July 2012
45 posts
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Tell Me Something I Don’t Know: You Can Now View...
By: Arfa Rehman Crate & Barrel’s new 3D Room Designer is like a fitting room – for your furniture. It allows you to view a piece of furniture in a room in your house. How? Simply take a picture of a room and email it to your nearest Crate & Barrel store with the room’s dimensions. The 3D Room Designer then digitally cleans up your room, removing the furniture and allowing you to place...
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Can Technology Disrupt Democracy?
By: Eric Hamblett
A new collaboration between CNN and Facebook is set to make voting more social. The two are creating an application named “I’m Voting” that will enable Facebook users to endorse specific candidates and issues. Users can commit to voting for a candidate and then have this information displayed on their timeline and news feed. CNN hosts are expected to use the...
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Most-Shared Ads on YouTube
By: Arfa Rehman Mashable brings you a list of the 10 most-shared ads on YouTube in the month of June 2012. Topping the list with around 9 million views is Abercrombie & Fitch’s ad, featuring male models from its Flagship stores all around the world lip-syncing and dancing to Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Call Me Maybe”. Others that made the list include Microsoft’s ad for its new tablet Surface, Nokia...
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Ramadan’s Effect on the 2012 Olympics
By: Benjamin Schechner
The Olympic games opened on July 27th 2012, eight days after July 19th 2012 or the beginning of Ramadan. Ramadan is the holiest month of the Islamic calendar and many observe this month long holiday by fasting from dawn to sunset. This disruption in eating will no doubt have an effect on Muslim athletes but I wonder, how will it affect commercials and marketing during the...
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Tell Me Something I Don’t Know: Wenlock is the...
By: Pharyl Weiner
Unveliled on May 19, 2010, Wenlock – an animated depiction of a drop of steel from a steelworks in Bolton (a town in Greater Manchester) – is the mascot of this year’s Olympics. The mascot is named after the Shropshire town of Much Wenlock. You can see the full backstory here.
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The Million Dollar Potato Chip
By: Alyssa Birnbaum
Times Square is often a hub for PR stints. When I came across the Frito-Lay’s “Do Us A Flavor” campaign strategically parked there last Friday (un-strategically caught in a rainstorm), I was annoyed that I had to maneuver with an umbrella through even more tourist traffic than usual. Little did I know that actress/restaurateur Eva Longoria and Food Network Iron Chef Michael...
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Cut or Be Cut
By: Shayna Makaron
Just wanted to take a moment to point out this new Project Runway promo. Heidi, you look great as usual, but Lifetime’s new logo and tagline is supposed to “evoke an aspirational tone and bolder spirit” that reflects the “dramatic cultural changes occurring among women.”* I thought maybe those “dramatic cultural changes” would include NOT objectifying the female body and...
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When Pop Culture Explodes In Our Face
By: Alaina Paciulli
I woke up Friday morning to two kinds of Facebook posts. The first kind were posting about how awesome the new Batman movie was. I have my fair share of geek/scifi/Wednesday comic book fans and they had all gone to midnight screenings of Dark Knight Rising. I am a not so closeted geek myself so I instantly sent a text to my babysitter asking if she would watch my girls on...
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There's No Such Thing as a Free Ring
By: Jess Ochs-Willard
If you aren’t Coca-Cola, McDonalds, Visa, or one of eight other companies that shelled out a combined $1.1 billion to become an official global sponsor of the 2012 Summer Games, it’s going to be mighty hard to sell your products in London this August. As a part of its bid to host the event, the British capital has agreed to set up “brand exclusion zones” around many event...
On Demand Ice Cream
By: Arfa Rehman
Last week, people in 8 different cities were able to hail an Uber-rented ice cream truck with the click of a button on their smartphones. Uber is an on-demand car service that allows you to request a ride at any time by either setting your pickup location on the Uber app, or typing in your address on the Uber mobile website. As part of an elaboriate marketing scheme, Uber rented...
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Precision Hydration: The New Direction of the...
By: Mindy Weiss
With all the talk about the upcoming Olympics, I have seen many online articles that depict the lifestyle and training methods of Olympic-level athletes. One such article describes a new service in the United Kingdom called Precision Hydration, in which athletes can be tested to determine how much sodium they lose per mg of sweat. The technology was originally created to monitor...
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Work Out with Olympic Athletes through Facebook
By: Arfa Rehman
If you need of motivation to get fit, Healthy Share could help. The app, result of a partnership between GE and Facebook, allows you to add your fitness goals to your Facebook timeline. Logging your daily dietary and fitness choices into the app allows you and all your Facebook friends to track your progress. You even have the option to work out with four Olympians - Kevin...
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WatchThis Exquisite Art Project
By: Marjorie Kalomeris
Google’s Creative Lab and London’s Tate Modern art gallery have teamed up to create “This Exquisite Forest”, a digital art project inspired by the French Surrealist exercise entitled “This Exquisite Corpse”. In the creative writing exercise, writers add a word onto a sentence without seeing the language preceding it, often creating nonsensical...
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NBA To Accept Ads on Uniforms
By: Eric Hamblett
Following its Board of Governors meeting, the NBA has tentatively approved placing advertisement patches on team uniforms. They are planned to be sewn on the shoulder area of jerseys and be implemented for the 2013-14 season. NBA Deputy Commissioner, Adam Silver, reported that the ads could generate at least $100 million for the NBA and its 30 teams. This decision will make...
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Tell Me Something I Don’t Know: Pepsi’s Original...
By: Benjamin Schechner
Like most sodas, Pepsi originated as a drink in a drug store’s soda fountain. Pepsi’s birthplace was Caleb Bradham’s pharmacy in North Carolina. As a tribute to himself, Caleb called his creation, Brad’s drink. However, he later decided to rename the drink based on its ingredients: carbonated water, sugar, pepsin, vanilla, cola nuts and rare oils. Thus, Pepsi Cola, named...
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PETA Protesting Mario Through Flash
By: Benjamin Schechner
After living in New York City for a year, I have realized that activists and organizations will protest almost anything. As a result, I’m not surprised when PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) decided to protest Mario, my favorite video character of all time. One of Mario’s famous outfits, besides the Fire Flower uniform, is the tanooki suit. This suit...
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Tell Me Something I Don’t Know: The Brand Name...
By: Benjamin Schechner
The broadband and telecommunication company, Verizon, is actually a combination of the Latin word for truth, veritas, and the English word horizon. In this manner, the company, Verizon, sends its vision to consumers; Verizon stands for truth and forward thinking within the telecommunication industry. Also, the creation of Verizon shows two very common trends that are used...
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Logo Makeovers
By: Arfa Rehman
If you get excited about logo makeovers like me and want to be enlightened about the origins of some of today’s most prominent logos, this is a post for you. Stock Logos’ new list shows us the current and original logos of some of the world’s biggest and most famous companies – including Firefox’s original phoenix, as well as Isaac Newton sitting under an apple tree in Apple’s old...
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Subliminal Coconut Water
By: Benjamin Schechner
Recently I was on the subway and as I normally do when I am alone on the subway, I started reading the overhead advertisements. One ad that was particularly interesting was the advertisement for NYC Consumer Affairs. It has a picture of an older man named Sal in a somewhat industrial setting. However, what was interesting to me was not really the message or what was in...
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Tell Me Something I Don’t Know: The First...
By: Arfa Rehman
Amnesty International’s anti-domestic violence ad installed in Hamburg, Germany in 2009 was the first of its kind – it responded to people looking at it. The poster used an eye-tracking camera to change the image as soon as someone looked directly at the poster. An innovative approach to reinforcing the message that domestic violence “happens when nobody is watching.” Photo...
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Tell Me Something I Don’t Know: The Original...
By: Benjamin Schechner
One man, Roy Raymond, felt so uncomfortable and embarrassed while shopping for lingerie for his wife that he was driven to change the system. As a result, he opened the first Victoria’s Secret in Palo Alto, California. Through the design of the store, specifically the layout and wood paneled walls, the store was supposed to create a comfortable environment for men to shop...
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Google Shows Worldwide Support for LGBT Community
By: Benjamin Schechner
Google recently launched a worldwide initiative called Legalize Love where Google plans to form partnerships with pro LGBT companies and grass roots organizations, especially in countries that discriminate against homosexuals. It was originally launched in Poland and Singapore, two countries known for their strict policies against the LGBT community. A spokesperson claims...
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Tell Me Something I Don’t Know: There are multiple...
By: Rachel Metter
As Friday the 13th rolls around for the 3rd time this year (Mayan apocalypse, anyone?) we take a look at the origins of one of the most common superstitions. There are multiple theories about the exact origins of the “knock on wood” phenomenon. It’s been proposed that it came from ancient times when trees were considered sacred. Another belief is that knocking on wood prevents...
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Tell Me Something I Don't Know: The World’s...
By: Marjorie Kalomeris Fitting in well with their key concept of space management, IKEA created the world’s smallest store—on a web banner. When you hover your mouse over the advertisement, the tiny pictures magnify to reveal 2,800 IKEA products. Click on any of these pictures and get redirected to the page where you can purchase the product. This space-conscious company sure knows how to use...
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YouTube Launches 'Marketplace' to Connect Stars...
By: Eric Hamblett
YouTube wants to create a formal revenue stream for its most dedicated creators and is launching marketplace to do so. Since 2007, the company has partnered with users via shared ad revenue and today thousands of channels are generating over six figures. In this new marketplace, a selected group of users will be able to create profiles with their work history. Advertisers and...
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World’s Best Print Ads
By: Arfa Rehman AdWeek has compiled a list of 2011-2012’s best print ads from around the world. The list consists of 38 Grand Prix and Gold winning entries from the Cannes Lions Festival and includes campaigns by Ray Ban, Volkswagen, Benetton and Amnesty International (my personal favorite). Have a look here
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A healthy new ad category
By: Kati Schultheis
Politicians and pundits will no doubt continue to debate the merits of the latest developments surrounding the Affordable Care Act, as individuals will now be required to buy health insurance coverage. For those of us in ad land, one of the biggest impacts will likely be the development of a new category — individual health policies for consumers. According to the Kaiser...
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iPads Everywhere
By: Jess Ochs-Willard
In an effort to attract more customers, businesses all around the world are making the iPad a part of their customer experience. Restaurants like Stacked – a burger and pizza chain based in CA – are using Apple’s flagship tablet as a menu and ordering device; Let’s Yo, a frozen yogurt franchise based in NJ preloads the devices with games and tethers one to every table;...
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Tell Me Something I Don’t Know: Apple Store Tilts...
By: Arfa Rehman
The new MacBook Pro on display in Apple stores is tilted 70 degrees. Why that exact angle? Carmine Gallo’s research on the Apple Store experience reveals that the reason the screens in an Apple Store are angled the way they are, apart from aesthetic reasons, is to invite customers to engage with their products. Apple Store employees use an iPhone app to tilt all screens to the...
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MINI Opens Traveling Stores
By: Eric Hamblett
MINI has opened 10 new stores in Paris, but these shops are on the go! Unlike traditional brick and mortar showrooms, MINI is bringing their latest models directly to consumers. They have placed ‘MINI Store’ signs atop designated cars to let Parisians know they can take them for a spin. Inside the vehicles, brochures and a salesman patiently await. This creative...
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Socially Progressive Advertising
By: Yael Warach
Even with a background in Women, Gender & Sexuality Studies, I was stunned when I saw one of the new Gap “Be Bright Be One” campaign ads. Walking down Broadway, I couldn’t help but consider what a monumental shift this is—not only for the gay community, but also for the mental conscience of the advertising industry. The ad, featured above, shows a gay...
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5 Years Later: Effects of the Outdoor Advertising...
By: Marjorie Kalomeris
In 2007, in an attempt to alleviate “visual pollution,” the city of São Paulo banned all outdoor advertising. This “Clean City Law” was the first step in an overall cleanup of the extremely polluted city. Many say the feel of São Paulo has since changed dramatically, but due to the large size of the city, it has proved itself to be a difficult law to enforce. According to...
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Tell Me Something I Don’t Know: The names of the...
By: Ellen Pratt
The names were withheld to protect the signers. If independence from Great Britain had not been achieved, the signers would have been guilty of treason, a transgression punishable by death.
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Tell Me Something I Don’t Know: Since it’s...
By: Yael Warach
In May 2012, the German company known for its widely popular alcohol (and too-funny to prounce name) finally aired its product on television. could be found in most bars but never on TV. Amanda Blanco, brand manager for Jägermeister and VP at Sidney Frank Importing Co. commented, “We felt that it was important to speak to our core consumer [of 21- to 29-year-old men], and in order...
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Tell Me Something I Don’t Know: IKEA Font Change...
By: Arfa Rehman
“Sometimes I get emotional over fonts.” - @kanyewest So do I, Kanye. And so do a lot of us. IKEA’s switch from Futura to Verdana in 2009, often referred to as the IKEA Font War, garnered a huge uproar from the online public. The ordeal caused Verdana to quickly become a trending topic on Twitter, as well as the launch of an online petition to replace the font. Reasons for the...
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