-2000, Harriet Blickenstaff,
+1-314-995-3939, x103, or Tom Geiser, +1-314-995-3939, x104, all of Energizer
Holdings, Inc
