barnesandnoble.com Launches TV, Print Campaign

Online bookseller barnesandnoble.com launched a multi-million dollar advertising campaign, calling it the company’s largest promotion ever.

The book retailer will use authors and entertainers including John Gray (Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus); Emeril Lagasse (Every Day’s a Party); Scott Turow (Personal Injuries); Sue Grafton (“O” Is for Outlaw); and Barry White (Staying Power) to launch a new brand campaign with the tag line: “We bring writers home.”

The campaign was created by TBWA/Chiat/Day, barnesandnoble.com’s advertising agency-of-record. Spending specifics were not disclosed.

“The advertising campaign is part of an overall brand marketing strategy that emphasizes barnesandnoble.com’s understanding of readers’ passions and interests,” said Carl Rosendorf, senior vice president, barnesandnoble.com.

“By featuring authors and entertainers, we bring to life for our customers the barnesandnoble.com shopping experience.”

In television and radio advertisements, the campaign depicts what would happen if writers actually delivered books and music to the homes of online customers.

The television campaign will air on all of the major networks during prime time, late night and early morning programming.

The print advertisements feature links to the literary world. Well-known authors introduce books that have inspired their writing. barnesandnoble.com said it expects to extend the campaign into the year 2000.