« Last week 7-Dec-03 | This archive, pg:  1  |  2  |  3  |  4  | Next week 21-Dec-03 »

UPN Doubles Knowles Booty Exposure With Solange

There's more Knowles booty on the way. We're saturated with Beyonce's booty so UPN is providing an alternative with different Knowles booty in the form of Beyonce's sister Solange. Solange has signed a deal with UPN to appear in a new television series slated to begin next Fall. The project has no name yet but will likely be a sitcom. Currently, Solange is featured on the Disney Channel doing voiceover for "The Proud Family" and on the Nickelodeon series "Taina."

by Steve Hall    Dec-18-03    




Ad Campaign Hopes to Minimize Unwelcomed Sex

A recently launched ad campaign on England urges people to keep an eye on their drinks when they are out partying during the holiday season. The campaign is in reaction to a finding that one in 12 drinks have been found to contain the drug Rohypnol which cause drowsiness and loss of memory allowing sexual predators to take advantage of helpless drugged up victims.

The campaign, continuing through Christmas and New Year, will consist of scooter advertising (mobile billboards) and additional outdoor advertising.

by Steve Hall    Dec-18-03    




Celebrity Endorsement and Trying to Be Cool Dead for Brand Marketers

It always amazing to watch brands to be cool and to "resonate" with the teen demo. Most efforts are embarrassing disasters that end up wasting marketers money and diluting the company's brand. McDonald's and Coke are changing their brand so often that it is becoming impossible to really understand what they are all about.

Teens are much savior than in years past and can smell a marketing ploy a mile away. Done right, product integration (product placement), video game advertising, SMS marketing, IM advertising and musical tour sponsorships are the new avenues through which to communicate with Gen Y. Of course, it helps to have a great product in the first place rather then trying to cool up a bad product with an ad campaign that, ultimately, ends up being a lie. Do that once, and Gen Y will write you off for good.

by Steve Hall    Dec-18-03    




Outkast Partners With Polaroid in Marketing Promotion

Hip-hop duo OutKast has signed a marketing deal with Polaroid. Under the deal, Polaroid hopes to leverage OutKast's "Shake it like a Polaroid picture" reference in their hit song "Hey Ya" by having the duo carry Polaroid cameras on stage with them as they perform. Havas' Euro RSCG MVBMS Partners brokered the deal.

by Steve Hall    Dec-18-03    




Dodge Pulls Out of Lingerie Models

After signing a deal to sponsor the "Lingerie Bowl 2004," a diversionary Super Bowl half time stunt in which barely dress models go through the motions of playing football, Dodge has gone soft and pulled out of the sponsorship. Originally, Dodge was to have signage around the Lingerie Bowl stadium and presence on the web site but Dodge has gone limp on the program citing advance publicity surrounding the event has taken attention away from the Dodge product line.

Even the event sponsors seem to have drooped to half mast as well dressing the models in shorts and sports bras rather than the originally planned bra and panties. Perhaps the prospect of all that bouncing flesh caused organizers to realize viewers might stand up and spill forth good cheer before the game itself came to completion.

by Steve Hall    Dec-17-03    




Mena Suvari to Join Cast of 'Six Feet Under'

First, she played easy to get to Kevin Spacey in "American Beauty" then she played hard to get to Chris Klein in "American Pie." Now, Mena Suvari is joining the cast of HBO's "Six Feet Under," reteaming with her Oscar winning "American Beauty" screenwriter Alan Ball, creator of "Six Feet Under." Suvari will play a student at the same school character Claire (Lauren Ambrose) attends in the series.

by Steve Hall    Dec-17-03    




Peanut Butter in a Coffee Can, New Form of Advertising

What's This? CoffeeNutter?

Adrants has uncovered another form of the ever expanding "blank-vertising" stunts that seem to be happening on a monthly basis now. This time, it's "replacevertising" or the art of jamming one's product inside another thus gaining all kinds of publicity through news coverage.

West Virginia resident Mary Rickard returned from the grocery store and opened a can of Maxwell House coffee only to find a jar of Jif peanut butter jammed inside. Whether an honest mistake or a co-marketing ploy for publicity, officials at both Jif and Kraft-owned Maxwell House claim to have no knowledge of how this could occur.

"This is very unusual, and we don't know at this point what happened," said Kraft spokesman Abbe Serphos. "Nothing like this has ever happened before, certainly in regards to peanut butter."

But Abbe, that sounds like it's happened with other products already. Is this a new Kraft marketing scheme? If so, do tell us more because it's brilliant PR.

by Steve Hall    Dec-17-03    




Nudity is the Best Defense

This commercial for Yard Fitness in Hermosa Beach California brings new meaning to the power of nudity. While the power of nudity is typically in the hands of the female to control the insanity of the male species, this commercial just goes to show men, too, can harness the effects of nudity to their benefit. Courtesy of Viralmeister.

by Steve Hall    Dec-17-03    




'8 Simple Rules' and 'Becker' Big Ratings Gainers

MediaLife has a roundup of the television ratings landscape. Winning ratings gainers so far this year include "CBS Sunday Movie," "8 Simple Rules" and "Becker." The top rated shows continue to be "CSI," "ER" and "Friends."

by Steve Hall    Dec-17-03    




Monster Unveils Monster Ad Plans

The Monster

Anticipating its tenth year anniversary, career site Monster has announced a new brand campaign with the tagline, "Today's the Day." Monster will spend $125 million on a global marketing campaign which will include television, radio, print and online advertising. And now for a quote on the campaign from Founder Jeff Taylor that Jeff would never actually say nor would any human other than a PR person...

"Over the past ten years, Monster has become one of the most recognizable global brands. Our 2004 plan - defined by continuous advertising, a multi-faceted online marketing strategy and ongoing sponsorships - is designed to further maximize our brand recognition as the online recruitment leader, as well as enable us to reach a broader, more qualified audience at national and local levels," said Jeff Taylor, founder and chief monster. "The 'Today's the Day' campaign is alive, encouraging and hopeful. As we embark on the new year, it is these inspirational qualities that empower job seekers everywhere to take control of their careers and realize their dreams and aspirations."

Deutsch of New York created the campaign which debuts on December 26th during the College Bowl Championship Series and will also appear, not insurprisingly, during the Super Bowl.

by Steve Hall    Dec-17-03    




« Last week 7-Dec-03 | This archive, pg:  1  |  2  |  3  |  4  | Next week 21-Dec-03 »