Autolite and Fox Licensing & Merchandising are teaming up to bring the world’s most famous propane salesman – Hank – and his zany companions from the hit animated series King of the Hill (Sundays, 8:30-9:00pm/et on FOX – and a Jayski Fave) to the airwaves in a unique advertising campaign promoting Autolite Double Platinum Spark Plugs. Two brand new television ads will creatively focus on the hit Fox television show, one of which will feature a special guest appearance by retired NASCAR champion Darrell Waltrip. The ads are part of an all-new multimillion-dollar campaign from the Honeywell Consumer Products Group’s Autolite unit. Both 30-second spots – created by ad agency McCann-Erickson Detroit – will utilize the King of the Hill characters Cotton, Bobby, Hank, Luanne and the rest of the gang to showcase Autolite as the Official Spark Plug of NASCAR among its core do-it-yourself audience. Featuring Autolite Double Platinum Spark Plugs and the tagline, “Autolite: It’s Time to Change Your Plugs,” the ads will appear during two prime-time selling windows throughout the year on select pre- and post- NASCAR programs on Fox as well as on additional lifestyle/outdoor cable networks, including Speed Channel, Fox Sports Net, FX, Sci-Fi, Comedy Central, CMT, TNN and OLN. The spots are expected to kick off on April 6 on Fox to coincide with the NASCAR race, The Aaron’s 499 from Talladega Superspeedway. Retired champion driver Darrell Waltrip appears in a spot tagged “NASCAR,” where Cotton, Bobby and Hank are walking in the pit area before a big race, only to discover that the mechanic working on a car they pass by is Waltrip. A three-time NASCAR Winston Cup champion, Waltrip is a fan favorite, winning the Most Popular Driver Award in 1989 and 1990. He has garnered 84 Winston Cup wins; including the 1989 Daytona 500. “This has been a great experience. It’s very exciting seeing my alter ego as a cartoon character in Autolite’s new campaign,” said Waltrip. “I am a firm believer in the brand’s products because they are designed for people like me, who appreciate their vehicles and are interested in higher performance.” The second spot, tagged “Texan,” borrows nicely from reality television, where Bobby wanders around with a video camera in an attempt to make his own show called ‘Who Wants to Marry a Texan.’ (PR)(4-3-2003)
