- Steve Miller

You can keep the crystal on the shelves. There will be no octave-piercing notes from celebrities in Memorex's first major ad campaign since the brand's "Is it Live?" effort in the '70s.

Instead, Memorex, once known for analog tape products, but now repositioned as a purveyor of digital devices, wants to reboot as the consumer electronics brand for the modern mom—a target between 24-45 years old, with two or more children.

Why? In its research, Memorex found that women accounted for $90 billion, or 45%, of consumer electronics purchases in 2007. "The target we've chosen is largely unserved by the other consumer electronics companies," said Jeff Meredith, executive director of global brands at Memorex, Cerritos, Calif.

The first step was overhauling the Memorex logo, which will go from the '70s-friendly logo to a softer lettering that uses a round series of dotted lines forming the "o." The slogan "Fits Your Life" is now part of all messaging.

Print ads, which are 70% of the media buy, will run in female-tilted lifestyle pubs including People, Us and InStyle.

The campaign, via TDA Advertising & Design, Boulder, Colo., will not initially include TV ads although the company "has plans to follow this with broadcast," Meredith said. The current plan, dubbed "phase one," will run through December.

"It will accelerate after that," said Steve Moss, CMO at Imation, Memorex's parent company. "The idea is to build brand awareness and recognition first."

Meanwhile, Memorex-branded "karaoke" cabs allow patrons to ride free provided they croon a tune via the "sing-stand" iPod karaoke machine, one of 20 new products that the Memorex will be unveiling as part of the rebranding.

Among the other products: an iPod-accommodating clock that takes its design cues from a pillow, a small boom box for the iPod about the "size of a purse," and home décor-friendly digital photo frames.

Electronics brands have made overtures to female buyers in the past several years, mostly by prettying up their devices with new colors and finishes. "Women like that blend of form and function," said Shelley Balanko, vp- ethnographic research at The Hartman Group, Bellevue, Wash.

Though Memorex is targeting a fertile demo, breaking with the past may be a mistake, said David Altschul, president of Character, Portland, Ore. "Clearly Memorex is a brand with some deep history," he said "This age range they are targeting is not too old to remember 'Is it Live?'' So the question is, if you are doing a rebranding, what are you carrying forward? The brands that succeed are taking some of their story with them."