New advertising medium: Grocery conveyor belts

NV Energy rolled out an advertising campaign last month that uses check stand conveyor belts at northern Nevada grocery stores as a medium.

The scrolling displays feature an image of a robot that offers consumers energy-saving tips. The goal of the campaign, says Andrea Smith, director of corporate communications for NV Energy, isn't necessarily to promote NV Energy's brand. Rather, it is intended to promote energy awareness and drive consumers to the company's Web site.

"It is a creative way to drive people to our Web site and help them save money, and it is a tool for us to teach and provide information to our customers," Smith says. "We have been taking a look at some of the ways to try to get customers to change their behaviors. It is a different way to reach out to customers who may not have Internet or read a newspaper."

Standard black conveyer belts in grocery stores were changed over to ones imprinted with NV Energy's message. In addition to the conveyer-belt ads, NV Energy also purchased ad space on supermarket floors and shopping carts and in some stores, through Grocery TV, a CBS service that runs video ads on checkstand terminal displays.

Smith says the idea was fostered through round-table discussions with shareholders, advertising agency R&R Partners and media vendor News America Marketing. Shannon Doherty, senior account executive with R&R Partners in Las Vegas, says it's the first time grocery store convey belts have been used for advertising in Nevada.

"It is eye catching and not exactly where you would expect to see the message," Doherty says.

The new ads can be found at Scolari's, SaveMart and Raley's stores in the Truckee Meadows, Carson City, Fernley, Gardnerville, Dayton, Elko, Winnemucca and South Lake Tahoe, as well as at several independent stores in the Reno-Sparks area.

"It is pretty well spread out," say Karl Walquist, NV Energy spokesman.