Ads to Tout DVD Audio

Brandweek, August 9, 1999 by Todd Wasserman

Panasonic will tilt the focus to the audio as well as video capability of digital versatile disk in an upcoming print ad campaign for its DVD products in October, in the hope that some DVD audio titles will be available by then.

The Audio DVD products will be marketed under its Technics brand for audiophiles and Panasonic for videophiles, said audio group vp/gm Gene Kelsey. The Technics DVD-A10 priced at $1,199, and Panasonic DVD-A7, at $999, can play both DVDs and CDs.

A four-page educational insert, via Grey, N.Y, will support the Technics products in audio-oriented books and the Panasonic products in video-oriented books. To date, companies marketing DVD products have emphasized their ability to show full-length movies in high-definition video, but neglected their appeal as an audio product, Kelsey said. Unlike CDs, DVDs can play in the multi-channel format of home theaters already owned by a surprising number of users, he said. Hearing music in such a format is like "listening to it in a music hall," he said.