ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, April 18, 1997 TAG: 9704180055
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: A-15 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: NEW YORK
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
NBC again rejects an ad featuring Denis Franz because his character is closely linked to ABC's ``NYPD Blue.''
Diet Pepsi is getting a new advertising theme as Pepsi-Cola Co. tries to reinvigorate sluggish sales of its flagship sugarless soft drink.
Meanwhile, Coca-Cola Co. hopes to keep the momentum rolling with new episodes in its 4-year-old ``Obey Your Thirst'' campaign for Sprite, the fastest-growing major brand last year.
The makers of Diet Pepsi are calling attention to its taste with two new commercials carrying the theme ``This Is Diet?'' The ads started this week.
In one commercial, ``NYPD Blue'' star Dennis Franz plays the intimidator questioning a man bound to a chair, eventually tossing a cup of Diet Pepsi in the man's face. In the other ad, a father offers a Diet Pepsi to console his daughter, jilted on her wedding day.
In both ads, the taste of the soft drink surprises the recipients, who forget their troubles and are amazed it's a diet drink.
Diet soda sales grew more slowly than the industry last year.
John Sicher, editor and publisher of Beverage Digest, said the diet category has been hurt by the popularity of bottled waters and alternative soft drink flavors.
Diet Pepsi sales rose 1.6 percent in 1996, while overall soft drink volume was up 3.6 percent, according to Beverage Digest-Maxwell Report figures.
The brand's market share slipped to 5.7 percent from 5.8 percent in 1995, and Diet Pepsi fell to seventh from fourth in the brand rankings. Diet Coke also lost 0.1 percentage point of market share but remained the third-best seller at 8.7 percent.
Sprite, Dr Pepper and Mountain Dew finished with 5.8 percent market shares in 1996, separating the two sugarless cola brands.
The ad featuring Franz has generated controversy. NBC has refused to run it because the network believes it promotes ABC's ``NYPD Blue'' series in which Franz plays a tough-guy detective.
NBC previously refused to run a Cadillac ad featuring Franz ticketing the driver of a rival car brand. It gave the same reason.
Atlanta-based Coca-Cola is trying to keep sales cooking for Sprite, whose 17.6 percent volume growth in 1996 was three times faster than any other major brand. Sprite was the fourth-best seller in 1996, behind Coca-Cola Classic, Pepsi-Cola and Diet Coke.
There are five new commercials, each a parody of traditional commercial styles. They urge consumers to ignore fashion and ``Obey Your Thirst.''
In one ad reminiscent of snooty credit card commercials, viewers spy on ``the trendiest little place in Hollywood.'' Bring your own Sprite, the ad says, because ``a place this concerned with image just doesn't serve any.''
The ads start next week.
LENGTH: Medium: 59 linesby CNB