Author: AdweekMedia

Method is taking aim at the big jugs in the laundry world with a print and digital campaign for its new "smartclean technology" pump-bottle detergent. The concept, developed in conjunction with ad agency Droga5 (yes, the same agency that created the super-viral "Shiny Suds" ad that Method then pulled), is that using bottled laundry detergent is the old and "wasteful" way of cleaning clothes. The company says you can clean 50 loads with its small bottle, featuring a high-powered, plant-based formula that uses 95 percent natural and renewable ingredients. "Say no to jugs" and enjoy "a jug-free America," read some of the Method’s advertising lines. The goal is to shake up the way consumers have been doing laundry for years, says Method vp of brand experience Matthew Loyd. "We’ve been all buying laundry detergent on autopilot for decades," he says. "What we’re offering is more than a revolutionary laundry experience. We are delivering a super powerful and concentrated detergent that is a replacement to the outdated, wasteful jug." Are you listening, Procter & Gamble? This is detergent war!

—Posted by Elaine Wong

It’s rare to see a news story rip a brand to bits quite like this New York Times piece on Buckfast Tonic Wine. Despite being made by Benedictine monks in England, Buckfast is apparently the trigger for all manner of sinful behavior in Scotland—the root cause, it seems, of almost all of that country’s problems. Consider the data: In one survey, 43 percent of Scottish prisoners who’d committed a crime while drunk said they’d drunk Buckfast. In a study of litter at a housing project, 35 percent of the items turned out to be Buckfast bottles. And in a single Scottish police district, Buckfast was mentioned in 5,638 crime reports from 2006 to 2009, with the bottle used as a weapon in 114 of them. Critics say the drink, which offers a potent mixture of alcohol and caffeine that makes you both tipsy and bouncy, is a recipe for violence. "It’ll blow your head off," says one man, not meaning that as a compliment. Plus, the stuff doesn’t even taste good, evidently. "Have you ever tried Benalyn cough syrup?" says one person. Adds another, who drinks a lot of the stuff: "You get used to it." The best thing the reporter can say about the brand is that it "comes in an attractive bottle illustrated with a friendly-looking bunch of grapes." (Imagine if they had an animal on there.) The story’s otherwise unfriendly stance would seem to be a problem for Buckfast, until you realize that a certain notoriety won’t hurt sales one bit. In fact, after reading the piece, you find yourself thinking: Do they sell this stuff on this side of the pond?

—Posted by Tim Nudd

Leave it to the Girl Scouts to get us thinking about the power of the cookie. The youth organization has launched this ad on YouTube that gets people pondering about what good its cookies can do (aside from the fact that their Thin Mints are addictive, anyway). The ad, which consists of a simple musical backdrop and a series of thought-provoking question-and-answer texts, is vaguely reminiscent of Starbucks’ go-vote election-themed effort. It asks questions like, "What is the largest business program led not by him, but by her, that raises millions of dollars for communities, and that produces more female business owners than most universities?" (Answer: Girl Scout cookies.) The ad goes on to highlight the cookie’s virtues: "This cookie could help a girl provide a fresh change of clothes to a flood victim rushed to a shelter. Or cheer a soldier overseas." It ends with the tagline, "Every cookie has a mission: to help girls do great things." OK, we’re touched. Bring on the cookies!

—Posted by Elaine Wong

Packaged-goods marketers from Procter & Gamble, Reckitt Benckiser and Coca-Cola were among those who gathered at the Edison Ballroom in New York on Tuesday night to find out which of the many, many products launched in 2009 were voted Product of the Year in the Consumer Survey of Product Innovation. (Product of the Year awards are given out in 28 countries, but it wasn’t until last year that the independent organization expanded to the U.S. AdweekMedia was among those presenting this year’s show.) See a list of this year’s winners here. After the jump, read about some highlights from Tuesday’s event, which, among other things, had Phil Lempert (aka The Supermarket Guru) hosting the show in a sharp yet subtly glittered suit he bought from Barneys.

  • P&G dominated the stage. (It helps that it’s the largest advertiser in the world.) The Cincinnati-based maker of Pampers and Bounty was back not once, not twice, but four times for POY accolades—for Pantene Pro-V Nature Fusion shampoo and conditioner, Perfect 10 by Nice ‘N Easy, Secret Clinical Strength Waterproof antiperspirant and Tide Stain Release.

  • The team from Coca-Cola strutted up to the stage bearing bottles of Sprite Green (their evening’s win). Their enthusiasm and loud cheering made you wonder if they got all that energy from drinking a naturally sweetened, low-calorie beverage.

  • Leave it up to the marketers at Springfree Trampoline to jump, jump, jump when posing for their award picture with Lempert. The product, which garnered the top vote in the category of new products for children, is made entirely free of springs—a safety feature.

  • To demonstrate his point about the multitude of supermarket choices facing shoppers, TNS global retail and shopper practice scientific adviser Herb Sorenson brought a mini shopping cart with him to the podium.

  • Marketers pay to enter the Product of the Year awards. The selling point is that "when your product wins, you win. Wearing our logo isn’t just prestigious, it’s profitable." Such a mantra was reinforced on a banner drop onstage.

  • S.C. Johnson, which won best POY marketing campaign in 2009 for Off! Smooth & Dry insect repellant, returned to the stage this year for its launch of its Pledge Multi-Surface Cleaner. Stay tuned for more ads about how all of America loves it, if last year’s Off! campaign is any indication.

—Posted by Elaine Wong

Progressive Insurance is looking for a sidekick for Flo, its long-running spokeswoman (and sex symbol to some). Because this is 2010, Progressive is asking the unwashed masses to explain, in a minute or so on video, why they should get the nod. So far, there are no clear winners among the 500-plus submissions, though a woman named Lytle (shown here) is leading with more than a quarter-million views over at the HelpFlo.com site. (Lytle explains that she could sell to Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny, has good dance moves and could be a backup singer.) My personal favorite, though, is a woman named Sara Morabi, who received the comment, "This girl is so cute…I like how she lights up the screen," leading Morabi to counter: "Thanks for the above comment, mom. Never leave your computer running when your mom is around."

—Posted by Todd Wasserman

So much attention has been fixed on the recent mega-merger of concert promoter Live Nation and ticket behemoth Ticketmaster—creating one massive "convenience fee"-charging entity—that this little gem almost went unnoticed. Fiddler’s Green Amphitheater in the Denver area will be renamed the Comfort Dental Amphitheater in a deal between the Colorado-based marketer and Live Nation. The 18,000-seat amphitheater, the largest outdoor venue in the state, has Chicago, the Doobie Brothers and Tim McGraw scheduled to perform this summer. But no matter the quality of the entertainment, I defy you, any of you, to set foot in that newly named place without thinking about the root canals in your future and how many cleanings you’ve skipped lately. Comfort Dental, with 1.5 million patients in five states, will have its name grace the stadium for three years, and its execs said something about the "positive feeling" from listening to music carrying over to the brand on your "next dental visit." Naming rights are tricky—just ask any failed financial institution or bankrupt marketer—but selling this one to the public has to be like pulling teeth. Note to self: Must floss.

—Posted by T.L. Stanley

Either Sprit Airlines is edgier than you think or someone at the company is pulling a fast one on their clueless bosses. How else to explain this latest promo: MUFF to diving destinations? MUFF, of course, is an an acronym for "Many Unbelievably Fantastic Fares." Uh-huh. That recalls another recent Sprit promo: "Many Islands, Low Fares," or MILF. Someone over at Spirit is quite the cunning linguist.

—Posted by Todd Wasserman

Mark your calendars, folks. History is being made. Never before has the same model been chosen as the St. Pauli Girl for two years in a row. But now Katarina Van Derham has taken that honor. According to a rep from Crown Imports, owner of the brand, this was a fairly easy decision: "Katarina is extremely knowledgeable about beer, and has even received training from the Siebel Institute of Beer Technology. She’s also an actress and model, having appeared on Entourage, CSI: and Monk." For those who think all things are now settled, don’t be lulled into a false sense of security. There’s still the matter of the official poster. The brand is putting up two posters (click the images above to enlarge) and asking people to choose which is best. Damn you, Crown Imports! When can we finally put this matter to rest?

—Posted by Todd Wasserman

Sears can’t get enough of Brett Favre and the retirement jokes. In this new ad by Young & Rubicam, a Sears sales rep stands with the Minnesota Vikings quarterback in front of a Samsung flat-screen TV. He compliments Favre on an amazing season, then says he thought about retiring from Sears that very day, but decided to stay at work. Favre tells the rep that was a good choice. (No one should retire before their time!) Sears has posted a whole bunch of Favre commercials, including three new ones, over on its Web site. You’re encouraged to vote for your favorite. The retirement jokes might be wearing a bit thin, but as long as Favre continues to hem and haw about next season, Sears will probably keep it up.

—Posted by Elena Malykhina

A-list stars and popular tunes might cost the big bucks, but that didn’t stop a bunch of marketers from using both in commercials that aired during Sunday night’s Grammy Awards. (Dish Network defiantly swam against the tide.) A full 15 percent of the ads featured celebrity endorsements, a whopping 150 percent spike from last year, and 22 percent used pop music as a soundtrack, according to GreenLight, a licensing, talent and rights consultancy. (See its full report in PDF form here.) Among the brands rubbing elbows with Hollywood and music-industry elite were Target (Black Eyed Peas, Nick Jonas, Pearl Jam), Cover Girl (Drew Barrymore) and T-Mobile (Eric Clapton). Only a few marketers, like McDonald’s and Outback Steakhouse, stuck with their own jingles. Ads cost $1 million or more during the CBS show, which pulled in 25.8 million viewers for its best-rated performance in six years. It was worth the price for Target, T-Mobile and MasterCard, says GreenLight vp David Reeder, but not so much for Ford’s Lincoln and AT&T. An American Idol-inspired battle-of-the-bands ad from the former and a Luke Wilson showcase for the latter just didn’t cut it.

—Posted by T.L. Stanley

Now, consumers can flaunt their Chanel fake tatts alongside their faux designer handbags. This spring, Chanel is selling "Les Trompe L’Oeil de Chanel" Temporary Skin Art, a sort of pricey update of the rub-on tattoos you got with your bubble gum when you were a kid. The "limited edition" of 55 designs goes on sale in the middle of this month for $75 a pop. Already, fashionistas are heralding this kind of body art, or "beauty branding," as the next big thing. Belgian makeup artist Peter Philips, global creative director for Chanel makeup, drew the designs for Chanel’s spring/summer collection runway show in October, where Karl Lagerfeld’s Parisian models improbably romped in piles of hay as they showed off his pricey designs. Just as implausible may have once been the thought that tattoos—the stuff of Hells Angels, convicts and street gangs—should cross over to haute couture. But according to Selfridges beauty director David Walker-Smith: "Chanel tattoos will be on every beauty queen’s lust list. Body art is a big trend for 2010, and we predict a waiting-list frenzy."

—Posted by Noreen O’Leary

Having the likes of Kim Basinger, LL Cool J, Denis Leary, Charlie Sheen, the Black Eyed Peas, Beyoncé and Peyton Manning as hucksters might’ve cost you, the DirecTV customer, an additional $175 last year. What a rip! At least that’s what competitor Dish Network is saying in a new spot that launched last night during the Grammy Awards on CBS. It’s a super-stripped-down, non-Hollywood commercial with one thing on its mind: linking a higher DirecTV bill with the marketer’s well-known star-powered advertising. Is that even true? Run the numbers out there and report back, please, but I bet DirecTV is already working on that. Could it be the beginning of back-and-forth attack ads? Nobody ever gets tired of those. But I’m in, as long as DirecTV gives us more Hellboy. Via The Live Feed.

—Posted by T.L. Stanley

The final season of ABC’s Lost is upon us, and it seems marketers are very interested. Anheuser-Busch is preparing no less than two nods to the show in its Super Bowl ads—a thematic parody in one spot; and in another, a cameo by François Chou, who plays Lost‘s mysterious Pierre Chang, aka "Marvin Candle." Now, Kayak, the online travel site, has apparently given a much more subtle nod to the show. Last week, CNet dug up a $4,839 flight from Sydney to Los Angeles … on Oceanic Airlines. That, of course, was the doomed flight that our Lost-ies took way back when. Asked about this easter egg, Kayak CMO Robert Birge professed ignorance. "It’s a complete mystery to us," he wrote in an e-mail to BrandFreak. "We’re investigating to see if there are any more ‘ghosts in the machine.’ " Hmm. Could this be the work of the Dharma Initiative? Or has Birge been listening to too many Police albums?

—Posted by Todd Wasserman

Would you take fashion tips from the Mad Hatter? The pale-faced, Bozo-haired Johnny Depp version of the classic character is already freaking people out (in a good way), and Disney Consumer Products saw licensing potential in Tim Burton’s upcoming redo of Alice in Wonderland. Marketers jumped on board, with Stella McCartney designing an accessories line (lots of rabbits, hearts and spades), Alexander McQueen creating a couture dress, Zac Posen doing goth-inspired jewelry, and Urban Decay and OPI launching makeup and nail polish with names like Off with Her Head and Thanks So Muchness. On the literary side, Harper Collins is reissuing the classic Lewis Carroll novel with trippy new illustrations. The goods are all about fantasy and shocks of color and teacups and fever dreams. Judging from the trailer, so is the 3-D movie, which opens March 5. Can. Not. Wait.

—Posted by T.L. Stanley

My sleepy neighborhood farmer’s market is about to get a visit from the Terminator. There won’t be any explosions or gunfire, though—those organic blueberries are just too pricey to waste—and the robot assassin won’t be there in the "flesh." It’ll just be me toting a small piece of Warner Bros.’ summer action hit, Terminator Salvation, in the form of a heavy-duty shopping bag made from the movie’s billboard. As we mentioned a few weeks ago, instead of seeing this kind of vinyl end up in landfills (10,000 tons of it a year), a number of eco-conscious companies are now creating useful, one-of-a-kind products out of it. In Los Angeles, ad and marketing agency Midnight Oil Creative, its sibling production company LA Graphico and Billboard2Swag have collaborated to turn old movie billboards into wine bags, totes and eventually wallets, backpacks and other goodies. "For us, it’s a sustainable calling card," says Brandon Gabriel, principal at Midnight Oil, "and for the studios, it’s a continuous piece of marketing." The company counts Hollywood heavyweights like Disney, Fox and Sony among its clients, and discussions are taking place with all of them about recycling their outdoor ads. Each product will come with a tag that identifies its rom-com, thriller or family-flick origins. Midnight Oil is handing them out to vendors, clients and press. Though the decision to sell to the public hasn’t been made yet, the items could become studio giveaways for contest winners and fans at conventions like Comic-Con. Stand back and watch the feeding frenzy over Avatar messenger bags.

—Posted by T.L. Stanley

If someone is warming up your bed, I hope for your sake that either a) it’s someone with whom you’ve been previously acquainted, or b) it’ll involve copious amounts of alcohol and protection. Holiday Inn may see it differently. In one of freakiest promotions I’ve ever heard of, the Holiday Inn’s Kensington, London location has been offering a five-minute "human bed warming" service, where some hapless staffer climbs between your sheets to take the chill off them. (I’m guessing the guest is not actually in the bed at the same time, though the hotel chain’s photo would suggest otherwise.) The marketer says it’s like "having a giant hot water bottle" in your bed. It’s also like having a stranger in your bed. Which is fine, if you’re into that sort of thing. Just be careful!

—Posted by T.L. Stanley

Apple’s announcement of its long-awaited tablet computer yesterday was greeted by a round of quips about the name. iPad? Within minutes, the top trending topics on Twitter included "iTampon" and "iMaxiPad." Was this a blunder by this most revered of marketers? Naming gurus are split. Phillip Davis, president of Tungsten Branding, thinks Apple stumbled. "I think they’ve created some challenges for themselves," he tells BrandFreak. "If you’re trying to create a new category, it’s really important that you create a name that’s proprietary. iPad doesn’t do that." Fair enough, but what about the iPhone, which was similarly generic? "The product rose to the occasion," says Davis. "This one was on the bubble and really needed some help." But Hayes Roth, CMO for Landor Associates, says iPad is a great name. "It’s a very smart name," says Roth, adding that the tampon connotation hadn’t occurred to him. Roth says Apple owns the "i" prefix and that walking away from that nomenclature wouldn’t make much sense. So, how about the iSlate then? "To me, that has concerns," says Roth. "It’s a cold, cold stone, and it also takes you back to Romans chiseling into stones." A pad, by contrast, has more modern, mobile connotations, Roth says. Meanwhile, Danny Altman, CEO of A Hundred Monkeys, took the surprising view that the name doesn’t really matter. "Apple has been brilliant about focusing on the only brand that matters—the big one," he says. "It has a long history of making great products with undistinguished names."

—Posted by Todd Wasserman

We’ve all had arguments like this before: Should the toilet paper roll over or under? BrandFreak is a fan of the former, though Kimberly-Clark, one of the nation’s largest TP makers, is helping Americans to decide once and for all. (Thank goodness!) K-C, which makes the Scott and Cottonelle brands, has launched a contest that encourages consumers to vote for "under" or "over" at CottonelleRollPoll.com. Tori Spelling and Dean McDermott are leading the charge. (Tori is "a firm believer in rolling over," while Dean is "an under kind of guy," according to K-C). You have till March 6 to vote, though we have some stats in the meantime (courtesy of K-C) that might surprise you. 1) Of 1,000 adults surveyed, one in five get annoyed when the TP is hanging the wrong way; 2) Men are more likely to notice and be pissed off (if it’s not to their preferences, that is); 3) one in five admit to flipping the toilet paper if it’s not to their liking, even in someone else’s home. Another interesting tidbit: "Overs" are usually overachievers and super-organized; "unders" are laid-back. Those who don’t care tend to "minimize conflict" and "value flexibility." OK, yes, we’re in the overachiever group.

—Posted by Elaine Wong

An appendix item in the Textbook of Branding is the practice of christening a destination as the [fill in the blank] Capital of the World. This age-old tactic, perfected by tourism bureaus everywhere, wouldn’t seem of much use to major brands—until you consider the cross-pollination possibilities. Case in point: Battle Creek, Mich., lays claim to being the Cereal Capital of the World because it’s home to Kellogg’s. But Kellogg’s benefits nicely from this regional branding because it can siphon visitors over to its Cereal City USA interactive museum (which of course will tell you everything you want to know about Froot Loops and Special K). Avon, Ohio, happens to be the Duct Tape Capital of the World because it’s home to Henkel Consumer Adhesives, maker of the Duck brand, which sponsors the Duct Tape Festival each year (and on Father’s Day, no less.) Hartford, Conn., the Insurance Capital of the World, doesn’t exactly draw millions of visitors to office towers of Aetna and Travelers, but it can use any boost it can get.

  Which brings us to Arlington, Texas. Just last month, the city proclaimed itself to be the Bowling Capital of the World. Is there some kind of bowling-industry link to Arlington? Well, you could say that.

  Arlington is home to the new International Bowling Campus (IBC), a 100,000-square-foot complex designed to roll bowling (a $10 billion pastime) into the 21st century, much to the delight of our great nation’s bowling brands and bowling centers. The IBC’s myriad bowling tenants include the International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame, which used to be in St. Louis (currently showing: "The Future: Computerized Coaching, Robotic Simulation and Bowlopolis"), and a 20-lane International Training and Research Center that boasts a robotic ball-thrower and biomechanics analysis to track human bowling movements. Uh, guess you gotta be there.

  "In recent years, our industry has really come together in building a brand for bowling and elevating its image," Steve Johnson, executive director of the Bowling Proprietors’ Association, told BrandFreak. "Now, all of the leading entities in the industry are under a single roof." Johnson also pointed out that bowling’s partner brands—Pepsi, VH1 and Jolly Time among them—are benefiting from sport’s newfound cachet. Paris Hilton, Ashton Kutcher and Rihanna have all been spotted knocking pins of late. And while those celebs probably won’t be turning up in Arlington anytime soon, it doesn’t matter. When you’re the Bowling Capital of the World, you can afford not to care.

—Posted by Robert Klara