Speaking at AdWatch: Outlook 2004, McDonald's CMO Larry Light is abandoning the concept of universal messaging via mass media and embarking upon what he called "brand journalism."
"Any single ad, commercial or promotion is not a summary of our strategy. It's not representative of the brand message," he said. "We don't need one big execution of a big idea. We need one big idea that can be used in a multidimensional, multilayered and multifaceted way." Huh? English, please.
Muddying this new marketing direction even further, Light gave "brand journalism" two other definitions - "brand narrative" and "brand chronicle" all as means by which to see "what happens to a brand in the world," then somehow turn all that blather into some form of new and different storytelling type marketing communication.
Light also commented on his "I'm Lovin It" campaign calling it a big shift in direction because they chose to use a hip-hop soundtrack. Whoo!
If you're a guy on the prowl in a hotel bar, you might want to think twice before giving your hotel key to that gorgeous woman smiling at you. Conversely, if you're a woman, you might try the tactic demonstrated in this viral video when some drooling dude drops his room key in front of you. Either way, this commercial, which B.L. Ochman pointed out, is suppose to have something to do with selling leather. Take a look.
To promote its upcoming movie, "Sleepover," MGM Pictures and Milton Bradley are planning what they call the World's Largest Sleepover. On June 23, coinciding with the release of Milton Bradley's new game, Cover to Cover, satellite sleepovers will be held simultaneously in 21 cities across the country with the movie's stars Alexa Vega and a bunch of other tween hotties piped in for the giggle-fest.
Anastasia Goodstein of Ypulse says the trailer is lame and we'd agree. But that won't stop the pajama party nor the crashing of it by men of all ages who can't help but follow with glee the current paedophile-like teen/tween cultural obsession with or the chance to see a bunch of tweeners dressed in ridiculously small but tantalizingly hot sleepwear. Someone take pictures.
Found by Martina of Adverblog, Mercedes has launched its new Grand Sports Tourer with a multi-language microsite that takes viewers, in 45 seconds, through the development process rather than the winding road process. Viewers can sign up to receive a newsletter that will take them through the car's design process and also enter to win a home design concept from Graft Designers - Hollywood's hottest architects.
London's viral and buzz marketing agency DMC has seeded a campaign for English menswear label Hope & Glory in conjunction with EURO 2004 to promote its new website. The campaign consists of a quirky video called "Queenie" with Prince Philip introducing the Queen who then breaks into some odd dance jam while uttering the words, "David Beckham's having a party, bring your vodka and Bacardi." Creative work was done by Drugstore.
Attorneys Edward and Alex Shenderovich are known to Pittsburgh residents as "The Double Team." Like the DoubleMint commercials of yester-year, the Shenderovich brothers appear together in a television campaign promoting their legal practice. Whether it's America's fascination with twins or the thirty television spots they run each month that drives their success, their personal injury business has grown 500 percent in the six years since they began running the television campaign.
"As soon as we put an ad on, the phone started ringing," Edward Shenderovich said.
The twins see television as the primary driver of their business. "We had a Web site but we didn't get any response," Edward Shenderovich said. "If somebody gets hurt and they're laying in the hospital they don't have any access to a computer. But if they're laying in bed, they can reach for the Yellow Pages or see us on TV."
Perhaps to boost their business even further, the pair might ask jailbait graduates Mary-Kate and Ashley to join them in their next commercial.
