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A good friend has released Teleporter, a travel quiz game for the Apple iPhone and a fun, virtual way of traveling the globe. With challenging questions, scenic photos and entertaining YouTube videos about travel destinations worldwide, Teleporter is designed for people who love travel and want to learn more about fascinating places and people on the 197 million square miles that make up Earth.
The Application is available in the Apple App store in iTunes, in both a free and premium version.
Kraft (KFT) seeks to reinforce the ‘fun’ positioning of its Ritz brand to appeal to a younger audience with a new spot entitled “Tailgate,” to run prior to the Super Bowl. BrandWeek 1/9/09
Sony (SNE) produces "Make Dot Believe," a :90 cinema spot that positions the brand as having the ability to make anything you can imagine real. See spot at AdFreak 1/8/09
Imaging brand Polaroid has signed a “multi-year strategic partnership...[that] brings together one of the world's most iconic brands with today's fastest rising musical artist and cultural trendsetter." The company says they will be partnering with Lady Gaga to “bring new and exciting products to the next generation." AdWeek 1/7/09
Nestle Hot Pockets have signed a multi-year sponsorship and product integration deal with Professional videogame organization Major League Gaming. AdWeek 1/7/09
Despite opting out of the Super Bowl for a second year, FedEx (FDX) says that sports has “paid some significant dividends over the years.” The company participates in several sports via the Orange Bowl, NFL, the NBA, PGA Tour, FedExCup and Nascar. AdWeek 1/7/09
A new brand campaign for Procter & Gamble’s (PG) Tide detergent communicates how “Tide enables its loyal users to dress for success, to impress or just for fun.” The strategy attempts to differentiate Tide from lower-priced alternatives in a commoditized category. New York Times 1/7/09. It has been reported that P&G introduce 30% more new products this year than last to avoid price-cutting. Promotion of the company’s premium brands, including Olay skin cream, as well as Tide, is planned as a way to “smooth the way for new products.” Wall Street Journal 1/7/09 (requires subscription.)
Expedia (EXPE) is positioning its brand as the site that offers "more choices" and "more savings." A debut spot uses shows multi-dimensional building blocks being used to create the “perfect girl’s weekend.” BrandWeek 1/7/09
The Weatherproof Garment Company is running a controversial billboard showing President Obama wearing one of their coats on his visit to the Great Wall of China last November. The company also promoted “The Obama Jacket” on its website. New York Times 1/6/09. UPDATE: Billboard Featuring Obama is Coming Down
Apple (AAPL) has purchased Quattro Wireless, a mobile advertising company. Most analysts believe that Apple is less interested in profiting from ads than in providing a way for developers who build applications for the iPhone, or a future Apple tablet, make money. New York Times 1/5/09
The Saab and Saturn brands could be headed for oblivion; GM put them up for sale as part of its bankruptcy reorganization in early 2009, but has been unable to find buyers. MSNBC.com 12/30/09
For the first time in 23 years, Pepsi (PEP) ads won’t appear during the Super Bowl. The company plans to place more emphasis on online marketing. Associated Press 12/18/09
The Coca-Cola Company (KO) is partnering with Paramount to develop a line of licensed apparel, glassware and holiday gift items for next year’s 65th anniversary of the movie, It’s a Wonderful Life. Brandweek 12/5/09.
Procter & Gamble (PG) is taking its Tide Swash national this month via e-retailers Amazon (AMZN) and Drugstore.com. Swash targets young professionals and college students by providing a way to refresh and remove wrinkles from clothing without hitting the laundromat. Brandweek 12/5/09
The American Family Association says several brands, including Barnes & Noble, Best Buy, CVS, Kroger, Office Depot, Radio Shack and Victoria’s Secret, do not do enough to recognize Christmas companywide. Brandweek 12/5/09
Bloomberg LP has completed its purchase of McGraw-Hill's (MHP) BusinessWeek magazine. The BusinessWeek issue that came out Dec. 4 sports the new logo. Mediaweek 12/4/09
Charmin has rolled out its fourth annual luxury public restrooms, containing Kohler products, televisions and iPods, in New York City's Times Square. As part of the promotion, "bathroom ambassadors" will blog, Facebook and tweet about the nuances of 'going.'"Brandweek 12/4/09
Pepsi (PEP) has launched Shoppepsi.com, an interactive store where consumers can shop for contemporary and vintage collectibles, accessories and apparel, and read the latest Pepsi news. Brandweek 12/4/09
Puerto Rico is reviving a campaign that was a hit in the 1950’s, to provide “a refreshing change from the traditional sun and surf and palm trees ads you’ve seen from the Caribbean.” The new campaign incorporates photography from the 1950’s campaign for which David Ogilvy wrote the copy. NYTimes 12/3/09
AT&T’s (ATT) has withdrawn a lawsuit accusing Verizon Wireless (VZW) of misleading consumers with ads that show maps with white or gray for places that AT&T does not have 3G coverage. The company complained the maps implied that AT&T had no coverage of any kind. A judge earlier rejected AT&T’s request to temporarily block the Verizon ads saying that while they could be described as “sneaky,” or “simply clever,” they were “literally true.” NYTimes.com 12/2/09
McDonald's (MCD) is swapping its traditional red backdrop for a deep hunter green to promote a more eco-friendly image in Europe. Some franchises in Great Britain and France are already using the new color scheme; about 100 German McDonald’s restaurants will make the change the end of 2009. Businessweek 11/23/09
Best Buy’s (BBY) Twelpforce consists of 21,100 employees who respond to customer tweets about consumer electronics via Twitter. To date, the Twelpforce has delivered advice in the form of 12,314 tweets to its 13,398 followers. Brandweek 10/31/09
Starbucks (STBX) will launch a new customer loyalty card program, called My Starbucks Rewards, on Dec. 26, 2009. The program will consolidate Starbucks Card Rewards and Starbucks Gold card. It has no annual fee, allows members to use one registered card (any Starbucks Card) and provides customized rewards, that increase with frequency of use. Chain Store Age 10/30/09
The Federal Drug Administration has notified Proctor & Gamble (PG) that the company’s marketing two of its Vicks-branded over-the-counter medications—Vicks DayQuil Plus Vitamin C and Vicks Nyquil Plus Vitamin C—violate FDA guidelines by portraying products as both a cold medication as well as a dietary supplement. Brandweek 10/30/09
Target (TGT) has cut 85 marketing jobs, about 8% of its 1,100 employees in that department.The recession has hurt Target because much of its revenue comes from fashionable nonessentials such as home decor and clothing. Chain Store Age 10/30/09
To introduce a leather-scented deodorant called Axe Instinct, Unilever (UL) is paying street musicians $1,000 to put up “Axe Instinct” signs, offer free deodorant samples when they play and, a few times a day, sing a ‘ditty’ “Look Good in Leather” that Axe is using in its commercials. NYTimes 10/29/09
Less and less individuals are trying out Bing says a study by online ad network Chitika. In looking at network traffic from August through the first half of October, it appears that although Bing's share of search impressions has declined at a steady rate, the number of users coming through Microsoft's (MSFT) decision engine has declined much more quickly.
In August, over 8% of search engine users and 6.7% of search traffic came from Bing. Since then, however, Microsoft's impressions share has dropped to 5.44%, and the user share has decreased even more significantly, to 6.28%. Chitika, Inc. 10/29/09
Videos posted on YouTube over the past two months featuring “the world’s fastest nudist” show a man, “clad only in running shoes, tube socks, and a strategically positioned frontward fanny pack” running through high-profile locations in New York City. Turns out the viral videos are a campaign for Zappos.The revelation comes too late for CNN and other media outlets who didn’t realize the runner was really an actor and included him in interviews and news stories. NYTimes.com 10/28/09
“United Breaks Guitars” musician Dave Carroll flew United Airlines (UAUA) last Sunday, and guess what? The airline lost his luggage. Carroll was on United because it was the only carrier with service from Canada to Colorado Springs where he had a speaking engagement. United located his luggage and returned it to him---the following Wednesday. NYTimes 10/28/09
Google (GOOG) has launched Campaign Insights, a tool to help marketers determine the incremental change that is directly attributable to online display ad campaigns on brand awareness and user interest. Available for larger display ad campaigns Campaign Insights goes traditional measures of clicks and conversions to calculate the incremental lift in both online search activity and website visits that result from a display ad campaign. BtoBOnline 10/23/09, Google AdWords Blog, 10/19/09
Disney (DIS) is offering consumers who purchased Baby Einstein DVDs their Money back. The Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood says the offer is the result of a complaint they filed with the FTC regarding Baby Einstein’s marketing claims. Baby Einstein says the offer is part of an upgrade package and has nothing to do with the CCFC FTC complaint.Brandweek 10/23/09
Fortune (FO) magazine is dropping from 25 issues a year to 18 in 2010, will undergo a redesign, and focus on more “long-form, deep-dive journalism, great narrative stories,” to gain cost savings and strategic advantage. New York Times 10/23/09
Through Lufthansa’s free MySkyStatus service, fliers on any airline can sign up to have their flight details posted automatically to their Facebook or Twitter profiles, including regular updates about their departure, altitude, location and arrival as they travel. Springwise 10/23/09
Beginning next Wednesday, New York-based daily newspaper, Newsday, will offer limited free content on Newsday.com. Only Newsday and Cablevision Optimum Online subscribers will still have full access; others will need to pay a $5 weekly subscription fee. Clickz 10/22/09
Financial services brands are less effective at building awareness and persuading consumers to become customers says researcher Dynamic Logic. The study says financial services online ads are too text-heavy and could benefit from adding images of people and including fewer details. Clickz 10/21/09
On Wednesday Google (GOOG) reportedly plans to announce a new service that will give users an easy way to learn more about and sample music after searching for information about bands, alsbums and songs. Facebook also plans to integrate music site Lala into its gift store. New York Times 10/21/09
Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN) has reached an agreement to acquire Zappos.com Inc., one of the largest online sellers of apparel and footwear. Atlanta Business Chronicle 7/23/09
Gidget, the 15-year-old dog best known for her Taco Bell ad campaign, died of a stroke Tuesday in Los Angeles. Uttering the words "Yo Quiero Taco Bell," Gidget, a female dog, played a male dog in the commercials. CNN 7/23/09
“Delta Air Lines Inc. (DAL) Chief Financial Officer Hank Halter sent a memo to the carrier’s employees on Wednesday, noting the airline no longer expects to be profitable in 2009, the recession has cost the airline $3 billion in revenue so far this year and it may have to make more job cuts.” Atlanta Business Chronicle 7/22/09
Fast-food chain The Krystal Co. has launched its own energy drink -- Krystal Blitz -- to go with its famous burgers. The “Lemon Berry” flavored drink has a blend of natural ingredients and enhancements including taurine, guarana, green tea extract and caffeine, and is combined with Sprite. Atlanta Business Chronicle 7/20/09
“Candy.com is now a shiny new, online store for all sorts of sweets after the domain name was sold for a whopping $3 million back in June. The fairly old-school website offers a range of lollipops, jelly beans, gum, candy bars and dispensers which it ships all across the United States.” Techcrunch, 7/20/09
An anonymous hacker broke into the personal accounts of some Twitter employees and was able to obtain confidential information on Twitter. The hacker distributed the information to sources including tech blog TechCrunch, who published portions of the information.
In a blog post, Twitter cofounder Biz Stone reassured Twitter users that the theft resulted in stolen documents, not compromised accounts. He added, “We are in touch with our legal counsel about what this theft means for Twitter, the hacker, and anyone who accepts and subsequently shares or publishes these stolen documents." Twitter, 7/15/2009
At the Microsoft WorldWide Partner Conference, Microsoft COO Kevin Turner commented that Microsoft (MSFT) knew the Laptop Hunters ad campaign was successful when the Apple (AAPL) legal department called and told Microsoft to stop running the ads because Apple had lowered their prices. PC World 7/16/09
Also at the conference, Turner announced that Microsoft will open their own retail stores “right next door to Apple this fall.” Apple’s success in the retail channel has helped them to gain significant mindshare. Gizmodo 7/15/09.
Starbucks (SBUX) is testing community-inspired names for its stores in the Seattle area to reflect the neighborhood’s personality. For example, one store will be renamed 15th Avenue Coffee and Tea and will serve wine and beer, host live music and poetry readings, and sell espresso from a manual machine versus the automated machines seen in most stores. Seattle Times 7/16/09 via Huffington Post.
A man who allegedly set off a small bomb on Memorial Day at a New York City Upper East Side Starbucks was arrested after he bragged about it to friends. The suspect is reportedly a fan of the 1999 movie "Fight Club” which includes a scene where a Starbucks is destroyed. CNN 7/15/09
Mercedes Benz has released a statement explaining that a malfunctioning warning light mistakenly appeared in a television spot for their E Class vehicle and “is in no way a reflection on the quality or durability of the E-Class.” It was an embarrassing error for a vehicle touted as the “most advanced” automobile on the market. The spot appeared briefly on YouTube before being yanked by Mercedes Benz. Autoblog 07/13/09 via mediabistro.com.
Andy Azula, the actor in the UPS (UPS) Whiteboard commercials, and the creative director at the Martin Agency, posted on his blog about a delayed Delta Air Lines (DAL) flight that kept him and his family waiting at the airport for 13 hours. Azula’s original post was removed but can be viewed here. Advertising Age 7/16/09
So musician Dave Carroll is sitting on a United Airlines flight waiting for takeoff and a passenger behind him cries out, “My God, they’re throwing guitars out there.” Sure enough, at the plane's destination, Carroll’s $3500 Taylor guitar is DOA.
After nine months of buck passing United Airlines finally refused to pay the $1200 repair bill and Caroll promised to write three songs and post them to YouTube to memorialize his experience with United. Dave Carroll is a man of his word - video of the first song is below.
Irish air carrier Ryanair has asked the Irish Aviation Authority for approval to build an aircraft that could have passengers ‘standing’ during flights, strapped to stools instead of seats, slashing the carrier’s costs by 20%. Chinese airline Spring is investigating similar plans. Mail Online 7/6/09
True Value coins the word “hardwarian,” for a new campaign, as in copy that reads: “For the right tools, products and advice…from the masters of all things hardwarian, True Value. Start right. Start here.” New York Times 7/6/09
Vibe Magazine, founded by Quincy Jones in 1992, has ceased publication. “Vibe was a magazine about hip-hop, R&B and urban youth culture that brought luxe design values and major-league photography and writing to the music that dominated and shaped American pop culture in the late 1990s.” New York Times 070109
Air New Zealand says their fares have nothing to hide, and to prove it they’re screening a new in-flight safety video featuring staff members and company chief executive, Rob Fyfe, clad only in body paint. Seatbelts, luggage and life vests provide "appropriate” concealment where needed. NYTimes 6/29/09
A “vicious industry wide slump” in the luxury hotel business has generated friction between the Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts management company and Four Seasons hotel owners with distressed profit margins. While some owners want to cut expenses, the Four Seasons resists the potential negative impact to the brand. BTW, did you know that Bill Gates owns nearly half of the Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts management company? NYTimes 6/28/09
LinkedIn says their survey asking translators if they would volunteer to translate the LinkedIn site was intended to develop a crowd sourcing model similar to Wikipedia’s legions of volunteers and provide increased exposure for the translators. The survey generated mixed results among translators, with some feeling it was an opportunity for increased work and exposure, while others felt LinkedIn was simply trying to get professional services for free. NYTimes 6/28/09
Acer is the world’s third largest seller of personal computers, and “appears poised to overtake Dell as the world’s second-largest seller of personal computers” this year. The company positions its four brands to cater to various consumer segments, such as eMachines for affordability. Other brands include Gateway and Packard Bell. NYTimes 6/27/09
Target (TGT) has rebranded its core commodities line — a product category that includes everyday items such as baby wipes, sunscreen, dryer sheets and plastic containers — under the name “up & up. The trend is consistent with an overall increase in store brands that are more profitable for the retailer and attractive to consumers who are “increasingly buying in-house brands to save money.” Atlanta Business Chronicle 6/25/09.
Yahoo (YHOO) is working to change its branding, with the new branding to be unveiled when it releases is new main home page design in the fall. Atlanta Business Chronicle 6/25/09
A good friend has released Teleporter, a travel quiz game for the Apple iPhone and a fun, virtual way of traveling the globe. With challenging questions, scenic photos and entertaining YouTube videos about travel destinations worldwide, Teleporter is designed for people who love travel and want to learn more about fascinating places and people on the 197 million square miles that make up Earth. 
ony (SNE)
Expedia (EXPE)
