Taylor enlists American Greetings to launch ads

Drug Store News, Oct 9, 1995

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Taylor Drug, the 34-unit, 116-year-old chain that helped pioneer the chain drug industry, is about to go backward in time.

Through the magic of cartoon animation, and with the assistance of American Greetings (AG), Taylor is introducing shoppers in its home market here to the chain's founder, T.P. Taylor.

T.P., the star of Taylor's new advertising campaign, is the first drug chain retailer character program designed by AG's subsidiary, Those Characters from Cleveland.

T. P.'s unveiling kicked off with a cascade of television and print ads in late September and early October after an initial teaser appearance in back-to-school ads. The grandfatherly cartoon character peeked half-hidden out of Taylor's back-to-school ads and reportedly caused people to call the chain and ask, "Who is that cute little guy?"

T.P. represents the so-called "old-fashioned" values of honesty, trustworthiness and fair play, the company says. He also has a humorous, even a playful side, which should help Taylor's ads stand out from the competition - and, as advertising director Bill Robertson puts it, "create a point of difference that is not limited to discounted prices.

"Other chains today are talking about trust," said Robertson. "So we needed something else that would set us apart. Something that would humanize us and make us fun. Something that would make people think of Taylor, remember us and want to visit our stores rather than someone else's."

To make T.P. more intriguing, Robertson said that Taylor will continually "play with his persona.

"We're going to have people guessing just what does T.P. stand for. Trusted pharmacist? Transfer prescriptions Taylor prices?

We'll use a picture of T.P. with his thumbs up pointing out top picks for value," Robertson told Drug Store News. "Our ads will tell customers to look for T.P. with his thumbs up and when they find him, they'll find great values."

Operational improvements

T.P.'s appearance on the advertising scene has been timed to coincide with a series of operational improvements that Taylor has been steadily implementing over the past couple of months.

The chain is winding up a major store refurbishing program. Departmental adjacencies have been improved, making it easier for customers to find products and to get in and out quickly. The refurbished stores are brighter, cleaner and more comfortable to shop. Aisles have been widened to give shoppers more space.

"This is a complete program," Robertson explained. "Once T.P. brings the customers in, we want to make sure they enjoy the experience of being here and that the decide to come back."