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June 15, 2012

News for marketing professionals

Breaking News

Brands "gamify" spots with Microsoft's NUads format
Toyota, Samsung and Unilever will be the first brands to use Microsoft's NUads format, ad units that employ Microsoft's gesture- and voice-sensitive Kinect device. Toyota has already said it will create a Camry spot that will include a poll question that can be answered through the NUads connection, and Unilever will initiate NUads for the fragrance Lynx in the U.K. Adweek (6/14), Mashable (6/14)

Company News

Jennie Finch pitches down the middle for Chobani
U.S. Olympic softball pitcher Jennie Finch is first up as a product pitcher for Chobani Champions, a children's yogurt product. The Leo Burnett USA campaign, on television and online, will feature Finch and one of her children in spots with the tagline "Win the day." The New York Times (tiered subscription model) (6/14)

BET lifetime-achievement award will bear Cadillac name
General Motors is putting Cadillac's name on a Black Entertainment Television award for the first time this summer. The Cadillac Lifetime Achievement Award will go to the funk band Maze featuring Frankie Beverly. Other major sponsors of the BET Awards include State Farm and Subway. Advertising Age (tiered subscription model) (6/14)

Hidden Valley touts new formulation in video on BuzzFeed
The campaign for Hidden Valley for Everything, which is designed to be used as a condiment instead of just as salad dressing, has been the first to use online video for a home-page takeover on the digital channel BuzzFeed. Tribal DDB is behind the campaign, which will feature a ketchup-fighting Hidden Valley for Everything character. MediaPost Communications/Marketing Daily (6/14)

Other News

JetBlue, Alaska Airlines continue to lead in customer satisfaction
MediaPost Communications/Marketing Daily (6/14)

Market Trends

Fila and Hasbro are at the forefront of the "brand blocking" trend
This year's Licensing Expo advanced the concept of corporate and entertainment collaborative "brand blocking," writes Michael Stone. The interplay between Fila and Hasbro's "Transformers" franchise exemplifies the new alliances: Fila created a line of bags for the Korean market featuring "Transformers" characters, with the prospect that Hasbro could work with Fila on bags for other entertainment properties. Advertising Age (tiered subscription model) (6/14)

Democrats, GOP are divided on brand preferences
Republicans and Democrats disagree on products and services, too, according to a Buyology survey. GOP voters tend toward BMW, Allstate, History Channel, Major League Baseball, Subway, Dunkin' Donuts and Xbox brands. Democrats prefer Jeep, Progressive, Animal Planet, Wendy's, NFL, Starbucks and Wii. Both parties agree to agree on Olay, Google, Coca-Cola, Visa and Apple. Los Angeles Times (tiered subscription model) (6/14), MediaPost Communications/Marketing Daily (6/14)

Other News

Vermont, Oregon are the top states for craft-beer breweries
Advertising Age (tiered subscription model) (6/14)

Interactive

Meme-licensing business can bring in big bucks
Some creators of "memes" -- tidbits of recognizable Internet content -- are making money licensing them, writes David Sax. Ben Lashes and Viral Spiral manage meme-licensing businesses that scour the Internet for prospects and sell the rights to reference memes to brands such as Lipton, Nokia and Nike. "Properly exploited, some memes can bring in anywhere from a few thousand dollars for a single licensed broadcast of a popular video to six figures for an integrated marketing campaign based around a meme," Sax writes. Bloomberg Businessweek (6/14)

Lexus creates virtual golf game for U.S. Open site
Lexus expects to drive some 100 million impressions through its U.S. Open golf online sponsorship. Lexus is promoting the RX 350 F Sport model with a free online golf game that replicates the U.S. Open course, as well as interactive ads. The game "is a fun way for Lexus to message to potential car buyers," says WealthEngine's James Dean. Luxury Daily (6/15)

Gucci taps QR codes to engage consumers with a new line of watches
QR codes on Facebook, Google+ and a video on a Gucci microsite lead users to information about the luxury brand's new line of I-Gucci Sport watches. The site is interactive, allowing users to test various functions of the watches. Luxury Daily (6/14)

Featured Content

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5 SEO Tricks to Build Your Brand Dan Schawbel

Making Freelancers Feel Like Family Alexandra Levit

AAF Spotlight

AAF AdCamp
AdCamp is an education initiative to teach high school students about professional opportunities in the advertising industry. AAF will act as host to this program again after a highly successful launch this past summer in Chicago. Sponsors, students and parents alike could not say enough positive things about the AdCamp program. This year, we will be host to an AdCamp in Chicago (June 18 to 29) and Washington, D.C. (July 9 to 20). Minority scholarships are also available to qualifying multicultural students interested in pursuing advertising as a career.
More details and applications can be found at www.aaf.org/adcamp. Spread the word to colleagues, friends, family and neighbors who have students of high school age within their household! Don't miss out this summer! Spaces are limited.

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SmartQuote

There is no such thing as a mass mind. The mass audience is made up of individuals, and good advertising is written always from one person to another. When it is aimed at millions, it rarely moves anyone."

--Fairfax Cone, member, Advertising Hall of Fame

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