Solgar print ads with lifestyle themes breaking in September.

SOLGAR PRINT ADS WITH "TRUE TO LIFE" TAGLINE BREAKING IN SEPTEMBER issues of national consumer magazines such as Cooking Light, Discover, Men's Fitness, Shape, Walking and Martha Stewart Living. The six ads in the series emphasize broad lifestyle themes rather than product-specific claims. The campaign was developed in-house. New York City-based Media Resources International is handling ad buying and placement.

The ads are debuting in an "out-of-home" campaign, including large placards on buses and buildings, in New York City starting in July. Similar promotions in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Chicago, south Florida and outlying areas of New York are planned for January.

Solgar also plans to expand the print campaign to publications including Elle Decor, Esquire, Harper's Bazaar, W and Vanity Fair. The Leonia, N.J.-based dietary supplement marketer does not plan radio or TV ads.

Each of the six ads contains an array of pictures focused on a one-word motif. For example, one ad features five different shots of a man rock climbing and the word "confidence"; another shows what appear to be a father and daughter playing together and the word "responsibility." Other highlighted words are "determination," "priorities," "experience" and "commitment," with accompanying pictures depicting men and women engaged in various activities exemplifying the themes.

The "True to Life" tagline and "Solgar Vitamins" name are placed centrally in each ad, with a bottle of Solgar capsules in the lower right-hand corner. Instead of a specific product name, the bottle's label includes the Solgar logo, the company's Web site address (www.solgar.com) and the words "Vitamins. Minerals. Herbs."

In addition to differentiating Solgar's brand image from other products on the market, the print campaign is intended to bring "natural nutritional supplements into the realm of healthy, everyday living." According to the company, the campaign was created in response to three "trends" within the industry: consumers' heightened focus on alternative medicine due to the rising cost of health care; positive lay press coverage of dietary supplements; and "increased acceptance of nutritional supplements by the medical and pharmaceutical communities."

Solgar's new ad campaign comes on the heels of the company's recently-announced agreement to be acquired by American Home Products' Whitehall-Robins Healthcare division ("The Tan Sheet" June 22, p. 1). Under the agreement, which is expected to be made final in the third quarter, Solgar would continue to operate as a separate unit within Whitehall.