Thursday, March 27, 2003 | 10:57 a.m.
I have seen a slice of the future of advertising -- and it tastes delicious.
The tops of pizza boxes are the next great commercial platform.
Several displays at the big Pizza Expo, which is taking place this week at Las Vegas Convention Center, show how ads will soon be brought to your door in the form of large stickers on the traditional cardboard pizza delivery container.
We saw prototypes featuring everything from AOL Internet connection ads to blurbs for upcoming movies.
"That type of guerilla marketing is extremely hot right now," R&R Partners Executive Vice President Rob Dondero told VegasBeat. "For a lot of brands as well as events, there is no more timely way to deliver your message.
"For example, on a localized scale, if you want to promote a community event on a Saturday and a pizza parlor tells you that they deliver 'X' number of pizzas on a Friday night, what better way to get your message out?"
Dondero has nothing to do with the pizza campaign, but is well-versed in guerilla tactics.
"As you may remember (Yes, we remember!), our LVCVA Super Bowl ads were nixed by the NFL. So we went to San Diego with 100 different ways to get the message out. We had projection screens set up all over, we had coasters in the hot bars and at the important parties, we distributed postcards for people to send home to their friends.
"There are 100 different ways to ambush someone."
Such as using pizza boxes.
Celine books it
We're not done with Celine yet.
Among the items left on seats for guests at the "A New Day ... " premiere Tuesday night was a bookmark -- a laminated index card with the show logo on the front. The back features a series of inspirational messages and was signed "Sincerely, Celine and Franco (Dragone)."
It is, well, a nice thing. It is pure Celine. One thing I have learned about her in this relentless coverage is that she sincerely believes all the seemingly trite things she says.
She does love being a mom. She does want to settle down. Her fans do mean something to her.
And she does want to encourage reading. As I am a person who writes for a living, I feel this is a fine thing for her to promote.
"A bookmark is a symbol ... It is also a reminder of things done, lessons learned, poetry read," it reads.
"It is a guideline. A light tucked between wisdom and leisure."
Sort of sounds like one of her songs.
Party people
There was a Celine after party after all, but not an official one.
All the cool kids congregated at Wolfgang Puck's Spago after they saw "A New Day ... "
Every prominent local name was comparing notes on the show: Steve and Elaine Wynn, who sat with Elaine's sister, Maryann Pascal; Irwin and Susan Molasky; Bernie and Candace Yuman with Brian, Myra and Barbara Greenspun; Larry and Camille Ruvo with Marc and Jane Schorr and Roger and Sandy Peltyn.
Blockbuster founder and Miami Dolphins owner Wayne Huizinga presided over a table of 12 friends, all of whom had seen Celine.
Robin Leach also darted in before heading back off to work, covering Celine's late-night news conference. He sat with Alan Thicke, Spago Chef David Robins and Puck Fine Dining Group General Manager Tom Kaplan. Puck himself was also there.
"The show is a spectacular addition to Las Vegas," he said.
Wafer thin
Now, the only thing obese about Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman is his re-election campaign war chest.
"When the mayor started his weight-loss program, his BMI (body mass index) was 33, which is considered obese," Bret FitzGerald of the Las Vegas Athletic Club told VegasBeat.
"His BMI is now 28.9, which officially removes him from the obese category."
Goodman's body fat percentage was also measured Wednesday. Five months ago it was more than 30 percent, said FitzGerald, who is Goodman's personal trainer.
Wednesday it was measured at 25.1 percent.
At his weigh-in, Goodman came in at 212 pounds, for a total loss of 21 pounds in 22 weeks -- very impressive work.
"I'd love to help UNLV football coach John Robinson, too," FitzGerald said.
The somewhat stout Robinson recently had surgery to clear a blockage in his right artery after suffering a heart attack.
VegasBits
David Gergen speaks Friday at UNLV's Artemus Ham Hall. He was director of communications for Ronald Reagan, an advisor to Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford and Bill Clinton and is now a regular "Nightline" analyst ...
Fight promoter Bob Arum was at The Orleans Arena on Wednesday as it unveiled the new ice surface and the Las Vegas Wranglers logo. Arum might promote some bouts in the spanking-new facility. Arena officials also announced that the three-ring Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus would perform there in June ...
After the Celine opening Tuesday night, Lance Bass ended up at ghostbar, where he was joined by Warren Moon and Floyd Mayweather Jr. ...
Public television station KLVX Channel 10 has its 14th annual Splendor in the Glass wine and beer tasting on Saturday at Las Vegas Hilton. Singing impressionist Bob Anderson will perform ...
The Food Network will film Goodman at Thursday's "Martinis With the Mayor" happy hour at the Saloon on Fremont Street at 5 p.m. The public is invited ...
Light co-owner Andrew Sasson celebrated his birthday Wednesday night at Carmel. The electronic invitation featured a photo of him in drag ...
Grammy-nominated R&B artist Nelly plays at Rain in the Desert at the Palms on June 29. Tickets, priced at $50 and $100, go on sale April 4 ...
People magazine is preparing a story on the 25-year-old Los Angeles computer programmer who won $39,713,982.25 when he hit MegaBucks at Excalibur last week.
From Sun wires
Actor Martin Sheen covered his mouth with a piece of duct tape that said "peace," then led about 60 protesters in a prayer vigil Wednesday.
Sheen carried a huge painted cross during the protest in Los Angeles. He did not speak but the Rev. Michael Kennedy of Delores Mission Catholic Church read a statement from him.
"Nationalism and militarism have become the gods of our idolatry at the expense of our humanity," Sheen wrote. "By some demented form of logic the men, women and children of Iraq are relegated to 'collateral damage' as the dogs of war slouch toward Baghdad."
Auto zone: Relying on the popularity of "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno," a team of car burglars has been preying on fans as they attend NBC studio tapings, getting away with $100,000 in laptop computers, cameras and other equipment, officials said Wednesday.
Manuel Guzman, 29, of Inglewood, Calif., and Esteban Aguilar, 29, of Los Angeles, were arrested Tuesday as police caught them breaking into a car as its owner waited to see the show, according to police reports.
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