One wacky little dude
Ethan (29) translates his 5-year-old brother Malachai's imagination into a comic http://www.axecop.com/ (source: The Very Short List, 2/26/10)

I'll have some Skittles and save the akiapola'au
84% of consumers say selecting their own cause is important when determining support for a company's cause efforts. (source: Cone via Ad Age, 3/2/10)

Fidel's gonna be mad
2% of Americans (about 6 million people) believe Cuba is a close US ally. (source: Harris Poll)

What would you do with 5 more hours in your work week?
CMOs, according to a CMO Club survey, would spend it with customers (44%), alone thinking (36%), with their marketing team (14%), with peers (3%), with their agencies (3%). (source: Fast Company, 2/24/10)

Just a Slurpee, please
C-store shoppers are the least likely to make an impulse purchase. (source: Instore Marketing, March 2010)

Small snack, big hit
The story of Kit Kat's innovation and outsized success in Japan is too long to tell here, but definitely worth a click-through http://adage.com/globalnews/article?article_id=142461 (source: Ad Age, 3/4/10)

Here comes the sun
Tropicana goes a long way to make a point, and brings light and vitamins to NW Canada http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abkIIypRWv4

Method to the madness
Why did David Lee Roth demand there be no brown M&Ms backstage at Van Halen shows? Because if there were, that meant the venue crew hadn't given VH's inches-thick, highly technical contract proper consideration. Wherever he found brown M&Ms, he was guaranteed to find flaws in the electrical set-up which could wreck the show. Diva, not. Meticulous showman with a clever shortcut, absolutely. (source: Fast Company, 3/1/10)

Everybody tweet
Marketers predict that by 2015, nearly 20% of their budget will be devoted to social marketing. (source: CMO Study by Duke U and AMA via eMarketer, 3/2/10)

Bossnap
(bôs nap) vt. [French] 1. to take a manager hostage in order to exert pressure in negotiations over wages or job cuts. The latest: two German managers napped by union workers in Lyon because the Siemens plant there is going to cut its staff by half. The company is refusing to negotiate until the managers are freed. (source: Reuters, 3/2/10)

Greening the Empire
The Empire State Building is getting new energy-efficient windows, but the old ones won't be leaving the tower. From glass washers to film stretchers to ovens, Serious Materials created a pop-up factory on the building's 5th floor to re-process and re-build the old ones, all 6,514 of them http://www.inc.com/articles/2010/03/serious-materials-greens-empire-state-building.html (source: Inc., 3/4/10)

Play like a Brazilian
Buy Nike's new Mercurial Vapor SuperFly II football boot (aka soccer shoe) and get access to top Brazilian players and coaches who'll teach you their training secrets via exclusive online sport camps. Bad name, cool promo. Learn about the splashy launch here http://www.soccerfanatic.com/SFCBlog/soccer_gear/mercurial-vapor-superfly-ii-nike-soccer-london-launch-event-recap/

Sputter and hum
This classic motorcycle, one of the first ever produced, is expected to auction for between $65K and $100K. It had 2.5hp and went about 30mph -- pretty bad-ass for 1890. (source: Motorcycle Classics, March/April 2010)

Jerry's back
Who will replace the Governator in 2011? This week, Jerry Brown announced his candidacy for what has to be the scariest job in America. Dust off the Dead Kennedys! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjMptzRVjw0

Oh, it's on
Private labels have made huge gains at retail and national brands are fighting back with marketing dollars. At the Consumer Analyst Group of New York conference marketers from Kraft to Procter & Gamble and General Mills promised bigger investments in advertising, in-store promotion, shelf signage, coupons, and packaging. Some brands are already rolling: Heinz was up 40% last quarter. Hershey's 50% in '09 overall with plans for another 30% hike this year. (source: Ad Age, 2/18/10)

Ode to an elm
This is much more than the story of a massive, ancient tree finally succumbing to disease. It's a 50-year romance http://www.csmonitor.com/The-Culture/Gardening/2010/0112/New-England-s-oldest-elm-tree-to-be-chopped-down

Americans trust and recommend...
Amazon, FedEx, Downey, Huggies, Tide, Tylenol, Toyota, WebMC, Pampers, and UPS. Based on a new survey from Millward Brown. This is important because the study also found that in a rough economy, people are very reluctant to spend on brands they don't trust. And they're much more likely to bond with brands they do. (source: Marketing Daily, 2/23/10)

Where not to find moms
Reading the newspaper, watching TV, or flipping through a magazine.

Mancakes
What does a laid-off Wall Street lawyer do next? When David Arrick ran out of money to eat out, he started cooking. Next thing you know, he's pumping out pastry for real men http://www.butchbakery.com/ (source: Wall Street Journal, 2/25/10)

The power of Twizzlers
In Mobile, AL, a 33-year-old man broke into a car to steal a purse to use a stolen check to buy Twizzlers at Walmart. For now he's going to jail. Later, parole and brand ambassadorship? (source: WKRG-TV, 2/22/10)

Speaking of happy snackers
Check out this gorgeous spot from Pedigree. Pure joy captured in slo-mo http://creativity-online.com/work/pedigree-catch/19004 . (source: Creativity)

How many stabs equal a workable idea?
In the case of http://mystarbucksidea.force.com/ , 80K suggestions have been submitted so far. 50 have been implemented. (source: Ad Age, 2/23/10)

Who knew?
Asics stands for "anima sana in corpore sano," aka "sound mind, sound body." The company is using that tagline as the theme for their new campaign touting the cleansing power of sport. (source: Brandweek, 2/22/10)

High tech meets salmonella
A look inside American refrigerators http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB20001424052748703503804575083453336699386-lMyQjAyMTAwMDIwNDEyNDQyWj.html (source: Wall Street Journal, 2/24/10)

The shelf-talker made me do it
What makes people try new products? Merchandising (39%), promotions (31%), referrals (22%), advertising (8%). (source: Progressive Grocer/Market Force Information, 2/23/10)

One man's treasure
Hoping for a bigger piece of the $40 billion Spring Break pie, Panama City, FL, is launching an integrated program promoting itself as the "spring break capitol of the world." Meanwhile, Daytona and Ft. Lauderdale have all but barricaded themselves to keep the drunken masses out http://pcbeachspringbreak.com/ (source: Ad Age, 2/24/10)

What the?
Ziggy is not melting. It's a blobfish, and he looks so sad because he's endangered. Though not edible, the crabs and such in his Down Under neighborhood are, so he gets netted with them. (source: Christian Science Monitor)

Now for something much prettier
http://www.culturecheesemag.com/ArtoftheRind

Brother, can you spare some diapers?
If you're receiving unemployment benefits and you have the paperwork to prove it, Kmart will give you 20% off any Kmart-branded merchandise. (source: POP Design, Jan/Feb 20101)

99 and still clipping
The world's oldest barber, Anthony Mancinelli. The cost of a haircut has gone up nearly 5,000% since he started trimming at age 12, and some of his original customers now send their great-grandchildren his way http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/16/nyregion/16barber.html

Death by burger
Heart Stoppers Sports Grill features waitresses dressed like naughty nurses and menu items like Chest Pain Chili Fries. Anyone over 350lbs gets a free meal, possibly their last.

The Tao of soup
Campbell's has redesigned their red labels based on biometrics http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704804204575069562743700340.html?mod=dist_smartbrief (source: WSJ, 2/17/10 via Mary G. Tx, Mary)

eMail not dead
Social media users still check their personal email frequently: 4x a day (42%), 2-3x (32%), 1x (16%). That's more email checking than non-soc-net users. (source: eMarketer, 2/3/10)

Life in the margins
"The history of pretty much everything," a 21,000-page flip-book video produced by 17-year-old Jamie Bell for his high school art class, has pulled over a million views http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNYZH9kuaYM&feature=player_embedded

Lovely when wet
A table cloth that gets prettier when your guests spill on it. Clever Norwegians. (source: notcot.org via Ann McAllister. Tx, Ann)

HEMI empowerment
Dodge tries a little role reversal
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2pgSuhzOCo
Interesting contrast to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RyPamyWotM
Then there's the spoof
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ou5Ens-qNRc&feature=player_embedded#

Perspective
The Haiti earthquake killed about 2.5% of the nation's population and injured more than that, making it proportionally the most destructive natural disaster ever recorded. To give you an idea what that ratio would look like in the US, kill everyone in greater Atlanta, greater Rochester, and greater Las Vegas, then damage most everyone in NYC, all in about 35 seconds.

A new approach from Nike
Broadcast during the Olympic opening ceremony http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPO354_ugF8&feature=player_embedded (source: Vince. Tx, Vince)

Out of the box
No longer must UPCs be boring rectangles. I like this idea so much, I had to re-post it from the Daily P. Check out some of the stock shapes http://www.vanitybarcodes.com/ . They also offer custom codes. (source: interns. Yay, interns)

A touch of MBA
I've never thought of the Grateful Dead from a business case study perspective, but they truly are a phenomenally innovative and still surprisingly relevant brand. See what the academics have to say http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/201003/grateful-dead-archives

We ROC!
Despite what many may think, we are NOT on this list. Sorry Cleveland and Buffalo http://www.forbes.com/2010/02/11/americas-most-miserable-cities-business-beltway-miserable-cities_slide.html

Logorama
I wanted to bring you the whole short film, but it's been pulled from everywhere now that it's Oscar nominated. Very Tarantino. Michelin Man vs. Ronald McDonald. A brand manager's worst nightmare. Trailer will have to do - at least you'll get a little Dean Martin in your day http://www.logorama-themovie.com/

It's bacon! Bacon, bacon, bacon!
Despite being one of the worst things you can eat, it's on all of this year's food and flavor trend lists. It's in chocolates and cocktails. Even in envelope flaps and lip balm. From the guys who brought the world bacon salt, here's more smokin'-good (and bonus, kosher) products http://www.jdfoods.net/products/mmmvelopes.php . (source: Elaine.) And a bacon-obsessive's blog http://bacontoday.com/ complete with dessert recipes.

Must do better
Clients don't think their traditional agencies are doing a very good job of digital. In a recent survey, half gave them poor to so-so ratings. Only 3% said they were excellent. Check out the full "Clients' Perspective on Agencies" study here http://www.adweek.com/aw/photos/stylus/125186-Survey.pdf (source: Adweek/RSW US, 2/8/10)

Kid kredit
Now your child, no matter how young, can buy stuff like imaginary Alpo ($3) or a rustic bungalow ($333) for online game pets through Kwedit.com. Game fans, mostly tween girls, can pay off their fake purchases at 7-Eleven. Foo Pets, with about 1 million current members and 20K-ish joining every day, encourages participants to take their responsibility to care for their fake pets seriously because they're real online. Americans spent over $1 billion on virtual goods last year. Kwedit's founders hope their credit system becomes more widely accepted, so even though credit to minors is non-binding, they are compiling credit scores on all their little clients. Seriously, have we learned nothing? (source: NY Times, 2/7/10) http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/07/business/07digi.html?ref=business

Typo of the week
Yikes. Thank you for a good laugh, Marketing Daily

Tubas rock
Every generation needs a marching band pop song. Here's OK Go's version with the Notre Dame band http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJKythlXAIY (source: The Very Short List, 2/11/10).
For those of you too young to remember the last one, here's Fleetwood Mac with USC http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHRWi6vSV-E&feature=PlayList&p=00CFC80D27F6C6BC&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=36

At least it wasn't Go Daddy
This is the TV commercial with the largest viewing audience of all time. 116, 231,920 people watched it Super Bowl Sunday http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNH2lCoau-k . (source: Media Daily, 2/10/10)

Bush nostalgia
Proving once again that you don't need a big budget when you have the internet and a compelling conversation-starter, this lone billboard in rural MN spawned one of the most-researched topics on Google Tuesday and has generated a ton of press. (source: Christian Science Monitor, 2/10/10)

You're glowing
Especially in the afternoon, around your lips and cheeks. Humans are bioluminescent. (source: Discover, March 2010)

53
According to cognitive researchers, that's the age when we're at the peak of our financial decision-making prowess -- experience meets brain cell freshness. There's still time to plot your killer deal. (source: PBS Nightly Business Report, 2/8/10)

WOM less powerful
The recession has made us more skeptical, even of our friends. Only 25% of us think peers are a credible source of information, down from 45%. WOM is still a useful tool in the marketing arsenal, but more people are going to need more supporting evidence before they make their purchasing decisions. (source: Ad Age/Edelman Trust Barometer, 2/8/10)

Not tasty
The first time I saw this ad for honey & yogurt online, I thought it was clever. The honey drips down, but the yogurt doesn't proving it premise of being "ridiculously thick." But now that I've noticed that the honey invades the ad below it, in this case running down the model's arm, I'm just ooked. They were going for sexy and didn't get there. Knowing that Beeberg & Co. is a fake company and part of the yogurt ad doesn't make it any better. (source: NY Times.com)

Rare and cold
Scientists sent to conserve the hut used in 1909 by Ernest Shackelton during his failed attempt to reach the South Pole have rescued his stash of whiskey and brandy. The current master blender for the whiskey brand Whyte & Mackay doesn't know how well the hooch will have cellared under those extreme conditions, but he's going to attempt to reverse engineer it to rediscover the long-lost blend. (source: NY Times, 2/5/10)

It's about the shoes
These days, Stephon Marbury is playing for the Chinese coal mining city of Tiayuan. The most "Ma Bu Li" is allowed to earn in the government-owned league is $60K/month - clearly not why he's there. He's there to sell shoes and other Starbury gear to the estimated 300 million Chinese basketball players. The NBA didn't like his attitude, but if his kicks take off in China, (And how could they not? He's one of their best players and he's got the brand logo tattooed on his shaved head.), he'll be getting the last laugh. (source: Wall Street Journal, 1/28/10)

Hard times call for hard liquor
In 2009, value brands of distilled spirits were up overall 1.4%, mostly taking share from more expensive brands. However, the category also took share from wine and beer. Irish whiskey was they biggest winner, growing 10%, with tequila at #2 (up 5%), vodka (4.9%), and brandy/cognac (3.3%). Canadian whiskey, blended scotch, and liqueur/cordials were down slightly. High-end tequila held its own against the lower end because, well, yuck. (source: Wall Street Journal/Distilled Spirits Council of the US, 2/2/10)

Rumbly
There have been over 1,600 tiny earth quakes in Yellowstone National Park since January 17. Although they're keeping close watch, geologists say the swarm of quakes is not a sign of an imminent eruption in the park's massive caldera which last blew a few tens of thousands of years ago. The park record is 3,000 quakes in 3 months in 1985. When it does pop, the blast is expected to blanket nearly half of the US in ash. (source: NY Times, 1/30/10)

Manned up
For managing to make dorky-cutie Peyton Manning look tough and soulful, almost grizzled, Wheaties Fuel package designer, I salute you.

You'll want to eat the whole thing
I've been following this guy's blog for about a year and not only are the recipes fantastic (yet not too complex), but the photos are to drool for. http://closetcooking.blogspot.com/

Cocoa crack
Today is world Nutella day. Slather up and celebrate 47 years of hazelnutty deliciousness. (source: Fast Company, February 2010)

Your carbon footprint is tearing us apart
According to Iconoculture, eco-awakening is becoming a bone of contention for friends and couples. Instead of infidelity, refusal to recycle could be grounds for a divorce.

Let's hear it for the humanities
Some business schools are restructuring their programs to be more liberal arts-like. The big R made them realize that numbers alone do not an ethical, critical-thinking corporate citizen make. (source: NY Times, 1/9/10)

YouTube is the world's #2 search engine behind Google. Wow. (source: Ad Age, 2/1/10)

Be afraid in Colorado
Men's Health published its annual Drunkest Cities report. This is no party guide. The study tallies stats like binge drinking, crashes, DUI, and liver disease. Denver's most drunk. Durham's least drunk. ATL, you'd better watch yourselves at #12. And Rochester, you're #25, but I wouldn't advise driving I-90W ‘cause Buffalo's #3. Go Bills. Interactive map here http://www.menshealth.com/drunk/

Product of the Year awards
It's the Oscars of the CPG set. This teeny one-time-use tooth-brush-and-gel combo won in the "oral care" category. http://tinyurl.com/yesmweqhttp://tinyurl.com/yesmweq (source: Fast Company, 2/2/10)

My ever shrinking Valentine
This year Americans are expecting to spend about $63 on their honey. Last year it was $67. Before that $102...$223... (source: National Retail Federation)

Kid power
Finally somebody's figured out how to harness the energy of those little perpetual motion machines. A group of Harvard students has created a soccer ball that stores energy from the kicks it receives (3 hours of LED light for every 15 minutes of play). The Soccket prototype has been tested in South Africa. They may do a buy-one-share-one program in the West to cover the cost of getting the balls to people in developing countries. Now the kids will be able to do homework at night after they play. (source: Springwise, 2/4/10)

Tarp pants
No, not trousers purchased by bankers with fat, tax-supported bonuses, but pants made from an actual tarp. More specifically, a Sony billboard tarp. The one-of-a-kind jeans were hung back up where the billboard had been and guys in rock climbing gear brought down ones that buyers selected. The profits were further recycled -- Sony donated the money to preserve world landmarks. Full story here http://creativity-online.com/news/behind-the-work-sony-recycle-project-jeans/141754 (source: Creativity via Elaine. Tx, Elaine)

Shoe whisperer
Can't find just the right pumps? A NYC clairvoyant and part-time shoemaker will help you get that perfect pair out of your head and onto your feet by sketching what's in your mind and then assisting you with the construction. One recent customer created a pair of ruffled silver brocade mules fit for Louis XIV for his wife for their wedding anniversary. (source: NY Times, 2/4/10)

Smacked down
There are two more victims in the brutal Walmart vendor-reduction cage match. After an ad-blitz showdown, the chain's decided that Hefty and Glad food bags and containers have no place on their shelves. Ziploc and the store brand, Great Value, survive to fight another day. (source: Ad Age, 2/4/10)

Mr. Salty looks for love in more places:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdP45YMfIhI&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0-IHSWn9yU

Maybe he can work at Hollister
Retail sales are expected to grow about 2.5% this year according to the National Retail Federation and a bunch of other researchers and pundits. Last year was minus 2.5%. (source: Marketing Daily, 1/28/10)

Pop yourself happy
Bubble wrap celebrates its 50th. The inventor was inspired by clouds which seemed to cushion the jostling of the small plane he was in. Not only does it keep stuff from breaking, but a psychological study find that the popping sound reduces stress and leaves the popper feeling less tired. KO your tension here http://www.bubblewrapfun.com/assets/games/bubblePop.html (source: NYTimes, 1/25/10)

One-buck Chucks
Adidas is planning to produce sneakers that sell for 1 euro. The shoes will debut in Bangladesh. It's a marketing double play: Invest in good publicity in developed markets today and brand integration in developing markets for higher-priced sales tomorrow. (source: Trendwatching)

Holy cogitating polyphletics, Batman!
To test the problem-solving ability of slime mold, Japanese scientists challenged one to recreate a super-efficient human system, the Tokyo railway. They placed 36 pieces of food (white specs) where the region's cities are and plopped the mold (yellow spec) in Tokyo's place, then waited to see how it would build its feeding tubes. Instead of the many years humans needed to perfect the system, old slimy managed the task in just 26 hours. And the pattern was nearly identical to the human version. (source: Science, 1/25/10)

The Whopper hangover
Burger King is trying out a new concept, an adult Happy Meal of sorts - a Whopper and a beer from A-B or MillerCoors for $7.99. If all goes well with its debut in South Beach, the Whopper Bar will roll out in NY, LA, and LV. (source: USA Today, 1/22/10)

Can't beat ‘em, buy ‘em
The Humane Society has purchased an undisclosed amount of stock in Dominos, the world's #2 pizza maker. Their hope is to change from the inside how the pigs and chickens the chain uses in their food are treated before they become pepperoni and hot wings. (source: Pizza Marketplace, 1/25/10)

Whew, dodged another one
Statistically, the third Monday in January is the most depressing day of the year. British behavioral scientists developed a mathematical formula taking into account weather, debt, monthly salary, time since Christmas, time since failed quit attempt, low motivation levels, and the need to take action...and presto change-o, by that day (1/18 this year), we're kicking ourselves for spending too much money on presents, not following through with our New Year's resolutions, and counting the days til the next holiday. So cheer up, the worst is over. (source: MSNBC via Ashley. Tx.)

Coupons a-leaping
The finally tally for 2009 is +27%. This is the first time in 17 years that coupon use grew. (source: Marketing Daily, 1/26/10)

Service
A JetBlue passenger at JFK tweeted that he thought he'd left his sunglasses at a security gate. Shortly, somebody from JetBlue located him, though alas not the specs, to let him know they'd checked it out. (source: The Consumerist, 127/10)

Origami app
Map Squared has employed some nifty geometry to lick the awkwardness of paper maps. Any way you open it, you get all the detail without all the fuss. They started with London; masochists clearly. Photo's boring, design solution's genius. More folding details http://www.fastcompany.com/blog/cliff-kuang/design-innovation/very-low-tech-zoomable-map
(source: Fast Company via Coolhunting.com via Ryan Haigh. Tx.)

Same ole same ole
Last year food and beverage new product launches dropped 30% due to the economy and just too many existing products in some categories. Side dishes, like veggie steam bags, were one of the few categories that grew (16%). (source: QSR/Mintel, 1/26/10)

Wheeeeee
Base jumper and all-around crazy man Felix Baumgartner will attempt to break the world parachuting record by jumping from a balloon at least 120,000 feet. He expects to also break the sound barrier. A pressure suit should keep him from swelling up and blacking out. Stay tuned for views from the helmet cam. Sponsored by Red Bull, of course http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8475288.stm (source: BBC, 1/22/10)

So not "Goodnight Moon"
For all you creative, subversive types, some not-so-usual kid lit. I'd add to this list my personal twisted favorites, "Half Chick" and "Struwwelliese" (also available in English). http://curiouspages.blogspot.com/ (source: The Very Short List, 1/21/10)

Conflicted
Augmented-reality Hallmark cards: a great way to keep snail-mail greetings relevant or way too much work for a "Happy Birthday"? After all, modern grandmas don't have all day.

I am so screwed
According to a new Australian study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, TV kills. Not the appalling programming, but all that sitting. Adults who watch television four hours or more per day are 80% more likely to die of cardiovascular disease than those who watch two hours or less, and 46% more likely to die of any cause. Overweight or not, doesn't matter. The study was adjusted for risk factors like smoking and poor diet. (source: NY Times, 1/19/10)

Ad ticker
Kirshenbaum Bond Senecal & Partners has set up a mini-mutual fund (through their client Vanguard) of their publicly traded clients' stock which agency employees can buy into, and profit from, or not. How much do you believe in the idea you just pitched? Would you bet your retirement on it? (source: NY Times, 1/18/10) http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/19/business/media/19adco.html

I'm lovin' it
Cool OOH http://adsoftheworld.com/media/outdoor/mcdonalds_steaming_transit_shelter . (source: Mediabistro via JZ. Tx, Jeff.)

Mother of invention
When you live on a tiny atoll in the middle of the South Pacific, you have to be creative to survive. The needlefish that the residents of Santa Catalina Island eat have mouths too small for hooks, so the fishermen have devised an ingenious way to capture them.
http://scienceblogs.com/grrlscientist/2009/08/spider_web_fishing_in_the_sout.php

Oxy-shoe-on
Jimmy Choo UGGs, coming in October, $495-$795.They will be sheepskin. (source: Marketing Daily, 1/19/10)

What really matters
Everybody's played "what would you bring to a desert island," but what do you cherish when your daily life is that island? Photographer Susan Mullally's portraits of the down-and-out who congregate at the Church Under the Bridge in Waco, TX, are both somber and inspiring. (source: The Very Short List, 1/19/10) http://www.susanmullally.com/photos/wik_photos/index_3.html

From the Winter Fancy Food Show
Top 5 trends for 2010: Good-for-you foods, coconut, gluten-free, exotic citrus, and nostalgic foods. More hot flavors: Indian sauces, hibiscus, chocolate with spices, and "bacon in new places." Read more http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=120960&nid=110234 (source: Marketing Daily, 1/21/10)

Ambulance chaser makover
Old ad: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4uGHY0bKzc&feature=related
New ad: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Eck-dlk0n4
And funny-but-thank-goodness-he-was-disbarred ad: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5hn8bhEpMY&feature=related

Mini maxi
What do you think of the new Mini Countryman? It's about the size of a Honda CR-V. This feels like a Porsche Cayenne to me - Mini sales: "We need an SUV." Design: "But that's so wrong." Sales: "Let marketing deal with it. Just build it."

Brutal, yet brilliant
The agency for an Israeli packaged dessert manufacturer decided the best way to boost its client's sales on a teeny budget was to look for broken hearts in need of sugary mending. They partnered with an online dating site to target members who came back to the site after an absence/presumably failed relationship. The rebounders got personalized messages inviting them to seek solace in a free sample of their new chocolate pudding. (source: Ad Age, 1/21/10)

Operation skatin' Stephen
An update: The Colbert Nation has raised over $300K for the US Olympic speed skating team. That's more than they would have gotten from their former corporate sponsor, a Dutch bank, which went bankrupt. Colbert managed to piss off one of the skaters (imagine that) while poking fun at his sport. The two will be racing to settle their differences. (source: NPR, 1/19/10)

A nugget of wisdom from Howard Schultz
"The big issue I think was that growth is not a strategy, it is a tactic, and if growth becomes a strategy I don't think it is an enduring one. I think growth covers up mistakes." As somebody whose company grew from 3 shops to 16,000 and then shrank by 1,000, he's learned a thing or two about the importance of strategy and commitment to the culture that got you there. Starbuck's latest financial report shows they've turned the corner with 4% revenue growth. (source: GuardianUK.com, 1/20/10)

Give a pint, get a pound
Blood for coffee til the end of the month. Some donor restrictions apply.
http://www.redcrossblood.org/news/nyp/american-red-cross-and-dunkin%E2%80%99-donuts-launch-%E2%80%9Cgive-pint-get-pound%E2%80%9D-campaign

Let's shop
42% of Americans are looking forward to spending freely again, but they're (59%) going to try not to go overboard this time. (source: Synovate/Quirk's, January 2010)

Misery loves soup
Campbell's uses a "misery index" algorithm to buy winter media. If it's unusually wet, cold, snowy, or just plain depressing in particular city, the radio airwaves will be filled with ads for warm, salty comfort. A 5% score triggers the blitz. Atlanta you've been nearly 20% miserable lately. Rochester, buck up, you've been doing fine. They're also tracking the flu. (source: Ad Age, 1/11/10)

The new food trends are here!
McCormick's 2010 forecast. Bitter, warm, and earthy -- high-impact flavor combos. Canned, pickled, frozen, and dried also hot -- keeping all flavor possibilities at your fingertips no matter the season. Meatless meals. Ethnic grilling. Integrity in ingredients and cooking techniques -- real food, cooked with respect.
Their top-10 flavor pairings:
- Roasted ginger & rhubarb
- Thai basil & watermelon
- Caraway & bitter greens
- Bay leaves & preserved lemon
- Almond & ale
- Turmeric & vine-ripened tomatoes
- Pumpkin pie spice & coconut milk
- Roasted cumin & chickpeas
- Creole mustard & shellfish
- Chives & fish sauces
(source: Gourmet Retailer, 1/7/10; photo: It's turmeric)

Put your left foot in
How do you convince people to buy your socks over your competitors' socks? Create a problem no one knew they had. Keen sells pairs with a left and a right. Not that long ago humans didn't realize they needed different shoes, so who knows, maybe it does matter. Oh, and they're marked L & R, that's how. http://www.keenfootwear.com/sox/

Your brain on 3D
You might want to hold off on that new 3D TV. Scientists at the U of Rochester, among others, are looking into the effects of watching the new technology, including severe headaches. (source: ABC News, 1/11/10)

Who needs the Super Bowl
Subaru will run at least 7 ads during Animal Planet's "Puppy Bowl." The spots feature shelter dogs in human situations like driving a car, and complement Subaru's sponsorship of the ASPCA and nearly 200 shelter adoption events held at dealerships. Don't laugh, the company's sales were up 15% in 2009. This is serious business. (source: Automotive News, 1/12/10)

Everybody on demand
Temping isn't just for file clerks and mall Santas anymore. Last year Kelly Services placed more than 100 high-income professionals, including lawyers and scientists, in interim jobs. One marketer was even temp CMO at both POM Wonderful and Godiva. Temp and contract employees, who now make up about 26% of the US workforce, have been found to have a higher risk of developing mental health problems like depression, no matter their income bracket. (source: Businessweek, 1/18/10)

Feelin' pretty
Hey Atlanta, you've got the smoothest feet in the country. You're number one for getting mani-pedis. (source: MRI)

Marketers' pet networks
Where media buyers, both clients and ad folk, plan to put more money in 2010: ESPN, Discovery Channel, TNT, TBS, Food Network, ESPN2, HGTV, Comedy Central, Bravo. (source: Mediaweek, 1/12/10)

Long-haired hippie types need not apply
Four-year-old Taylor Pugh of Mesquite, TX, has been suspended from pre-kindergarten because he likes to wear his hair long, sometimes in a ponytail. The school board's holding firm, and though he misses his friends, so is the boy. Rock on, Taylor. (source: Dallas Morning News)

I'm goin' mobile
Mobile phones will overtake PCs as the most common web access devices worldwide by 2013. Better get cracking on that network, AT&T. (source: Gartner/Media Post, 1/14/10, via Sarah. Tx, Sarah.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxoO5yrabfc Couldn't pass up a The Who opportunity.

Just beachy
Pantone's color of 2010 is turquoise (PMS 15-5519) for its "deep compassion and healing, a color of faith and truth, inspired by water and sky." Iconoculture is also predicting that everything about water will be hot. They're looking at it from a sustainability perspective. (source: Marketing Daily, 1/2/10)

The tasty picker-upper
American's bought 2.6% more chocolate in 2009 than 2008. We eat about $55 of the sweet stuff per person per year on average. The numbers were even higher outside the US, with the UK coming in at +5.9%, Ukraine +12%, China +18%. But the Swiss still have us all licked at $206 per person per year. No wonder Kraft wants Cadbury so very badly. (source: Mintel)

CEOs that suck
Arrow Trucking let its 1,400+ drivers know they were out of a job by disabling their gas cards. When the truckers called the office, all they got was a recording telling them to turn their rigs in at the nearest dealership and catch a bus home. The kicker is that since the company hasn't formally fired them or filed for bankruptcy, they can't apply for unemployment. Truck leasing companies as well as other trucking companies and their drivers helped what stranded drivers they could with rides home and new job opportunities. (source: Christian Science Monitor, 12/24/09)

What the
Oddest product I saw advertised during holiday break https://shakeweight.com/ver5/index.asp
(source: probably WGN)

Sufferin' succotash
Plants don't want to be eaten. And they work hard at staying intact. For example, when a caterpillar begins dining on its leaves, one plant will convert CO2 into a chemical that attracts caterpillar-eating dragonflies. Brussels sprouts' response to having a certain kind of butterfly's eggs laid on it is to chemically summon a wasp that will lay her eggs inside the other eggs. Larva 2 devours larva 1, but has no taste for sprouts. We may not be subtle enough to hear it, but greens scream. (source: NY Times, 12/21/09)

What's my motivation?
Contrary to popular opinion (and management surveys), recognition for good work is not the best employee motivator. It's progress. A new scientific study shows that when workers see that they're making headway or overcoming obstacles, their emotions are at their most positive and their drive to succeed peaks. (source: Harvard Business Review, Jan-Feb 2010)

Unbling your life
According to the Wall Street Journal, this year we'll be marketing inconspicuous consumption. Americans will still buy -- consuming is our nature and our identity, but we don't want to be seen as flashy or wasteful. So here's what we'll be buying and the rationales we'll be selling: things that last a long time, things that help the environment, things that help other people, and things that improve consumers' lives without showing it. (source: WSJ and Ad Age, 1/4/10)

Green apathy
Only 54% of consumers would buy more sustainable, green products if the price wasn't higher than non-green products. Maybe saving the Earth through your choice of toilet paper doesn't seem real enough to trigger purchase. (source: Mintel)

If you think you're having a bad day, click here
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/07/world/asia/07yamaguchi.html?em (source: NY Times, 1/6/10)

New at CES
Dashboard web. This version from Audi. But not to worry, a reminder to drivers flashes on the screen: "Please only use the online services when traffic conditions allow you to do so safely." What is wrong with you people?!!! (source: NY Times, 1/6/09)

If you're tired of Big Money
Join the movement and move yours. http://moveyourmoney.info/

Potty auditions
Thus continues the search for the Charmin ambassadors who "really really enjoy going to the bathroom" http://www.charmin.com/en_US/enjoy-the-go/index.php

Healthy lojack
Mobile fitness trackers are a nifty idea, especially one so tiny and sophisticated. But this version is being marketer to employers. Tracks every move you make and reports back online. Will meeting fitness goals become part of your review? http://www.directlife.philips.com/

Scenes from the LA Auto Show
It's a big hit on YouTube. Sadly, not because it's good. Chevy, Chevy, Chevy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvwTMZNWGuk&feature=player_embedded# (source: Flint Journal, 12/20/09)

Hangin' with the hoopers
The Nike NBA Muppets are a hoot whether or not you give a hoot about the game. A few in the series:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvdWm-MoqLw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMzi-FcWQow
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pj6RXpmcziI&feature=related

How does motherhood make you feel?
For moms with kids 0-12 at home, the answer is: 80% happy, 65% content, 63% confident, 55% exhausted, 47% worried, 45% organized, 38% powerful, 32% frazzled. 70% say that since they've become moms, they've become better multitaskers, and 62% have gotten better at prioritizing. The folks who conducted this survey said moms pride themselves on how well they cope with all the demands on their time. They may say they're frazzled, but they don't want anyone to portray them that way. They also need reassurance that it's ok to make time for themselves and for tending to their own health and wellness. (source: Parents Network/Adweek, 12/21/09)

Eat to live
Over the years, Whole Foods has drifted from its original "food as health" platform to "food as indulgence" and now it's ready to go home. Owner John Mackey, wants his stores to help America get healthier. They don't plan to turn their backs on foodies, but will be devoting much more money, effort, and store space to healthy eating and education. They will soon be the only chain to provide nutrient-density labeling. Mackey hopes his employees will take the lead by submitting to cholesterol and blood pressure testing. Those with lousy scores are offered voluntary health-improvement immersion programs. They also get bigger store discounts based on their health scores. Would be sweet if that extended to shoppers tool. (source: AP, 12/19/09)

The Hasselhoff of beverages
Remember Tang, that weird orange powder? Believe it or not, it's still alive. It comes in 38 flavors and has a huge following outside the US, mostly Brazil, Mexico, and China. The reason Tang made it to space? Bad tasting water from some onboard reaction that the astronauts needed to drink, but wouldn't. Ta-da! Less bad tasting orange water. The guy who invented Tang also invented Pop Rocks. (source: The Big Fat Marketing Blog, 12/16/09)

A very last minute gift
Adopt something big and tasty, like Freston the pig who was found stranded on a levee after the Mississippi flooded. Once a ham in the making, he's now free-ranging with other lucky clucks like Francis the chicken rescued from a life on the streets of Harlem. A thoughtful stocking stuffer for your favorite vegan. (source: Daily Candy, 12/22/09) http://farmsanctuary.org/

Apropos Christmas
82% of American adults believe in God. 59% are "absolutely certain." 38% think God's a man, 1% a woman, 34% none of the above, 11% all of the above. (source: Harris Interactive)