Sears Launches New Marketing Campaign for the 'Sears Presents Backstreet Boys Into The Millennium Tour'

Company Press Release

SOURCE: Sears, Roebuck and Co. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

July 26, 3:39 pm Eastern Time

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill., July 26 /PRNewswire/ -- Sears, Roebuck and Co. (NYSE: S - news) today unveiled its national integrated marketing campaign that exclusively features the Backstreet Boys. Sears, the presenting sponsor of the group's fall North American tour -- Sears Presents Backstreet Boys Into The Millennium -- will use the campaign throughout August, focused on national back-to-school in-store promotions taking place Aug. 1-15.

As a part of the integrated marketing campaign, Sears produced a promotional television commercial which, as a take-off of the 1960s Beatles movie ``A Hard Day's Night,'' shows a mob of female fans pursuing the five Backstreet Boys through the city as they duck into restaurants and double-decker buses. Like a modern version of Beatlemania, the Backstreet Boys have inspired loyal fans around the world to catapult the band to record-breaking success.

The 30-second ad promotes Sears back-to-school sweepstakes, which will give five fans each the chance to win a $2,000 Sears shopping spree with their favorite Backstreet Boy and a trip for four to the group's final tour concert, Dec. 1 in Tampa. Each of the five winners will receive airfare, hotel accommodations, four front row concert tickets and the opportunity to meet the group backstage.

The Sears Backstreet Boys sweepstakes ad will run from Aug. 1-15 during teen-oriented programming on network and cable television, including MTV, WNBA games and the Teen Choice Awards, Aug. 12 on Fox. The sweepstakes also will be supported by Sears through point-of-sale signage, a Sears direct mailer on Aug. 4, and Sears Sunday newspaper inserts on Aug. 1 and Aug. 8.

The sweepstakes television spot features exclusive use of the Backstreet Boys song, ``Larger Than Life,'' which also will appear as background music for a series of 15- and 30-second back-to-school ads for Sears merchandise including athletic shoes, nylon pants, and private apparel brand Canyon River Blues. The ads, produced by Young & Rubicam of New York and Chicago, are directed by Nigel Dick of Los Angeles-based A Band Apart. Dick is a Billboard award-winning director known for translating the spirit of music to film.

In-store video spots highlighting the Backstreet Boys tour sponsorship will run nationally in Sears stores August through November on televisions in the consumer electronics department ``Wall of Eyes'' and in the Mainframe juniors shopping area. Backstreet Boys merchandise, including licensed apparel, T-shirts and hats, will be sold in more than 450 Sears stores in tour markets. In addition, Sears will support the sponsorship with a cause-related program extending to all tour markets. Wunderman, Cato Johnson, Chicago, is providing sales promotion and eventing, and Donnellon Public Relations, Chicago, is publicizing all aspects of Sears Backstreet Boys sponsorship.

Sears will support the integrated marketing campaign with two gift with purchase promotions. A different Backstreet Boys poster will be offered during each week of the sweepstakes promotion with any $35 purchase in select departments. Additionally, a tip-in card in August issues of teen magazines offers a limited-edition Backstreet Boys CD-ROM when consumers sign up for Sears new Pulse Card, a loyalty program for teens, and make a $35 purchase in select departments. Both offers are while supplies last.

``The strategic advertising campaign surrounding the Backstreet Boys sponsorship promotes Sears as a cool place to shop and drives teenagers to shop at Sears during the key back-to-school selling period,'' said John Lebbad, Sears director of event marketing and sales promotion. ``Sears integrated marketing approach will make the Backstreet Boys sponsorship message difficult to ignore.''

The Backstreet Boys -- whose latest album, Millennium, shattered sales records in May, moving 1,134,000 copies in a single week -- provide Sears with a solid platform to reach youth and their moms during the key back-to-school time frame. The Sears Presents Backstreet Boys Into the Millennium Tour, which visits more than 40 cities in 11 weeks, kicks off September 14 in Ft. Lauderdale, just as teenagers are heading back into classrooms.

``The Backstreet Boys are continually appealing to a broader audience and the Sears partnership is a direct means to reach new and existing fans,'' said Michael Green, co-founder and partner of the group's management, The Firm. ``The Boys had a great time creating the spots and have brought the same enthusiasm to their partnership with Sears.''

The Backstreet Boys sponsorship continues Sears on-going tradition of supporting major national music acts. The band becomes the fourth major musical talent to be sponsored by Sears during the past five years. Sears sponsored the successful North American concert tours of international superstars, Phil Collins and Gloria Estefan in 1994 and 1996, respectively. Recently, Sears announced its sponsorship of Latino superstar Juan Gabriel for his 24-city U.S. concert tour, ``Sears Presents Juan Gabriel Gira '99.''

Sears, Roebuck and Co. is a leading U.S. retailer of apparel, home and automotive products and services, with annual revenue of more than $41 billion. The company serves families throughout the country through 850 full-line department stores and more than 2,100 specialized retail locations nationwide. More information about the company is available on Sears Web site, www.sears.com .