Jenny Craig Celebrity Client Jason Alexander Inspires with 'Jen Works for Men' Campaign

CARLSBAD, Calif., Feb. 18, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Jenny Craig, Inc., one of the leading authorities on weight management, is launching a new male-targeted initiative titled "Jen Works for Men" with celebrity spokesperson Jason Alexander as the face of the new campaign. Alexander, who famously lost 30 pounds on the program,* wrote, directed and starred in the new series of national commercials for the weight loss company, slated to launch on Monday, February 21, 2011.

"When I first started Jenny Craig, I heard a lot of feedback that Jenny Craig is only for women," said Alexander. "Just because the program has a woman's name, does not mean the program is only for women. I've had great success on it, and I know a lot of other men have as well. That's when I got the idea to create the campaign 'Jen Works for Men.'"

The first commercial in the "Jen Works for Men" campaign to air is titled "Line of Men," and stars Alexander with ten male Jenny Craig real clients who have all lost a significant amount of weight on the program.  

"The guys in the commercial with me are real guys, not actors. They lost weight just like I did on the Jenny Craig program," said Alexander.  "We shared a lot of the same experiences on the program. Writing these spots for Jenny Craig was fairly easy, as I was able to draw from my weight loss journey, which was similar to what other men experience as well."

Inspired by his son to lose weight for his health, Alexander joined Jenny Craig in January 2010 and achieved his weight loss goal of 30 pounds* in May 2010, thanks to the help of his consultant Kathy.

Said Alexander, "'Line of Men' grew from the fact that I had people asking me if I did some celebrity version of the program, which couldn't be further from the truth.  I followed the Jenny Craig meal plans, I relied on my consultant Kathy, and I worked the program just like everyone else.  There are no bells and whistles on my program. So I got the idea of using men that real people can relate to, and the spot came out of that."

"Line of Men" is not the first commercial concept created by Alexander. For his 30-lb weight loss reveal commercial in May 2010, Alexander conceptualized a Broadway-style song-and-dance musical number that left him "baring it all" to long-time Jenny Craig celebrity client Valerie Bertinelli.

Alexander's success on the program motivated many male clients to have similar results, including Jose Muniz, a real client who lost 60 pounds* on the program and stars in the "Line of Men" commercial alongside his inspiration, Alexander.

"Many of our male clients relate to Jason Alexander's weight loss journey, and look up to him as an inspiration to lose weight and get healthy for their families," said Patti Larchet, CEO of Jenny Craig, Inc.  "We are thrilled to launch the 'Jen Works for Men' campaign tailored to the male audience because we know that Jen really does work for men."

Alexander will show off the results of his weight loss success during a stint as a celebrity coach in the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game on Friday, February 18.

*Clients following the Jenny Craig program, on average, lose 1-2 pounds per week.

About Jenny Craig

Jenny Craig offers a comprehensive Food-Body-Mind program designed to help clients manage their weight by creating a healthy relationship with food, building an active lifestyle and developing a balanced approach to living.

With its tailored YourStyle® program, Jenny Craig is committed to a personalized approach to weight loss by offering each client a one-on-one weekly consultation and a customized weight management plan designed to optimize individual success. With more than 80 delicious Jenny's Cuisine™ menu items, Jenny Craig's program is available in-centre and our at-home program, Jenny Craig At Home.

Jenny Craig, Inc., based in Carlsbad, CA, is one of the world's largest weight management companies, with more than 700 company-owned and franchised Centres in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Puerto Rico.

About Jason Alexander

George Costanza, the character created by versatile actor/writer/director Jason Alexander, has been dubbed by Entertainment Weekly as one of the "Best Television Sidekicks of All Time" (#3 actually, behind Robin and Tonto). The hapless, everyman that he played for nine seasons on NBC's "Seinfeld" garnered him six Emmy and four Golden Globe nominations. The Screen Actors Guild went one step higher and knighted him "Best Actor in a Comedy Series," despite his role as a supporting actor, and he led a TV Guide Readers and Critics Poll that named him one of the top 10 characters in TV history.

But there is more to this man than one iconic role.  Fifteen years before "Seinfeld," Jason was building a career that would include performing a Tony Award-winning role in Jerome Robbin's Broadway as well as appearing in major film and television projects. His notable Broadway debut came in Hal Prince and Stephen Sondheim's 1981 musical production of Merrily We Roll Along.  In quick succession, he starred in productions of Forbidden Broadway, The Rink, Neil Simon's Broadway Bound, Personals, and the sensational thriller, Accomplice, to name a few. After winning the Tony, Jason went on to leading roles in films like Pretty Woman, Jacob's Ladder, Love Valor Compassion, and Shallow Hal.

Jason has been a staple of television viewing far beyond his years on "Seinfeld." He starred on the series "Everything's Relative," "E.R.," and "Listen Up." His television films include Bye Bye Birdie and The Man Who Saved Christmas. He has guested on numerous shows and specials and has also directed episodes of Seinfeld, Everybody Hates Chris and Criminal Minds, as well as an award-winning Brad Paisley music video and two feature films.

He is also performing around the country in his one man show, "The Donny Clay Experience," an original show he created with Peter Tilden billed as a "hilarious spoof of motivational speakers in an evening of laughter, music, and personal growth."

SOURCE Jenny Craig, Inc.