Author: AdweekMedia

Spirit Airlines, the brand that brought you a "MILF" promo and a "MUFF" promo for divers, is attempting to employ its irreverent brand positioning to counter the noxious buzz it incurred after airing plans to charge a $45 fee for carry-on luggage. The point man for this obfuscation is president/CEO Ben Baldanza, who explains in this video that the fees were implemented to address flight delays and long lines prompted by overstuffed overhead bins. With Orwellian logic, Baldanza concludes that the new fees will reduce ticket prices for the average passenger. To make the point, the initial shot shows Baldanza delivering his spiel while positioned sideways in a cramped space. A reveal completes the visual joke: The exec has crammed himself into one of the overhead bins (though it’s unclear what’s going on with his legs). Will humor deflect the bad PR? Well, Chuck Schumer, for one, isn’t amused.

—Posted by Todd Wasserman

Ben Stiller did it at the Academy Awards. Ashley Madison’s commercial did it to a couple of unsuspecting chicks. And now visitors to Los Angeles’ open-air mall, The Grove, can do it, too. Remake themselves, that is, into blue-skinned Avatar creatures. As a promotion for the upcoming Earth Day release of Fox’s $2.7 billion blockbuster Avatar on DVD, the studio will set up a free exhibition with facial-recognition technology to morph shoppers’ faces in real time. Never mind that the pro-environment message of the movie isn’t exactly at home in a consumer mecca where Nordstrom, Baby Gap and Baccarat rule. Whatever. The folks will love their Na’vi makeovers, which they’ll be able to watch again and again if they supply their e-mail addresses at the morphing stations. The state-of-the-art digital stations, via Inwindow Outdoor, will send them a video of the process and info on where to buy the DVD. Trip to Pandora, sadly, not included.

—Posted by T.L. Stanley

Years ago, downtown hipster boutiques in Manhattan started selling handbags made from old license plates—cute, but a real bitch if it starts a run in one’s chiffon dress. Recycled fashion recently got another boost with the 2009 debut of a Vassar, Mich.-based family outfit called Cangles, which, as the same suggests, makes bangle bracelets out of aluminum cans. (Finally, the perfect solution for those who hate the taste of Mountain Dew: Now you can wear the stuff without having to drink it.) Cangles is one of those green startups that’s not only found a plausible use for some of the 36 billion cans that end up in landfills each year but also gives a hefty percent of its profits to Michigan-area charities. It’s also given us a new marketing wrinkle: eco co-branding. The jewelry company got together with the Save the Earth Foundation, which now features its Earth logo as a charm on the recycled bracelets. (A portion of sales will go to benefit the foundation’s educational and research efforts.) So, ladies, now you don’t have to feel as guilty about buying jewelry, because it’s not shopping, it’s recycling.

—Posted by Robert Klara

Britney Spears could be trying to make a statement about airbrushing, or hoping to get her new ad campaign noticed, or letting her sistas know that she, too, has dimples on her thighs. Fact is, she may’ve accomplished all that and more. The pop star, who’s been endorsing the Candie’s fashion line since last spring, with the brand sponsoring her Circus tour, released before-and-after-retouching photos of herself for Candie’s latest print campaign. In the unaltered swimsuit photos, she’s a little bigger, and little less smooth and every bit as hot. The photoshopped pics are glossy and gorgeous. And fantasy. I couldn’t stop comparing the two long enough to pay attention to what the ad is supposed to be selling. Shoes? Hmm. Candie’s will get lots of coverage from this stunt, and Brit Brit will earn some props. If the footwear moves, I’d say that’s a bonus.

—Posted by T.L. Stanley

Barbie got her geek on recently, complete with nerdy glasses and a laptop, but don’t think little girls across the country were responsible for turning the iconic job-hopping doll into a computer engineer. They would’ve rather seen her become an anchorwoman, according to the results of Mattel’s online voting for Barbie’s new job. So, who picked the techy career? Not Barbie’s fans of today, but as we’ll kindly call them, her fans of yesterday. The contest, open to anyone, kicked off in January and gave fans five career choices, including environmentalist and surgeon. During its four-week run, some 600,000 votes were cast, and according to The Wall Street Journal, adult women in tech fields got way into it. They were so passionate about turning Barbie—former fashion model, stewardess, pop singer—into a tech geel that they sent out a collective 1,840 Tweets about it. Groups like the Society of Women Engineers got involved, as did female academics and scientists. In the end, they won the popular vote and even had a say in how computer engineer Barbie would be designed. (That’s her on the left in the photo. No drab lab coats, please!) But since kids always get what kids want, there’s an anchorwoman Barbie coming, too. (She’s on the right.) Check for the anchorwoman this fall and the computer engineer during the winter. And read the fascinating Journal story to see how it all happened.

—Posted by T.L. Stanley

Excuse the cliché, but social media really is changing everything, including the basics of marketing that used to take weeks if not months to execute. Like logo design. That’s why IDesignYourLogo.com caught my attention. It’s a social-based service that designs one logo a day, for one company a day. Then the logo is promoted via social networks and the company’s blog. Here’s how IDesignYourLogo.com works: It started offering its services for $2 on March 1 and has been increasing by $2 every day, through next Feb. 28, when the price will be $730. Co-founder Dana Severson says the service uses social media as its "vehicle for building relationships and extending the logo design for clients into so much more than building a brand." So, are brands buying into the idea? Seems so. IDesignYourLogo.com is booked into May, according to Severson. Some initial clients include charities, a professional soccer player, an actress, a documentary film, a radio station and various other smaller companies/brands that have a small marketing budget to work with.

—Posted by Elena Malykhina

Iron Man is one of the coolest superheroes of our time and returns to the big screen in the upcoming Iron Man 2. It’s no wonder Dr Pepper jumped at the opportunity to create a cross-promotion for the movie, in theaters on May 7. In addition to touting Iron Man gadgets at DrPepper.com, the brand is running this spot via agency Deutsch/LA. Marvel Comic fans will recognize Stan Lee in the role of a Stark Industries custodian. Meanwhile, another custodian gets daring and asks Tony Stark’s computer program to suit him up. But instead of an iron suit, the man ends up in a hi-tech Dr Pepper vending machine. Pretty clever on Dr Pepper’s part, since viewers don’t know it’s a commercial for the soft drink until the end. And a little humor goes a long way in making the ad (and the brand) memorable.

—Posted by Elena Malykhina

America’s sweetheart, Betty White, has got another advertising gig. White, who has experienced a renaissance of late after starring in a well-received Super Bowl ad for Snickers, is now teaming up with SleepBetter.org. That organization, which is "made possible" by Carpenter Co., will use White’s image on the site and in marketing materials. Sadly, White, 88, who is set to host Saturday Night Live on May 8 after viewers mounted a successful Internet campaign around that goal, will not be in any TV commercials for the site or for Carpenter, which manufactures cushioning products like mattress toppers and pillows. She is in good, albeit somewhat random company, however: The singer Jewel teamed up with SleepBetter last year.

—Posted by Todd Wasserman

Microsoft seems to have a penchant for one-syllable product names these days. First there was Zune, then Bing and now Kin. The latter, which is the company’s latest mobile device (which was actually made by Sharp Electronics; Microsoft created the software), appears to be a hit with naming gurus, who point to Microsoft’s mixed track record in this area. Eli Altman, director of strategy for A Hundred Monkeys, dubbed Kin a "pretty good name," though he said it sounds a bit like "they were going for Kindle, but stopped halfway." Athol Foden, president of Brighter Naming, said it’s "short and sweet and—a change for Microsoft—has some human emotion going on." Foden wasn’t as big a fan of Bing, ("What’s a bing?" he asked), but was impressed that Microsoft nailed down a three-letter word, a coup in an age where all the short names seem to have been taken. John Hoeppner, president of NameQuest, agreed that the Kin name was short and easy to pronounce, but he was less enthralled than the others: "Kin doesn’t seem to differentiate the Microsoft product offering from existing telecom products." Does any of this matter, though? After all, lots of people snickered at the iPad’s obvious feminine product connotations, but no one was chuckling last week when the product launched. "The only name Apple really cares about is Apple," said Altman. "Everyone thinks [the iPod and the iPhone] are great names, but in these situations, a name really only serves to get you out of the starting gate."

—Posted by Todd Wasserman

Some chicks sweat, and some perspire. I figure the new ads for Degree Natureffects are aimed at the latter. There’s a lot of talk, after all, about cranberry and orange flower and matching body mists. Very ladylike. The new product, from Degree Women, "celebrates women and hopes to help them release their ‘outdoorphins,’ " says the marketer, adding another piece of ad-speak to the already jam-packed marketing lexicon. The outdoor campaign, in cities like San Francisco, New York, Chicago and Washington, came from the marketer’s research that shows the closer a person lives to nature, the healthier she’s likely to be, and that a touch of nature improves a woman’s mood throughout the day. The study also found that 86 percent of women said they’re more productive if they eat their lunch outside. (There were no stats to tell how many ditched the rest of the day.) The ads, from indie ad and marketing agency Walton/Isaacson, do spruce up some plain-Jane billboard and bus-shelter spaces with girly flowers, botanicals and foliage. See a larger image here. Plastic? Who cares? They’re purty. Look for them to brighten up some dank transportation hubs, and let’s hope the smell-o-vision version is coming up next. Mmmmm, honeysuckle!

—Posted by T.L. Stanley

Summer comes early now, and it’s not global warming’s fault. It’s the annual kickoff of the warm-weather blockbuster cross-promotion season. Since Hollywood decided a few years back that "summer" should officially begin in early May, promo-partner programs start launching just after Easter. In the case of the upcoming Paramount Pictures/Marvel flick Iron Man 2, retail partner 7-Eleven is rolling out its Slurpee, Big Gulp and movie-themed merchandise programs this week. They’ll be in stores for the next two months. There’s also a "Collect Like a Superhero, Live Like a Billionaire" sweepstakes that sends winners to Los Angeles for a peek into the Tony Stark lifestyle, complete with a Rodeo Drive shopping spree and dinner at Spago. (Iron Man hero Stark, who loves the paparazzi, would actually do those things, making this one of the more logical contests of late.) 7-Eleven stores will be hawking DVDs of the first movie, which became a surprise $585 million global success in ’08, and animated shorts from Marvel Entertainment. And there will be enough movie-themed cups—heroes and villains!—for even the thirstiest fan, along with a specially created Invincible Orange Slurpee flavor and character straws. And a new twist: The domed lids on the cups have been crafted to look like Iron Man helmets. (Couldn’t they have found a way to make Scarlett Johansson’s cup curvy and voluptuous like the actress herself? Just curious.) The action flick, also starring Robert Downey Jr., Mickey Rourke and Don Cheadle, opens May 7.

—Posted by T.L. Stanley

Who says you can’t put a price on publicity? The Apple iPad product placement in last week’s episode of the ABC hit sitcom Modern Family might’ve been free, but it sure was worth a chunk of change. Joyce Julius & Associates estimates the iPad hauled in some $650,000 worth of television exposure and another $250,000 from print and Internet stories about the extensive integration. The episode, dubbed "Game Changer," centered on goofy gadget-lover Phil Dunphy and his lust for getting an iPad for his birthday. He did end up with one—he even got to blow out the virtual candles—but not until his family went to extreme lengths to secure the coveted e-tablet. (Faking a terminal illness was involved.) The iPad had nine name checks in the show and appeared on screen for 37 seconds, the research firm said. (A few of those were in the final scene, when Phil stroked his new iPad and professed his love—out loud.) The Apple name itself, in addition to being the Dunphy household’s computer brand of choice, had nine seconds of face time and one verbal reference, according to the research. About 9.5 million people watched the show, during which Apple bought no ads. If it had, it would’ve needed to cough up $130,388 for a 30-second spot. No need for that, though. As usual, Apple wins again.

—Posted by T.L. Stanley

Someone at JetBlue is in a bitchy mood. After Spirit Airlines announced that it will start charging for carry-on luggage on Aug. 1, JetBlue used its "Blue Tales" blog as a platform to drop some cyber-noogies on its rival. The blog pointed to Spirit’s press release and then noted: "In case you were wondering, JetBlue will continue to offer a free first checked bag, not to mention that you can bring your Mickey Mouse ears, your magazine collection, your favorite wrinkle-free slacks, and your lunch onboard." To drive the point home, JetBlue exhumed its Extrago Sherpa Shirt, an item that holds "an entire trip’s worth of necessities, including the $20 you’ll save by not checking a bag," as an alternative for people who fly airlines like Spirit. Since the Sherpa Shirt made its debut a few months ago, there has apparently been some consumer interest in the garment, which resembles the suit that the Tin Man wore in The Wizard of Oz if it were designed by Samsonite. Sadly, the Sherpa Shirt isn’t for sale.

—Posted by Todd Wasserman

Lady Gaga. Gossip Girl. Assassin. Polaroid. What do these things have in common? I asked myself that question during Monday night’s episode of Gossip Girl on the CW. (Big fan—don’t judge me.) And I’ve started to connect the dots, so try to keep up, OK? Lady Gaga had a much-buzzed-about cameo on the soapy series last fall. Then, a couple of months later, she became Polaroid’s creative director and inventor of specialty products. On Monday’s GG, Serena organized an elaborate game of Assassin for hot boyfriend Nate’s birthday. Centerpiece of the game: Polaroids hanging around every player’s neck. Lose your pic, lose your "life." The camera dispensing the photos got screen time, as did plenty of Upper East Siders’ mug shots on Polaroid instant film. Coincidence? I think not. Maybe one of Lady Gaga’s job responsibilities is to get Polaroid placed on as many hip, young TV shows as possible. She already did her part in her own new music video for the single "Telephone." (Or more likely, there’s a deeper relationship between network and brand.) Bloggers and fans are chattering about the episode—"Blair and Chuck broke up? What, what, what?"—but mostly about whether rich prep schoolers in Manhattan would play a nerdy game like Assassin. (Consensus: Sure, why not?) I say it was a prime opportunity for Polaroid placement, and the CW, keen on such deals, took full advantage. Also Monday night: a cool, vintage-looking vignette of Chuck Bass, the ultimate ladies man, sponsored by Vitaminwater, a brand that’s had prominent placement on the show before. CW integration folks, give yourselves a raise!

—Posted by T.L. Stanley

Hewlett-Packard wants you to know that the iPad isn’t the only tablet device out there. Concurrent with Apple’s release, HP has rolled out this 30-second demo showing all the cool stuff it’s Slate gizmo does. As the Silicon Alley Insider notes, this HP blog post doesn’t directly mention Apple but implicitly criticizes the iPad by highlighting Slate features that the iPad lacks, like Adobe Flash and Air support and an implanted camera. The Slate is likely to be priced at $549, more expensive than the cheapest iPad (which is $499). HP, which once licensed Apple’s iPod, clearly has its work cut out for it, but it’s clear that the industry is no longer flat-footed when confronted by Apple’s new high-profile releases.

—Posted by Todd Wasserman

Ah, finally. Next week, KFC begins selling its new "bunless" Double Down chicken sandwich. The Colonel’s latest menu item consists of "two melted slices of Monterey jack and pepper jack cheese and Colonel’s Sauce" sandwiched between two "juicy, boneless white-meat chicken filets." (Choose from original or grilled, which contain 540 and 460 calories, respectively.) The launch follows much consumer buzz and hype about the product since its test introduction in two markets last year. To emphasize the "bunless" aspect, KFC is also donating "unneeded" buns to U.S. food banks. Mm-hm. Cause marketing plus a sandwich with fewer carbs? How can we resist?

—Posted by Elaine Wong

We don’t need much proof that the federal government sucks at almost everything it does. But in case you wanted it, here’s proof that it sucks at marketing, too. A quick survey of the municipal posters aimed at getting people psyched to participate in the 2010 Census reveals some of the most sleep-inducing visual work since Andy Warhol trained a camera at the Empire State Building for 24 straight hours and called it a movie.  

  One poster, spotted at a local post office, features a sexy profile shot of a mailbox and blares the headline: "A Census form will arrive at your home address in March 2010." (We’d better stay home and wait for that, huh maw?) Another, seen recently in Littleton, Colo., makes a photo-montage of a U.S. map—stock headshots, each more thrilling than the last—and asks the cliffhanger question: "Have you been counted?" Perhaps the worst of the lot uses a field of baby blue inexplicably rendered as a film strip and reads: "Come to your senses and fill out your Census." (Wow, lemme at them forms!)  

  Granted, the Census isn’t the most exciting thing in the world to sell to people, but isn’t that exactly where good marketing is needed most? Uncle Sam would have done a lot better to farm this PR job out. Take, for example, what the civil-rights group The Leadership Conference did. Its Census poster shows a silhouette of the Holy Family on their way to Bethlehem on a donkey’s back. "This is how Jesus was born," the headline reminds the faithful. "Joseph and Mary participated in the Census." Now, that’s one marketing message that’s tough to argue with.

—Posted by Robert Klara

As far as puns go, the Le Tigre billboards along the West Side Highway in New York have been fairly tame but still pointed squarely in the direction of philandering pro golfer Tiger Woods. They’re more along the lines of "Heh, that’s sort of funny" than "Oh, snap!" Still, you have to hand it to the marketer for its timeliness. The first campaign showed up in December with the tagline: "Golf needs a Tiger. Let’s get back on course." It promised 20 percent of net profits from polo-shirt sales would go to TheFirstTee.org, a youth program that uses golf to build character. The latest ad, launching as Woods preps his return to the game at the Masters this week (sans Elin!) calls the brand "Golf’s original Tiger. For those who play a round." Get it? The marketer’s upping the ante this time, with 100 percent of polo-shirt proceeds going to help youngsters "get on course" and "stay on course." Probably a lot cheaper than rehab.

—Posted by T.L. Stanley