Klipsun Magazine, 1987, Volume 18, Issue 02-January
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Western Washington University Western CEDAR Klipsun Magazine Western Student Publications 1-1987 Klipsun Magazine, 1987, Volume 18, Issue 02 - January Therese McRae Western Washington University Follow this and additional works at: https://cedar.wwu.edu/klipsun_magazine Part of the Higher Education Commons, and the Journalism Studies Commons Recommended Citation McRae, Therese, "Klipsun Magazine, 1987, Volume 18, Issue 02 - January" (1987). Klipsun Magazine. 92. https://cedar.wwu.edu/klipsun_magazine/92 This Issue is brought to you for free and open access by the Western Student Publications at Western CEDAR. It has been accepted for inclusion in Klipsun Magazine by an authorized administrator of Western CEDAR. For more information, please contact [email protected]. CONTENTS RAINIER'S IMAGE The creative minds behind Rainier’s offbeat advertising. WOMEN'S CREW Competitive rowing is both difficult and rewarding ...... , for Western women. GREAT A descent into the depths of gastronomic heil. 14 STEVE Iargent Mmi The Seahawks’ wide receiver talks about family and religion. dREssiNq up Femaie impersonators discuss their alter egos. '.'.■51 20 dRuqs.. “Just saying no” may no longer be your choice. 25 collEqE lifE ,w Tips from a veteran on making it through “the college experience.” 25 coMic books s ‘ ^ As the comic book matures, superheroes get tougher. 28 uiuoHnwMMptinHy READ This Frequently i '* 1, Take ewe of your aijht; upon it depend! much of your safety and auo- oesS in Kfe. 2, Always your up when you read. * . 3. Hold your.book fourteen inchea from your face. auie that the light ii clear and good. 5w Never read in the twili^t; in a mov ing car; or in « reclining poaition. <L .Never read with the tun thining dir- ^^*e^y on the t>ook. Jas Lichtbandei^jhih 7. Never lace the light ia 'reaifing. ligl t| 8. Let the, light come from behind you ' or over your left shoulder. 9. Avoid books or papers printed indisU inctly or in small type. 10. Rett yoor eyes frequendy ^y looking away from the book. 11. Oeanse your eyes night and morning -with pure water. 12. Never rub your eyes with your hands, ' or an towel, hai^kerohief or cloth. Set Miler, painttr, artilt WCILLtaSCMCS SPIECtLSAO MPKOWSOHC SCHCI8C LAUAC ABB. 49 ABB. s® January 1987 Volume 18, no.2 T A F F Editor: THERESE McRAE Staff: JEFF BRAIMES Adviser: PETE STEFFENS Klipsun magazine is printed by the WWU Print Plant, published twice BRENDA DCW quarterly out of College Hall 137, Managing Editor: JEFF KEELING BILL FREEBERG Special thanks to Robert Western Washington University, Bel lingham, WA 98225, (2067) 676-3737. KEVEN GRAVES Embrey, Kurt Wells for Klipsun is supported by student fees and is distributed free. Story Editor: ANDY PERDUE MIKE GWYNN extra cheese, Talking CLAY MARTIN Heads for inspiration, THCMAS MCSBY Western Print Plant, Bob Photo Editor: LAURA TCWEY Guettler, Pete Kendall, DONNA SIMON-COCKERHAM Ric Selene. Design/Layout: Klipsun is a Lummi Indian word JEFF BRAIMES Typesetter: JACKIE SOLER meaning beautiful sunset. MIKE GWYNN LISATRIESCH Business Manager: Copyright 1987 by Klipsun. THERESE McRAE CATHY CARTER JEFF KEELING Front cover photo by Donna Simon-Cockerham Back cover art by Bob Guettler Klipsun 3 USING By Jeff Keeling ver the years, many sightings of an elusive creature native to the Northwest have been reported. The two-legged beast also Ohas thwarted numerous ''safaris'' and other cam paigns to capture it. In recent years, it has been spotted in Colorado, Utah and the Dakotas. The creature is the wild Rainier, one of the pillars of the Rainier Brewing Company's advertising campaign since 1974. That year, Jim Foster, the company's advertising manager since 1970, hired Heckler Associates, a local agency owned and run by Terry Heckler. Heckler, working with Foster and Rainier's in- house, or staff, agency, has been the creative force behind well over 100 television, as well as numer ous radio advertisements, or "spots" in advertising lingo. Priorto 1974, Rainier relied on national advertis ing agencies, and churned out typical beer com mercials. Instead of herds of thundering wild Rain- iers, or families with big red "Rs " growing from their heads (the "R-heads," as opposed to the cone- heads), viewers saw stylish easterners sipping Rain ier in posh settings and extolling the virtues of Its full flavor. Humor was not an element, nor was any of the zany irreverence that trademarks the Heckler spots. Terry Heckler described the campaigns before his as "hops-and-grains type of stuff. The 1972 campaign had some slogan like 'Rainier's got the flavor.' " In 1974, the brewery formed its own in-house Foster is a professional-looking, warmly recep agency, with Foster as president. An Aberdeen, tive man in his mid-40s. In his office are framed Wash., native and University of Washington busi pictures of an early Heckler-era ad with Mickey ness graduate, Foster said the previous agencies, Rooney and Boone Kirkman, an ex-heavyweight which were East Coast-based, ''didn't understand fighter from Renton. The two are shown in the the Northwest. They showed a total lack of sensitiv Cascades, hunting wild Rainiers with just "a net ity to what went on out here." and a bottle opener." Another picture shows Fos ter posing with Rooney. Rainier was using conventional advertising in an "I really liked the spots we did with Mickey Roo attempt to compete with national brands, such as ney," Foster said. Anheuser-Busch and Schlitz, which were begin The spot with Kirkman showed he and Rooney ning to dominate the market. tracking the wild Rainiers. After three days, they "The Northwest was one of the last strongholds finally spotted one of the seven-foot-tall, 85- to in regional brand loyalty," Foster explained. In the 90-gallon creatures. It evaded the net, and Kirk early 1970s, Olympia, Rainier, Lucky Lager and man, armed with a "specially constructed giant Heidelberg shared about 70 percent of the market. bottle opener," was unable to pop its top. They To penetrate the area, the national brands began did, however, manage to get a plaster cast of a fresh targeting it for heavy advertising. "Rainier realized footprint out of the adventure. at that time that its competition was with the national brands," Foster said. When working with these agencies proved too The Rooney spots ran in 1976, the same year expensive, in addition to being relatively unsuc Rainier took over the top market share in Washing cessful, Rainier established the in-house agency. ton from a lagging Olympia beer. While other Marketing Communications. Northwest brands faded. Rainier became the best One of the first things Foster did was hire selling beer in the region. During this time, it also Heckler, whose graphic design work for K-2, the expanded its market from primarily western Vashon Island ski company, had impressed him. Washington, and to a lesser degree other parts of "We liked their approach and thought it could the Northwest, to a number of other western states help Rainier establish a rather unique identity for such as Colorado, Utah, Alaska and Hawaii. itself," he said. "Heckler's rather unusual approach In the "Mountain Room" at the brewery is a to communications seemed to fit our objectives." commemorative beer barrel, with a plaque The relationship has continued successfully for beneath it commending Rainier's doubled pro 12years. Since 1978, Rainier has been owned by G. duction. Through a door at the end of the Moun Heilemann, a Wisconsin-based corporation that tain Room is "Beeraphernalia," Rainier's gift shop, oversees operations while the brewery continues where visitors can buy everything from T-shirts to a with little interference. Rainier golf bag, cribbage board or skis. Located just off the freeway south of downtown Most of the designs and concepts are creations Seattle, the brewery produces the equivalent of 31 of Heckler and Foster. Heckler Associates also does million cases of Rainier each year, along with the graphic design for Rainier, much of which smaller quantities of Rainier Ale and Rainier Light. appears in "Beeraphernalia." Uptown from the brewery. Heckler Associates "All that stuff Is the result of major agencies operates out of an unassuming, squat gray building working extremely hard to neutralize their stimuli near Seattle's Pier 70. Others of the company's so as not to alienate. So everybody else says, 'if the large accounts have included New Balance shoes, big guys do that, we should too.' " Jansport sportswear, and Ivar's seafood. One reason many ads seem aimed at a low level Heckler, 44, founded the agency in 1969. In col of intelligence, he said, is to make the viewer feel lege, he studied graphic design at Carnegie- superior, and that in feeling so, they remember the Mellon in Pittsburgh and attended graduate school product. at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, where he "I think there's better ways to do that that are a received a Masters In Applied Science. lot more direct," Heckler said. "Often we do things Tall and balding. Heckler has a quiet, rather on a more editorial basis," instead of patronizing deadpan demeanor that gives little hint of the zany the viewers with low-level material. creativity lurking just below the surface. Heckler's workspace is formed by high shelves Foster agreed this philosophy has been a key to on two sides, and the corner of the building on two Rainler's success. "I think the humor is different others, and commands a charmingly urban indus than the typical kind of humor," he said. "I think trial view of Pier 70 and the Alaskan Way Viaduct. they recognize that the consumer is an Intelligent In 1973, Foster asked the agency to work on some person, and doesn't have to be hit over the head special Rainier Ale projects.