5 Blogs Before Lunch

Personalized In-store Ads Getting More Aggressive

2008-08-21T08:20:52-07:00

It has long been a marketer's desire to find a way to reach consumers at point-of-purchase based on consumer identity and behavior, tailoring messages as consumers shop. Many programs have been tested, few have proved so successful to be rolled-out...

A New Group Twist at Publicis Groupe: "One Neck to Choke"

2008-08-21T06:47:51-07:00

Advertising Age is reporting that Publicis Groupe is giving some top clients who work use multiple disciplines within the agency network, a single point of contact. Under the plan, staffers who work on major accounts will report to the executive...

New Microsoft Campaign To Feature Jerry Seinfeld and Bill Gates

2008-08-21T06:33:39-07:00

Crispin Porter + Bogusky's new ad campaign for Microsoft attempts to dispel Microsoft's image as a boring brand, and to shift negative perception of Windows Vista as a less-than-reliable operation system. And, they've hired Jerry Seinfeld, and will be using...

More Racist Olympic Team Photos Emerge. This Time It is the Argentine Women's Football Team

2008-08-20T07:23:18-07:00

A picture of the Argentine women's football team pulling back the skin on the side of their eyes in an impersonation of Chinese people has emerged on the internet following similar, widely-criticized photographs of the Spanish Olympic basketball men's and...

Guerilla Marketing Promotion: Smart Car Rally

2008-08-19T07:32:14-07:00

Last weekend, the folks at Smart Car staged a rally through the streets of San Francisco. It was a brilliant guerilla marketing campaign arranged during the height of San Francisco's peak tourist season. SmartCar Rally SF 2008 from davemorin on...

Coors Aims Its Silver Bullet At Women

2008-08-19T07:22:07-07:00

Coors is in the process of launching a series of products aimed at women. It is a bold attempt, which many have tried before. The brewer has set up a separate business unit code named "Eve" and will introduce a...

Canadian Club Reminds Us That "Your Mom Wasn't Your Dad's First"

2008-08-17T07:44:28-07:00

Hat tip to Maringuy for pointing out this provocative ad for Canadian Club. Is this return to the '60's part of all of the Mad Men madness mixed in with a little '70's Swingtown? Copy: He went out. He got...

Gap's Fall Marketing Campaign

2008-08-15T06:57:55-07:00

It is time again for a semi-celebrity slathered Gap fall marketing campaign. This season Gap has once again tapped a diverse group of actors and style makers including Liv Tyler, Ginnifer Goodwin, Hugh Dancy, Edgar Ramirez, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Melvil...

5 Blogs' Top 5 Celebrity Spokespeople Before Lunch

2008-08-15T06:39:04-07:00

Celebrity endorsements are ubiquitous. Identifying 5 Blog's top five celebrity hawkers was tough. There are so many that didn't make the cut: Catherine Zeta-Jones for T-Mobile, Tiger Woods for Buick and American Express, David Beckham for Armani, Ricardo Montalban for...

Spanish Olympic Basketball Team's Ad is Culturally Insensitive

2008-08-14T07:13:42-07:00

The Spanish Olympic basketball team is in hot water over a culturally offensive ad for a courier company that's been running in Spain. The photo in the full page ad is of the Spanish basketball team, in full Olympic kit,...

Visa Re-edits Michael Phelps Ad

2008-08-14T06:45:31-07:00

Visa has already re-edited a spot featuring Michael Phelps to include reference to his latest victories. The Wall Street Journal has a nice piece on Visa and its history of sponsoring Olympic athletes. And, Brandweek chimes in too. The company...

More and More Companies Are Shrinking The Size of their Products, Without Lowering The Price

2008-08-13T07:00:17-07:00

A couple of months ago, I blogged about how Dreyers ice cream shrunk the size of its product, but left the prices the same. Well, the trend continues, with Procter & Gamble, Kraft, Nestle and Scottish & Newcastle adding themselves...

The Rebranding of Willy Wonka

2008-08-12T14:46:14-07:00

A trailer for the classic film, Wily Wonka and the Chocolate Factory has been re-cut. Now more psychedelic an hallucinogenic than ever before. "Come-on dad, it's only one pipe a day."

Whole Foods' Brand Reputation Is Being Challenged

2008-08-12T07:19:51-07:00

Whole Foods has been struggling with its brand perception lately. Nicknamed "Whole Wallet," the brand is known for both its quality and its high prices. Consumers, up to this point, have rewarded Whole Foods for its quality products and put...

Wonderbra Giant Mosaic Billboard

2008-08-12T06:36:52-07:00

Wonderbra has unveiled a giant billboard in central London. The image is a mosaic, made up of photographs of thousands of "real women" flaunting their cleavage. The billboard is the result of a two-month integrated campaign promoting the new line...

Energy Drinks Are Losing Steam

2008-08-11T16:28:03-07:00

It appears that consumer's appetite for energy drinks may be waning. According to Beverage Digest, energy drink's volume grew 30% last year, but is tracking at only 10% growth for the first half of 2008, and only 7% for the...

Fine Living Set To Make Fun of Martha Stewart

2008-08-11T06:17:41-07:00

The cable network Fine Living is set to launch a new original comedy series designed to mock Martha Stewart. And, apparently she's OK with it. For good reason. The show, called "Whatever, Martha" is a 30 minute critique — in...

Nicknames of your Favorite Brands

2008-08-10T20:10:33-07:00

Tar-zhay (Target) Wally World (WalMart) Mickey D's (McDonalds) Whole Wallet (Whole Foods) Needless Mark-up (Neiman Marcus) Loud & Tacky (Lord & Taylor) Northworst Airlines (Northwest Airlines) US-Scare (US Air) Four Bucks (Starbucks) HoJo's (Howard Johnson's) Golden Slacks (Goldman Sacks) Taco...

We Can Solve The Climate Crisis: New Ad Campaign

2008-08-10T15:08:19-07:00

The We Campaign is a project of The Alliance for Climate Protection -- a nonprofit, nonpartisan effort founded by Nobel laureate and former Vice President Al Gore whose goal is to halt global warming. Their latest television ad that will...

Triple Chocolate M&M's Premiums

2008-08-08T17:53:25-07:00

M&M's is going upscale. More at The New York Times

NBC Has Sold $1 Billion in Olympic Advertising

2008-08-08T16:50:40-07:00

NBC Universal has announced it has booked more than $1 billion in advertising revenue for the Olympic Games. The network is planning 3,600 hours of TV and Internet coverage of the 17-day event, so a billion doesn't seem too much...

Dubai Naming Rights For Sale

2008-08-08T15:47:46-07:00

These words could soon be broadcast in metro trains throughout Dubai: "Departing Coca-Cola station. Citibank station, next stop" Dubai officials are offering naming rights to two dozen metro stations for the city's planned 45-mile rail system. The Wall Street Journal...

Coca-Cola Bluetooth Olympic Video Commercials

2008-08-08T14:53:46-07:00

Part of Coca-Cola's Olympic sponsorship will be fronted by the first Bluetooth interactive media marketing campaign of its kind. Pioco, a Chinese company that's an innovator in the OOH advertising space, has wired thousands of hotspots in and around the...

Calgon Is Being Taken Away and Mr. Bubble's Been Popped

2008-08-07T21:13:05-07:00

The maker of Calgon, who's slogan was "take me away" and Mr. Bubble has filed for bankruptcy. Ascendia Brands Inc. has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protectionand said it would try to sell itself.

Lexus Ranked At The Top of the Dependability Heap by J.D. Power

2008-08-07T10:35:29-07:00

Once again, Lexus is consider the top car, based on dependability according to J.D. Power and Associates. It is the 14th straight year for Lexus, and a testament to their pursuit of perfection. The J.D. Power rankings can be a...

Please Stand Buy: The Patented Mood Relaxer

2008-08-06T18:15:42-07:00

This video may be the most relaxing 2:29 you'll spend all day. Sit back, relax and watch the video from start to finish. Those downward brand awareness trend charts, the impending Board presentation and the budget review with the accounting...

Israeli Nissan Ad Upsets Arabs

2008-08-06T15:06:32-07:00

This afternoon I was interviewed on Fox Business Network's afternoon show "Bulls and Bears." My segment was on the Nissan Motors ad which has been running in Israel and getting a lot of international buzz due to its depiction of...

5 Blogs Before Lunch Celebrates 3rd Anniversary

2008-08-06T06:47:17-07:00

Today we're celebrating the 3rd anniversary of 5 Blogs Before Lunch. At times I'm surprised that three years have gone by so quickly, and at other moments, I can't remember a time when I wasn't blogging. 1,095 days, and nearly...

Comcast Buys Daily Candy

2008-08-05T17:57:22-07:00

I had no idea how big and influential Daily Candy was until a client was fortunate enough to be mentioned in the email newsletter targeting women. The client's sales went through the roof. Now, Daily Candy has been sold to...

Paris Hilton Response To McCain "Celebrity" Ad

2008-08-05T16:12:59-07:00

Sometimes we at 5 Blogs Before Lunch like a little giggle. Consider this "the lighter side of 'Lunch'": See Paris Hilton Responds to McCain Ad and more funny videos on FunnyOrDie.com See more funny videos at Funny or Die

Circuit City Bans MAD Magazine, Then Laughs Along With The Joke

2008-08-05T15:52:27-07:00

Sometimes corporate executives make bad PR decisions driven by ego, and out of anger. Circuit City Stores recently made the decision to pull MAD magazine from its magazine rack after the rag lampooned Circuit City as "Sucker City" in a...

Florida Man Calls 911 To Complain About His Subway Sandwich

2008-08-05T15:15:10-07:00

"Hello, 911, may I speak to customer service please?" A man in Florida who wasn't happy with the sandwich he ordered from a local Subway decided to call 911 twice to complain. Police say the man apparently was mad because...

Airline Industry Nose Dive. Airlines Have Lost The Focus On Their Customers

2008-08-05T07:33:46-07:00

It seems to me that the major airlines in the United States have stepped over the line of customer service, and are holding customers hostage to price hikes, fees and reduction in service. I know, I know, the airlines are...

YouTube To Broadcast Olympic Coverage

2008-08-05T06:13:53-07:00

Countries who aren't officially covered by Olympic sponsors can view the 2008 Summer Olympic Games via YouTube. The Wall Street Journal is reporting that YouTube will provide about three hours a day of exclusive content from the IOC's Olympic Broadcasting...

In The UK, McDonald's Olympic Sponsorship Is On The Back Burner

2008-08-05T06:08:30-07:00

It is being reported that McDonald's is playing-down its Olympic sponsorship in the UK. It seems that it wants to avoid the controversy around supporting the games which are being held in Beijing. But the efforts in the UK do...

Ford Being Sued Over "Limited Edition" Mustangs

2008-08-05T06:01:55-07:00

If you market a product as a "limited edition" you better mean what you say. A group of consumers who bought one of the 100 limited edition Ford Mustangs is suing Ford claiming that nearly double the number of 2007...

Wispa Brought Back Thanks To Social Networking Campaign

2008-08-04T06:42:57-07:00

Wispa candy bars were shelved in 2003 for poor sales. But Cadbury decided to bring the UK candy bar back after thousands of people joined groups on social networking sites in a campaign to bring it back. Now, thanks to...

Burger King Spoof: Bon Qui Qui at King Burger

2008-08-04T06:34:00-07:00

I'm not sure if this is a hidden camera expose of Burger King or a MadTV spoof.

Diet Coke Bottles Designed By Roberto Cavalli

2008-08-02T16:13:37-07:00

Roberto Cavalli has designed three limited-edition Diet Coke bottles specifically for Fashion Week in Milan. There will be 300,000 bottles produced of the three Cavalli designs, with the bottles wrapped in different animal prints, and sold in Italy from September...

Heinz, Frito-Lay, Kettle Foods and Lance Agree to Reduce Levels of A Cancer-Causing Chemical in Their Foods

2008-08-02T13:59:56-07:00

Here is a PR mess. H.J. Heinz, Frito-Lay, Kettle Foods and Lance have been producing potato chips and french fries that contain a cancer-causing chemical. But, instead of voluntarily removing the carcinogen, or putting warning labels on their food products,...

Turning an Obscure Laotian Lager into the World's Next Great Cult Beer

2008-08-02T07:32:36-07:00

Emulating Corona's rise to global stardom, Sivilay Lasachack, a Soviet-trained female brewmaster is counting on marketing to turn an obscure Laotian lager into the world's next great cult beer. Laos has little to no pedigree in the beer brewing business,...

Survey Says: More Consumers Are Reading Food Package Data

2008-08-01T08:03:26-07:00

Here's another clear sign that consumers are becoming more health conscious, and more aware of what they are buying. A recent Nielsen Co. survey found that 65% of American consumers say they notice information on food packaging more often compared...

Gordon Ramsey Spoof

2008-08-01T06:48:44-07:00

Gordon Ramsey, Chef and hot-headed star of reality shows "Hells Kitchen" and "Kitchen Nightmares" is the inspiration for this Caterer.com spot which spoofs his fowl mouth and grumpy demeanor. If you know Ramsey, you'll love this spoof: And, here's the...

Rice-A-Roni, The Canadian-Italian-Armenian Treat

2008-07-31T14:08:21-07:00

NPR's The Kitchen Sisters have a great report on the history of Rice-A-Roni. The "San Francisco Treat" was actually birthed by a family of Canadians, Italians and Armenians. If you've got 7 minutes, it is a great listen. Hat tip...

Bristol-Myers Squibb Wants To Buy ImClone

2008-07-31T07:29:55-07:00

ImClone has had a tumultuous ride. Now it looks like it is driving into the Bristol-Myers Squibb parking lot. B-MS has announced that it is offering $4.5 billion in cash for ImClone Systems, the drug maker that Carl Icahn, the...

Pepsi and Coke Both Rush to Add Stevia To Their Drinks

2008-07-31T07:09:22-07:00

Both Pepsi and Coke have plans to introduce a stevia-based sweetner in their beverages. Pepsi says it plans to introduce an enhanced water drink within the next few weeks, and Coke plans to introduce a soft drink with the new...

Queen Victoria's Bloomers Sold for $9K

2008-07-30T16:58:24-07:00

OK, this is so off topic I don't know how to justify this post, other than to say "I just had to share:" Apparently, a pair Queen Victoria's bloomers were purchased at auction for $9,000. An article by the AP...

Dior Homme Sport Ad or SNL Spoof?

2008-07-30T16:48:21-07:00

My apologies to the folks at Dior and for those fans of cologne ads, but I've never been a fan. And, this ad featuring Jude Law does nothing for me but make me wonder, is this real or a Saturday...

Do you check your email from the bathroom? Maybe you are addicted to Email

2008-07-30T16:20:24-07:00

According to an Email Addiction Study from AOL Mail, 62% of people check work email on weekends, 46% percent think they're hooked on email, 19% choose vacation spots with access to email, 55% of mobile email users upgraded to a...

High-Alcohol Beers Are Growing In Market Share

2008-07-30T16:10:55-07:00

"Big" or "Extreme" beers are high-alcohol brews, and they are gathering market share. And, they're stealing it from the mass-produced and heavily advertised less-alcohol brands. While sales of brands like Bud, Coors and Miller lay flat (pun intended), sales of...