“Kennen brings a wealth of expertise ranging from Hollywood to the agency and production worlds. She is genuinely passionate about our business, is remarkably talented and will bring a terrific energy to TM,” said Jim Walker. “She’s the type of talent who will help us build on the tremendous momentum that we’ve created.”

In addition to her agency career at other notable creative shops including TBWA\Chiat\Day and Ground Zero, Sisco was a personal assistant to Academy Award-winning actor Jon Voight. She has also managed production and casting schedules for some of the biggest names in Hollywood.

“I’m thrilled to be in Dallas and working with such a tremendously talented group,” said Sisco. “TM Advertising hosts incredible creative talent and amazing people. I knew from the moment I met Jim and his team I’d be leaving L.A. for a fantastic opportunity.”

Kennen attended the North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston-Salem. She received her A.A. degree from The Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising in Los Angeles and her B.S. degree in Organizational Management at the University of La Verne in Los Angeles.

TM created 17 new TV spots that are currently airing across Discovery’s family of U.S. networks, and they feature several notable Discovery Networks talent, such as Steve Irwin and Jeff Corwin of Animal Planet, Mike Rowe of Dirty Jobs and Lance Armstrong himself.

“We wanted to come up with an exciting new way for consumers to connect with the Team and the Discovery Channel brand,” said Wade Alger, creative group head for TM Advertising. “By incorporating Lance in humorous situations with some of Discovery’s most popular stars, we were able to create spots that both built on the fun of the Race to Replace campaign and events while creating additional excitement for the Team and the sport nationwide.”

“Corwin,” one of the produced 30-second spots, features Lance riding next to Jeff Corwin of Animal Planet. Following behind them is a small pack of riders including a clown. Lance informs Corwin that he’s lagging behind and needs to step it up. Corwin replies that he’s not worried because he has backup, which Lance looks at in disbelief. “Hmmm, animal friends,” says Corwin. The camera cuts to Corwin cupping his hands and giving out a massive animal call. Lance looks around. Next, the camera cuts to two rhinos running in the jungle. Suddenly, a giant rhino head comes into frame and knocks the clown completely out of the pack. Lance and Jeff glance back at the scene. Lance congratulates Jeff on a job well done. “I hate clowns,” Jeff replies. The screen cuts to “Who will win? It could be you. Race2replace.com.” The other spots feature various humorous situations with Lance and the Team, all driving consumers to www.race2replace.com.

“With this campaign, TM brought to life what Discovery Channel’s sponsorship of the Team is all about: great storytelling. By linking our Discovery talent with Lance Armstrong and our current team riders in a clever breakthrough way, TM has injected fun and excitement to our search for the next team leader,” added Derek Koenig, senior vice president of marketing at Discovery Networks. “As our partner on this campaign, they really hit the mark.”

The “Race to Replace” event will be held August 12, 2006, at the site of the Indianapolis 500.  Net proceeds from the race will be donated to the Indiana University Cancer Center and the Lance Armstrong Foundation, an organization founded by Armstrong to inspire and empower the 1.3 million Americans who are diagnosed with cancer each year.

The event will allow experienced and novice amateur cyclists a chance, with Armstrong on site, to ride their bikes on the renowned speedway. The winner of the race will have the honor of donning the Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team jersey and racing as a member of the Team in the U.S. Pro Championships during the time trial on September 1, 2006, in Greenville, S.C.

“Race to Replace” Webisodes are also currently airing on www.race2replace.com, offering an insider’s look at the behind-the-scenes lives of the stars of the Team who are in the running to be named Team leader. These Webisodes are also available as downloads on iTunes.

“As Subaru transitions to a premium brand, our new innovative products will lead the way,” said Rick Crosson, vice president of marketing, Subaru of America, Inc.  “Our inspired engineering combined with product innovation that leads to a superior driving experience, is what differentiates us and gives us a competitive advantage.  The new ads showcase both the strong emotional as well as functional benefits of our products.”

The new spots, created by TM Advertising and featuring the 2005 Subaru model lineup, will again be endorsed by Lance Armstrong under the tag line “Driven By What’s Inside.”  While six of the seven television spots feature individual products, one spot is reserved specifically for the company’s 100 percent commitment to Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive.  The new spots will appear on national cable and spot TV in more than 80 markets. 

 “Creatively, the campaign is unlike anything Subaru has done before,” said Jim Ferguson, chairman and chief creative officer of TM Advertising. “We wanted to do advertising that made as
bold a statement about the direction of the brand as the new cars do. The new creative makes the cars the stars in a way that’s fresh, exciting and very premium in its look and feel.”

The new print advertisements feature high-fashion photography of the vehicles and an interactive layout. The print ads will begin appearing in late May in weekly publications such as People, Newsweek, Sports Illustrated, Time and Entertainment Weekly.  The ads will also run in the July issues of national publications including Cooking Light, Men’s Health, Vanity Fair and approximately two dozen other national publications.

Last year, the company set a new sales record, selling nearly 187,000 vehicles.  This year, with the launch of the all-new 2005 Legacy and Outback, the company expects sales to increase to 204,000 units.   To support this sales goal, the company is making the largest marketing investment it has ever made.  

Highlights of the Subaru marketing plan this year include the new advertising campaign, the largest direct-mail initiative in the company’s history, the first consumer ride and drive event in more than 10 years, new Web ads for PDAs, online virtual test-drives and vehicle support for the nearly 25 niche affiliate organization relationships.