USA Today ad slams "Heard on the Street"

Lucia Moses of MediaWeek writes Tuesday about the new USA Today advertising campaign that takes a swipe at The Wall Street Journal‘s “Heard on the Street” column.

Moses writes, “Six months after News Corp.’s The Wall Street Journal trumpeted that it had edged USA Today as the nation’s largest-circulation daily, its rival is swiping back in a new ad campaign that questions the Journal’s relevancy.

“One ad, by The Farm in Roanoke, Va., is headlined, ‘What’s Heard on the Street Doesn’t Really Matter,’ with the Journal’s popular stock column name printed in a font mimicking its black, spindly logo. Other ads position USA Today as ‘balanced,’ ‘clear’ and ‘unpretentious.’ The ‘What America Wants’ campaign launched yesterday in various trade and consumer media outlets (including AdweekMedia).

“Susan Lavington, USA Today svp, marketing, said the paper wanted to counter the Journal’s message that it’s the biggest when USA Today has a bigger print circ. ‘The challenge has been in the misperception with our advertisers,’ she said. “

Read more here.