Genovese ad campaign reflects on long history of community care

Drug Store News, April 7, 1997

MELVILLE, N.Y. -- Genovese Drug has always promised its customers that "we'll take good care of you."

Now the chain is making that promise to the tune of "Button Up Your Overcoat" in new television ads that remind viewers that Genovese has been looking after community needs for 75 years, starting with the Astoria, Queens, store that founding father Joseph Genovese opened in 1924.

The ads, which broke in March, use a combination of period shots and contemporary shots to establish a feeling of "caring then and caring now". Three of Genovese's core departments--pharmacy, photo and cosmetics--are prominently featured in the ads.

David Rivet, director of advertising for Genovese, said the campaign is the largest broadcast effort in the company's history, up between 15 percent and 20 percent vs. what the chain spent last year.

In its New York/New Jersey /Connecticut tri-state market, Genovese in the 90's finds itself competing with two mega-chains, Rite Aid and CVS, who spent $6.5 million and $5.8 million respectively in 1996 on advertising in Genovese's traditional markets.

"We're not spending at that level yet," said Rivet, "but we're getting there."

Rivet said the ads will run throughout the year on all major broadcast stations as well as on some selected cable channels on Long Island. He said at least three more commercials will be added in the second quarter.

In unveiling the campaign Genovese's president and chief executive officer Leonard Genovese pointed out that Genovese has "remained a constant in the lives of our customers for over three generations." In one commercial, a photo of Leonard's father, Joseph, standing outside his original Astoria store, dissolves into a photo of Leonard standing in a modern Genovese Drug store.