HOUSTON and DALLAS, April 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Reliant Energy
this week launched an advertising campaign with The Richards Group
featuring "energy expert" appliances that secretly "come to life" and urge
their owners to select Reliant Energy.
The Reliant Energy Appliance Campaign consists of a fully integrated
set of television, radio, print, online, direct marketing, and outdoor
advertising elements. It is the company's first new creative work since
2001 without the use of the character "Tom." The campaign launched April 2
and will be seen in key Reliant Energy markets, including: Houston,
Dallas-Fort Worth, Corpus Christi, McAllen-Harlingen, Abilene, San Angelo,
Waco/Temple/Killeen and Wichita Falls.
"This creative approach will help us to more clearly express the
benefits Reliant delivers to our customers in a persuasive but entertaining
way," said Matthew Benner, senior vice president, Reliant Energy Retail
Marketing and Operations. "In the spots, the appliances are the energy
authorities, and they find clever ways to show their owners how Reliant
Energy can help."
One television ad features a lamp on a journey from its own home to a
neighbor's home in search of Reliant Energy as its electricity source. That
ad will serve as a transition spot to say goodbye to "Tom" and usher in the
new Appliance campaign creative. Another television ad, titled "Sign Up,"
features a group of appliances determined to help their owner lower his
electricity bill. The commercial will be used to promote Reliant Energy's
new price savings and the easier-to-understand Reliant Energy OneRate
Secure Plan.
The print and outdoor boards follow a similar theme, with one billboard
featuring an electronic calculator stating: "I've done the math. Reliant
can lower your bill."
"Reliant Energy wanted to creatively distinguish itself from other
electricity providers, which the new campaign definitely does," said David
Morring, creative director for The Richards Group. "The Reliant Energy team
challenged us to bring them ideas that would build their overall brand yet
still allow them to deliver a tangible retail messages. This campaign
provides the flexibility to do both in a fun, humorous way."
The campaign's creative team includes David Morring, creative director;
Lynn Fredericksen, art director; Kevin Paetzel, copywriter; Jessica Berry,
agency producer; and Phil Brown, director.
About Reliant Energy
Reliant Energy, Inc. (NYSE: RRI) based in Houston, provides electricity
and energy services to retail and wholesale customers in the United States.
In Texas, the company provides service to nearly 1.9 million retail
electricity customers, including residential and small business customers
and commercial, industrial, governmental and institutional customers.
Reliant also serves commercial, industrial, governmental and institutional
customers in the PJM (Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Maryland) market.
The company is one of the largest independent power producers in the
nation with approximately 16,000 megawatts of power generation capacity in
operation across the United States. These strategically located generating
assets utilize natural gas, fuel oil and coal. For more information, visit
http://www.reliant.com/corporate .
About The Richards Group
The Richards Group, located in Dallas, is one of the largest
independent branding agencies in the nation. In addition to Reliant Energy,
agency clients include the standard-setting brands of Bridgestone
Firestone, Chick-fil-A, Fruit of the Loom, The Home Depot, Motel 6 and
Zales Jewelers. Total billings for the agency were $1.2 billion in 2006.
The Richards Group can be found at http://www.richards.com .
SOURCE Reliant Energy, Inc.; The Richards Group
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Related links:
http://www.reliant.com/corporate
http://www.richards.com
CONTACT:
Anya Mailandt of The Richards Group,
+1-214-891-5206, or anya_mailandt@richards.com ; or Pat Hammond
of Reliant Energy, Inc., +1-713-497-7723, or phammond@reliant.com
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