Alliance Atlantis readies launch campaign for Slice
By Adnews Staff
Toronto-based Alliance Atlantis Communications has prepared a national marketing communications campaign to support the launch of its new lifestyle television channel Slice. The channel, which will take the place of the Life Network, will launch on March 5. The campaign, called “My Vice is Slice,” will break this week in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Hamilton, London, Kitchener, Toronto, Ottawa and Halifax. Aimed at women aged 18 to 49, the effort will include radio, television, theatre, transit, billboard and print ads, along with wrapped buses, streetcars and trains. Fitness centre washroom advertising, grocery store ads, online materials and public relations will also be used. “To introduce Slice to consumers we have developed an extensive campaign designed to hit women in original and unexpected ways,” said Gail Rivett, senior vice-president of marketing and publicity at Alliance Atlantis. “While the exposure for Slice will be significant, what’s equally important is that we’ve created a unified campaign that speaks to women and embodies the irreverent Slice attitude.” The television and radio creative takes the form of messages from a group called the Coalition of Neglected Vices, which encourages women to come back to the vices they have abandoned to watch Slice instead. The ads urge women to come back to chocolate, bubble baths, gossip, romance novels and shoes, among others. The print campaign makes use of quotes from viewers who are feeling guilty about watching Slice, such as, “I watch Slice because my real-life friends are so boring. And, I hope, illiterate.” On launch day, the campaign will begin with wrapped issues of the Toronto Star, 24 Hours Edmonton, 24 Hours Calgary, Metro Toronto and Metro Calgary. The campaign was developed by Rethink Communications. National Public Relations will conduct the PR campaign. Out-of-home media was provided by Pattison Outdoor. The online component was developed by Proximity Interactive. Media buying was handled in-house by Alliance Atlantis.