Titillate me, Elmo
American Apparel has announced a limited-edition, 40th anniversary line of Sesame Street T-shirts. Adult and kid sizes. Sing along with Cookie: "One of these things is not like the others. One of these things just doesn't belong..." (source: Marketing Daily, 10/7/09)

"Real" beauty
Nobody needs more free makeup totes. Instead Estee Lauder is offering a makeover and photo for your Facebook page or blog or dating profile. There is a logo in the background, but Estee's hoping you'll pay back the favor by not retouching. (source: Ad Age , 10/8 /09)

Sorry, Rush
The US brand is #1 again, up from #7 in 2008. France is holding steady at #2. (source: Anholt-GfK Roper Nation Brands IndexSM)

Olé
Best part? Nary a disclaimer in sight. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jy_qMuWgPQA

Plastics, you're dismissed
US Canteen: now that's a product I never thought I'd see advertised in the NY Times. But all the stink about Sigg and BPA opened up a golden opportunity. This model hasn't been used by the military since the end of the Vietnam War, but it could be coming soon to a yoga studio near you.

Here today...
Kraft only just introduced Vegemite iSnack 2.0 -- a reformulated version of the original spread with a new, crowd-sourced name. But it seems that people who create and vote for product names online have little in common with people who buy salty-yeasty stuff in stores. So iSnack no more. (source: Brandchannel, 10/2/09)

Cool vs. stupid
Things don't always play out in the real world the way they do in creative reviews. Case in point, Toyota thought it would be a cool idea to send people emails from a fictional drunken English soccer hooligan saying he was coming to stay, with his pit bull, at their place to hide from the police. Send them his bills for hotel damage. And a link to his MySpace page with info about "the riot." After nine such emails, they finally sent a video showing them they'd been punked and that it was all just publicity for the Matrix car model. Ha ha. Well, one woman was so freaked out by this that she couldn't eat or sleep and kept a machete with her in case the aggressive weirdo showed up. She's suing Toyota. Something about terrorism. (source: Ad Age, 10/2/09)

One more time
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZIvgQ9ik48

Buffalo's on the rise
Unfortunately, not the city, but the flavor. In the last 2 years, 75 new food products have appeared with the word Buffalo in their names. Why? Boomers. a) tastebuds lose sensitivity with time and want stronger stimulation. b) Buffalo flavor, though not the products it's usually on, of course, doesn't have a lot of fat, salt, or calories, so you can get a lot of yum without clogging your arteries. (source: USA Today, 10/8/09)

Crowd-sourced cell network
O2 in UK has launched a cell service called GiffGaff that has no customer service and offers users free calls and texts based on their answering fellow users' queries and selling the service to their friends and family. "Service reps" will be user rated like eBay sellers. The biggest contributors to sales and service will receive rebates, like profit-sharing, twice a year. The only thing the company has full control of is billing. http://www.giffgaff.com/ (source: Ad Age, 10/5/09)

Hi, I'm a PC
Microsoft says this wasn't meant to be viral (d'uh). In case you're not one of the million or so people who've already laughed at it, here ya go http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cX4t5-YpHQ

Stop making sense
It'll make you smarter. Humans are wired to find patterns. A new study says that when we're confronted with something wacky, our logic sensors kick into high gear and we're likely to notice something we hadn't before. Disorientation begets creativity. So the next time you're totally stumped, try some David Lynch, or maybe Sarah Palin. (source: NYTimes, 10/5/09)

Only in a women's world
Remember the cartoon Frito-Lay ladies? Now the winner of their "Inspire Us" story contest, a mom from Boise, gets to be one, too, in an animated webisode of her winning story. She also won a trip for her and her daughter to NYC to see how the webisode is made. How fun is that? In case you don't remember them, here they are again http://www.awomansworld.com/ (source: PromoXtra, 9/29/09)

Tagline co-opted
Nice, subtle way to make the point, and save on copywriting. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RiOKmKXbacA (source: NBC, last Friday night)

Want to get ahead?
Shave. Gillette is touting a study (theirs) of HR professionals that shows beard-free men move up the corporate ladder more quickly and have a major advantage at job interviews. For style and career advice, http://www.gillette.com/en-US/#/grooming/careeradvantage/en-US/index.shtml/ (DrugStoreNews.com)

It's on special, but is it good?
http://www.goodguide.com/ began as a side project by a Berkley scientist and his buds, but is now a full-fledged start-up employing nutritionist, toxicologists, and the like to help you make better buying decisions. Is Pantene safe? Should my kids eat Yoplait? Ask GoodGuide. Based on a ton of data points from nutrient and heavy metal content to water use and labor standards, they'll give you a broken-out rating and let you compare to other brands. They've just started helping companies like Clorox learn how to improve their ratings. Also available in a mobile app.

Low-budget, huge impact
A UK car insurance aggregator couldn't afford the keyword "market." Not to worry, their agency went with the much cheaper near-homonym "meerkat" and created a Russian-accented spokescritter. He's not only hugely boosted web traffic to http://www.comparethemarket.com/ , which most people access by searching "meerkat," but he's become a cultural phenomenon, much like a certain green somebody. What is it about car insurance and clever animals? Check out Alexandr Orlov here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0mXUC0cUPg (source: Ad Age, 9/28/09)

Some groovy billboards
http://10steps.sg/inspirations/artworks/50-extraordinary-and-attractive-billboards/ (source: Very Short List, 9/29/09)

The waffle
My sweetie (guy, urban, 50ish) doesn't like commercials, shopping for consumer electronics, or Brett Favre, but he stops TiVo to watch this ad. That's one ringing endorsement. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9enj55iSwk

Raise a zipper to Donald Fisher, founder of The Gap
In 1969 at the age of 41, the real-estate developer bought a San Francisco store that sold jeans and records because he couldn't find a pair of Levis that fit him decently. His wife, Doris, named the business. The couple made a ton of money, and gave a ton away. They even bought the SF Giants to keep the team from being moved to FL. They filled a gap in the casual wear market and are currently filling the SF Museum of Modern Art with their vast personal collection, since he won't be needing it anymore. Mr. Fisher passed this week at the age of 81. (source: SFGate.com, 9/28/09)

Live from Ramallah
Palestinian State TV started airing its first social/political satire show. The writers and actors were nervous at first about mocking topics that journalists get scary phone calls for broaching, but according to one actor they're willing to take their chances because: "If you make people laugh at difficult topics, you force them to look at things with a different point of view." So far, only a few cuss words and sexual innuendo have been bleeped. (source: Christian Science Monitor, 9/28/09)

While on the theme of government control...
The Chinese government had Beijing cellphone users' ring-back tones changed to the national anthem to get them in the mood for the 60th anniversary of communist rule. They called it "a gift." I'm sure those folks are feeling something, but patriotic might not be it. (source: StLouisToday.com, 9/29/09)

Cool music
Cheap. Tonight and Saturday night. All over the Wedge. Go. http://www.rochesterindiefest.com/

Not so invisible copywriter
Cole describes his favorite way to eat Eggos. "My Eggo Cole's Jam Session: Eggo Blueberry waffle sandwich with a quick schmear of strawberry and blueberry jam, because after school, the band's waiting!" Schmear? Are ya sure? A 10-year-old boy whose dream is to "go on tour" and whose hobby "is making noise." (source: USA Weekend, 9/20/09)

Rebel
In honor of Banned Books Week, read something subversive, like Huck Finn or Harry Potter. http://www.bannedbooksweek.org/

It's about beer, really
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBWGQ-vLkII

Martian opera?
Years of extreme drought plus high winds equaled Sydney and Brisbane blanketed in thousands of tons of Outback dust, the worst pollution the cities have ever seen. Another reason to be kind to your Mother. (source: Christian Science Monitor, 9/23/09)

Beavers in Times Square
If you were standing there the day Henry Hudson came to town, instead of the Marriott Marquis, you'd see a swamp. Type in an address or landmark and learn what was. A painstaking scientific recreation of the diverse habitat before it was poked, prodded, bulldozed, and turned into Manhattan. http://themannahattaproject.org/explore/mannahatta-map/

Serious competition
There are 1.4 million charities in the US. More than one for every 300 Americans. (source: Christian Science Monitor, 9/24/09)

DIY Camels
To fight the rising cost of cigarettes, many people have taken to growing their own. One tobacco seed seller has seen a 20% increase in demand since the newest tax increase went into effect. From potted tomatoes to the City Chicken Club, Americans everywhere are cutting out the middleman. (source: Iconoculture)

Craftsman in my stocking
First layaway came back, now Christmas Club. For those of you too young to remember, there used to be savings accounts specifically set up for holiday purchases. Fill them all year, empty them in December. Now Sears is offering a modern, reverse debit card version. The best part: If you join by 10/31, you get 3% interest on whatever you deposit. Beats the banks by a mile. (source: Springwise, 9/24/09)

Vindicated
A UK study finds that an unmade bed is less appealing to dust mites because the linens retain less moisture than a tidy, mother-approved bed. (source: Ideal Bite, 9/24/09)

That's not what I ordered
How many times have you been sorely disappointed by the frozen lunch shown on the box vs. the one that came out of your microwave? Yeah, always. Well, these Germans have had enough of food fraud and are chronicling maxed out misrepresentations. Scroll to the bottom and click the chart. http://pundo3000.com/werbunggegenrealitaet3000.htm

Go pink
Despite being 60% more expensive then store brands, Pepto Bismol grew share over the past year. Way to beat a trend-the branded OTC category has been one of the CPGs hardest hit by the recession. Pepto credits their agency's work, like this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W21Rq_wSXYc for the increase. Things sure have changed since 1955 (left). (source: Ad Age, 9/21/09)

Foodie UN
Newspaper ads for the Sydney international food fest.
http://www.mediapost.com/media/?f=otlSydneyfoodfestival.jpg

iConsume
20% of all tweets contain company or product names. (source: BtoB, 9/16/09)

People with high expectations don't watch ads
Viewers of "Mad Men" fast-forward through commercials 83% of the time. The average for dramas is 73%. My point, however, isn't the irony of how little viewers of ad fiction enjoy ads. It's about a study that says the higher the quality of a show (critical acclaim, Emmys, etc), the more likely viewers are to zap the ads. Are we aiming too low? Does marketing fatigue grow proportionally with IQ? Or is viewers' expectation for our work simply that sad? (source: TiVo/MediaDailyNews, 9/25/09)

En inglés
Learning English is hard, especially when you're trying to work, raise a family, and generally get used to life in a new country. So, in addition to a free Blockbuster rental or mobile horoscope updates, MyCokeRewards, a frequent-drinker program, is offering members something truly useful - "Inglés sin Barreras" materials to help them learn or improve their English. Certainly there are healthier ways to grow your grammar, but at least this option shows that Coke understands what a lot of their US Spanish-speaking consumers really need.

Tranquility, brought to you by Hyundai
Hyundai bought all the advertising space for 3 years in the new subway station and several other stations near their HQ in Seoul. Did they plaster all that square footage with credit card, banking, car, and other ads for the many products and services the mega-company offers? Nope. Just a few subtle icons. At the entrances and exits of the stations, the giant white panels have a pink eraser in the lower-right corner and a two-sentence explanation: "The world is flooded with too many ads. For a short while, we want to leave it empty for you." Aaaaah. (source: The Wall Street Journal, 9/14/09)

Yer out
Unilever has fired Lowe and turned their Peperami brand over to the creative community as a whole. They'll give $10K to the person who comes up with the best TV and print ideas for the kids' meat snack. Although anybody could win, their intent is to get the brief in front of as many creatives as possible to improve the quality of the work. A sort of creative jump ball at http://www.ideabounty.com/ . Unilever says this is possible because Lowe did such a great job of setting the brand up. No respect. No respect at all. (source: Ad Age, 9/14/09)

Forget virgins, Pele wants a snack
Who knew VW makes a pickup? And a low-rider at that. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3G-MsqO0HI
BTW, the results I got checking VW US for the Saveiro: "Hmm, your search for saveiro has no results.
We're not saying it doesn't exist, but you may want to check the spelling. Not that you're a bad speller. Just try a similar topic." Sorry, available in South America only.

Helping Grandma shop
By 2030 20% of Americans, including me, will be 65 or older. Retailers and brands are starting to make changes to their stores and packaging now to make sure we codgers can keep spending. Things like putting help buttons next to heavy items, installing better lighting, and changing package colors. Some tips http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB125288402995807243-lMyQjAxMDI5NTEyNDgxODQ0Wj.html

Can't beat ‘em, cover 'em
Shiner bock was priced out of a music festival by Heineken, so they made specially fitted can cozies instead. Cheers. (source: Ad Age, 9/14/09)

An open bag is an empty bag
Why is it so hard to stop eating ice cream and other high-fat foods once you start? A new study says it's because the fat orders your brain to keep on eating. Fatty acids block the hormones that normally tell you you're full, for up to 3 days after you ingest the sneaky little slimeballs. The type of fats in beef and dairy are the most effective of the overindulgence cheerleaders. (source: Reuters, 9/15/09)

Adapt or no papaya
http://creativity-online.com/work/tck-tck-tck-adaptation/17282

iGoogle
People who use Google do more than twice as many searches per month as people who use other engines. (source: Reuters)

Low-impact on Friday
Wegmans' new fish fry container is derived from sugar cane. Not only is it not Styrofoam, it's a waste product that's no longer going to waste. (source: Supermarket News, 9/7/09)

Stealth solar
Solar panels are useful, but they're also just plain ugly. Not these. Made of sturdy plastic with embedded solar technology they blend with US Tile's standard clay roofing tiles. So, cover the whole roof or just a smidge. More colors coming soon. (source: Springwise, 9/17/09) http://www.srsenergy.com/Home.aspx

Makin' bacon
A Mason jar, the junk drawer, the dark recesses of your purse. Most of us have a penny oubliette. But so many people are now spending that formerly "useless" change that the US Mint struck 30% less coinage this year, a 10-year low. T Rowe Price says more piggies are also entering American homes for future saving. (source: The Denver Post/Iconoculture)

Better late than never
After 41 years, The Newlywed Game is hosting its first gay couple. George Takei (Sulu) and his husband Brad have been married for one year, but together for 22. Somehow I think they'll win. (source: AP, 9/16/09)

Sorry I spend so much time having fun
Clever approach to selling parkas. The cross-promo items are real. (source: NYTimes, 9/15/09)
http://www.cloudveil.com/priorities/Really,%20I%20Mean%20It/fresh-powder-made-me-miss-lunch-with-your-parents+bouquet--FLWR/
http://www.cloudveil.com/priorities/I%27m%20Sorry/sorry-i-went-climbing-again-instead-of-taking-you-for-a-walk+dog+treats--BONE/
http://www.cloudveil.com/priorities/It%20Won%27t%20Happen%20Again/sorry-i-missed-the-meeting-because-of-the-stonefly-hatch+mug--CMUG/

Black-letter day
Facebook became profitable 9/15/09. Only took 5 years and 300 million users. (source: Ad Age, 9/15/09)

Classical cash
Da Vinci, Michelangelo, conspiracy theories galore. As if you needed more reasons to visit the Vatican. Enter Latin ATMs. What do you suppose is the Pope's PIN? Perhaps Brother Maynard knows. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOrgLj9lOwk

Snack stats
Progressive Grocer says snacking is way up-nearly 19% overall. 23% in the a.m., 20% in the afternoon, and 15% in the evening. Refrigerated snacks up 19%; homemade up 15%. (source: Iconoculture)

Bad product name of the week
That is the last place I need enemies. (source: a friend, who for obvious reasons, wishes to remain anonymous)

Success can be bad for your career
A Business Week survey found that many of the top executive recruiting firms won't even look at people who've made their career at certain highly successful companies, including Coke, AT&T, British Airways, and General Mills. The reason? The businesses are so successful that the recruiters feel a person can make their way to the top without ever learning the entrepreneurial skills and chutzpah needed to thrive in a more challenging environment. (source: Business Week, 9/3/09)

Casual every day
Declaring their independence from British colonial fashion, the government of Bangladesh has banned jackets, ties, and tucked-in shirts in an effort to reduce air conditioning costs and to conserve electricity in a grid that hasn't been able to keep up with the nation's growing economy. They also expect an improvement in morale. The government is encouraging private business to follow (no)suit. In case you're wondering, the necktie traces its origins to the uniforms of 16th century Croatian mercenaries working for Louis XIII of France. Upper-class Parisians adopted the style, but the word Croat came out "cravat." (source: Christian Science Monitor, 9/5/09)

Kid-ccessory
26% of 8- to 12-year-olds have their own cell phone. More than half of 12- to 14-year-olds do. These facts brought to you by Barry Strauber whose daughter, Natalie, 11, has a brand new back-to-school phone that is, according to her dad, "much better than mine." (source: Iconoculture)

Dibs on an eye
For fashion week, Target blanketed Times Square in vinyl. Afterwards, they're going to turn the graphics created by 4 NYC artists into 1,600 limited-edition bags by fashion designer Anna Sui. Only $2.99 each. Less waste in the landfill and a story to tell. Nice. (source: MediaDaily, 9/4/09)

What's up for fall?
Five leading consumer trends from Mintel:
1-Trust: Not lovin' big business. Least of all financial services and food safety.
2- Control: It's my financial destiny; I'm in charge. 2 in 5 say they plan to permanently spend less and decrease their reliance on credit.
3- Playfulness: I'm still pessimistic, but I need some fun breaks, like Giant Cheetos or visiting a friend.
4- Simplicity: Over 2/3 have been trying to simplify their lives. 9 in 10 think there's too much emphasis in material things in our society.
5- Trading down, up, and over: 8 in 10 are cooking more at home, but when they do get takeout, it's apt to be gourmet.
(source: MarketingDaily, 9/4/09)

Crapvertising
We've all thought about it, but feared the repercussions. Not so Crowell Advertising of Salt Lake.
http://thetracyawards.com/ . Entries so far http://www.thetracyawards.com/crap/ (source: Ad Age, 9/10/09)

Barf ‘n' go mama
Because you never know when it's gonna strike -- pretty leak-proof bags from Morning Chicness. No one will know what's stashed in your laptop case. (source: Springwise, 9/10/09)

Meet you at the Shack
There's no such thing as an early adopter anymore. Gone are the days when most of us got along just fine with older technology while a few geeks fought it out to be first in line for the pricey new stuff. Now we're all that guy. Details of our collective digital habits: http://www.goupstate.com/article/20090902/ZNYT05/909023016/1086/NEWS07?Title=Race-to-be-early-adopter-of-technologies-goes-mainstream-survey-finds
(source: Forrester/Spartanburg Herald-Journal, 9/3/09)

Gigabird
Think your internet service is slow? A tech company in South Africa got so sick of pokiness and failed connections that they decided to make a very public point. They sent 4G of data 50 miles between two of their offices using both the web and a carrier pigeon, Winston. At 2:06:57, Winston won by a landslide. The ISP had only sent 4% of the data by then. Of course, Winston wanted to crow, I mean, tweet about his success, too. And, in a country where this is business as usual, he's also captured a lot of frustrated friends on Facebook. (source: Christian Science Monitor, 9/10/09)

Odd
Seen on AdAge.com. 3 parts to the video ad: 1) Tissue going through shredder -- "Brand identity theft," 2) Kleenex is a brand name. Not any old tissue is a Kleenex® brand tissue." This is 3. Is the misuse of Kleenex particularly rampant among the marketing community? I've never written "Kleenex" into a brochure, with or without the registered mark.

The things you own end up owning you
There's about 2.3 billion sq ft of self-storage space in the US. Over 51,000 facilities-making them more ubiquitous than Starbucks. That's enough room for all 300 million Americans to stand under its collective roof. Despite an average US house size of 2,3000 sq ft, 1 in 10 households rents a unit. 15% say it's just a place to stash junk they don't need or want anymore. Most of that junk is furniture. Although the economy has pushed some people to give up their units, foreclosures have nearly made up the difference. (source: NYTimes, 9/6/09, with a nod to Tyler Durden for the subhead)

Dear Mr. O
Each day, the president reads 10 communications from us citizens. He responds to 3 every night. That means his staff have to comb through 65K letters a week plus 100K emails and thousands of calls a day. Now that's an interesting internship. http://www.whitehouse.gov/video/Inside-the-White-House-Letters-to-the-President/ (source: Very Short List, 9/11/09)

Tinnovations
Hmmm, what to do with all those empty Altoids tins...How about iPod speakers? http://www.facebook.com/altoids . Also http://science.howstuffworks.com/tinnovation-microsite.htm (source: Altoids ad on treehugger.com)

Polish joke
If you're going to alter an image to reflect the ethnic make-up of a region, please remember to change all of the image. White face, brown hand. D'oh. Microsoft has withdrawn the image from its Polish business site, but it's so not gone from the interweb. (source: Ad Age, 8/31/09)

Surfin' colonel
You've got to go where your customers are. In this case, Lake Michigan. KFC did drive-up sampling for boats and jet skis in the waters near Chicago to coincide with the beach volley ball championships which KFC sponsors. (source: PROMO Xtra, 9/1/09)

Ad pop
I thought I'd seen a pop-up store for pretty much everything, but this one's new. For a week in August, RKCR/Y&R did a pop-up ad agency to support small businesses in their part of London, including a dumpling maker, a bar, and a rock band. Their motivation? Too many empty storefronts where once were none. (source: Ad Age, 9/1/09)

Toshiba asks, "What if?"
Cool product. http://www.mediapost.com/media/?f=ToshibaBachelorPics.mov

Dalai latte
Being served outside the hotel where the Tibetan holy man is staying during a visit to Taiwan. (source: Christian Science Monitor, 9/3/09)

Advertising: don't try it at home
While watching the Martha Stewart Show for the first time (wow she's creepy, never again), I heard the words "with that kind of vertical integration" pop out of a Bath Fitter ad. Something about how their product is measured, made, and installed by their own people locally, so it's got to be great. Somehow Martha's mac ‘n' cheese plus PowerPoint lingo don't seem like a match made for boffo sales.

Rhapsody in BFlat
Since all of these videos are in the same key, any combination you choose will sound...like you have talent. Curated from YouTube postings. http://inbflat.net/ (source: Ryan H. Thanks, Ryan)

Dead trees and gum
Buy Altoids and Sudafed, get a 2-foot-long receipt with your change. Check out these insane paper trails http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB125175363135673825-lMyQjAxMDI5NTAxMjcwNTIzWj.html

Distain is so pre-recession
On high-fashion runways, bored, frosty vampirettes are out. Innocent, approachable, slightly less skeletal girls-next-door are in. According to an exec at IMG Models, in good times, designers are willing to experiment with weird looks. In bad, they just want people in stores buying. And currently doe eyes are more saleable than heroin eyes. (source: Wall Street Journal, 9/3/09)

I want to be the man (ma'am)
70% of today's high schoolers plan on starting their own companies. (source: Iconoculture)

Oh, are you on Facebook? I hadn't noticed
A new study of women who use social networks indicates that brands and female consumers may not be connecting online as strongly as marketers might hope. 75% said their use of social nets did "not really" affect their purchase decisions or did "not at all" influence their buying. 22% said their shopping was "somewhat" affect by what they found on social networks, while only about 3% said they were "greatly" influenced.

So what are they doing out there most of the time? About 34% send private messages to friends, and 13% share photos. 12% chat with or IM other members, and 11% post public messages to the community. Less than 9% get product information, including coupons or discount offers. Only about 2% post reviews about products they've used. 7% play games. 6% go to meet new people.

And what networks are they doing all this on? 64% Facebook, 16% MySpace, 5% Twitter. http://promomagazine.com/news/women-use-social-nets-0901/

6 richest charities in the US
Salvation Army, Shriners Hospital, the Nature Conservancy, Mayo Clinic, Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Red Cross. (source: Ideal Bite, 9/1/09)

Sorta transparent doesn't cut it
Why do people buy pricey Sigg bottles? Because they don't want BPA anywhere near their bevvies. Despite messaging that said their products were BPA-free, Sigg's CEO just let everybody know that's not true after all. Until 9/08 their bottles did contain BPA, but because Sigg's testing didn't show any leaching, and at the time they thought consumers were only concerned with leaching, not with the presence of the chemical in general, they didn't think it counted. Will the unprompted mea culpa and a promise of replacement bottles be enough to keep Sigg's meteoric rise on track? Will Camelbak and Klean Kanteen kick their BPA-denyin' butts? Stay tuned. (source: Ad Age, 9/1/09)

U-Haul's got it locked up
One of the biggest reasons people refuse to evacuate during a natural disaster is that they don't want to leave their stuff unattended. U-Haul is offering 30 days of free storage to people who have to leave their homes due to California's wildfires. It's a nice example of doing a good deed and meeting a consumer need, all while building the brand. (source: Marketing Daily, 8/28/09)

Web blind
A survey of marketers reports only 12% are monitoring customer comments on blogs and social networks. (MediaPost, 9/3/09)

Indulge me
Two of my favorite people: Jim Lehrer interviews Word Girl. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlu77RHNZtg

Bubbly moo
Sweet, fruity, fizzy milk in an aluminum bottle. Coca-Cola is testing Vio, a "vibrance drink," in NYC. Milk drinks have been big in Japan for a decade. Pepsi's introducing a yogurt-cola drink there now. (source: Iconoculture)

Low-carbon ice cream
Unilever, the world's biggest ice cream seller, has its scientists looking for a way to sell ice cream at room temperature and have consumers freeze it at home. Results TBD. (source: The Times of London, 8/24/09)

Greens swayed by greenbacks
Even consumers who consider themselves greens (of whatever shade), are most concerned with price when making purchases (59%). Only 8% are most concerned with the environment. 54% try to balance the environment with personal comfort. 10% always choose comfort. 26% say buying energy-efficient products is about the environment, while 77% says it's about lowering their energy bills. (source: Brandweek, 8/26/09)

Very long-term brand building
You thought IKEA was a place to buy stuff you assemble with Allen wrenches. Beijingers think it's a resort. It's always jampacked, but for the most part, people come to nap on the beds in air conditioned comfort, drink lots of free soda refills, take pictures, even bring carpenters to measure for cheaper knock-offs. Bring a date, bring the whole family, stay all day-the management won't kick you out. Though they've been open since 1999 and still aren't profitable, they're certain you'll become a customer eventually. (source: LA Times, 8/25/09)

Ad goggles
Research from the Kellogg School of Management shows that people are more receptive to advertising messages and more likely to purchase based on them if they see those messages when they're feeling a tad tired or run down. Not only is your immune system weaker when you're tired, but your immunity to marketing is as well. What they're calling "regulatory depletion" makes people feel more confident in their decisions and as though they've been thoughtful about making them. Down side: if they hate your ad, they'll also be more confident in not buying what you're selling. (source: Hispanicad.com, 8/20/09)

The New York State lotto jackpot is now 325 million dollars
(source: that huge digital billboard on I490 at Goodman St, this morning)

How sweet are you?
http://sugarstacks.com/ shows you cube by cube how much of the white stuff is in the foods and beverages you consume. 24.5 in a Coke Big Gulp. 17.5 in a 20 oz Sobe Melon Mango. Zowie. (source: Katie W)

Poof, you're hot
Need motivation to stick to your new work-out schedule? For $14.99 http://www.thinnerview.com/ will adjust your photo to show you at your goal weight. (source: Springwise, 8/26/09)

Monoculture
2/3 of all our calories come from just 4 sources: rice, soy, wheat and corn. Sounds hinky? Don't forget, pigs, cows, and chickens eat them, too. (source: NYTimes, 8/23/09)

Trade your '87 Dodge for a 335d
BMW and Cash for Clunkers. Odd couple. (source: Media Post, 8/26/09)
http://www.mediapost.com/media/?f=otlBMWcashclunk.jpg

I am where I shop
A new study shows that consumer loyalty is shifting from brands to retailers, especially ones that offer an experience, not just products. The researchers say the change is due to the vast number of brands vying for consumers' attention. (source: Fort Mill Times/Hartmann Group, 8/22/09)

Poke
36% of senior managers regularly monitor social networking sites to see what employees are saying. (source: Center for Media Research, 8/25/09)

Boxy but good
Saving lives for 50 years, the 3-point seatbelt, invented by Volvo engineer Nils Bohlin. 80% of Americans now buckle up vs 11% in 1981. (source: National Geographic, September 2009)

Turn on your heart light
The frog on this mango tree thought that Christmas light looked mighty tasty. After getting the shot, the photographer helped Hoppie hack it up.

Can I crash at your place?
Nobody likes sleeping on the floor. That's the premise behind Motel 6's new campaign to attract younger customers. Primary Wave music has selected 3 lucky up-and-coming bands who will enjoy 6 weeks of accommodations at the hotel chain. The bands are under no obligation to tweet or Facebook it, but Motel 6 figures they might just oblige. (source: USA Today, 8/26/09)

50 state project
50 photographers capturing the essence of 50 states in 5 images each. A work in progress. Use Firefox, it doesn't like Explorer. http://www.50statesproject.net/

Playing chicken with an F-150
Less than ½ of 1% of Americans bike to work. 40% say they would if they thought it was safe. 11% of bike accidents involve cars. The rest are cyclist who crash all on their own. One expert suggests that American cyclists who collide with cars tend to have much nastier accidents than their counterparts in other countries because we are natural risk takers. The logic being that if most Americans think it's too dangerous to ride, those of us who are out there are a touch kamikaze. I think the researcher drives. (source: US Census & Christian Science Monitor, 8/26/09) Build your own $399 fixed-gear here http://bikes.urbanoutfitters.com/ .

What to do when you're a Rothschild
Build a catamaran out of water bottles and sail across the Pacific to raise awareness of the 100 million tons of plastic slurry clogging the oceans. The pontoons are stuffed with whole bottles. The rest is made from recycled bottles. http://www.theplastiki.com/. (source: Good, Summer 2009)

A sure thing
At 0.1% interest, savings accounts are pretty dull. To motivate more people to save, a group of credit unions in MI is treating deposits like lotto. Every time you deposit at least $25, you get another shot at winning the monthly $400 drawing. There's also a yearly $100K winner. "All the money you deposit into the Save to Win account is still yours, plus interest. You can't lose!" (source: Iconoculture)

Response rate for spam
1 in 12.5 million. Unfortunately, it's enough. (source: Fast Company, 8/13/09)

Want to cut costs?
Give better input. According to a survey of top agencies, 30% of our time is wasted due to poor communication by clients for RFPs and briefs. This isn't just an agency-to-agency, blame-the-client venting session. The survey was conducted by a consultancy to Fortune 500 companies owned by a guy who used to be VP global marketing at Dell. (soruce: Ad Age, 8/17/09)

Born to be green
The world's first electric chopper, built by Siemens and Orange County Choppers, can go 100 mph, but only runs 60 miles per charge. Created using recycled materials, LED lights, and water-based paint, it's all the cool without the ear-splitting roar or smog-most regular cycles emit as much pollution as an ‘80s automobile. (source: Christian Science Monitor, 8/11/09)

Pay no attention to the man behind the checkout
Did John Mackey, CEO of Whole Foods, just commit brand suicide? He published an article with a decidedly libertarian bent in The Wall Street Journal sharply criticizing Obama's healthcare plan. After reading an opening quote from Margaret Thatcher and phrases like "A careful reading of both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution will not reveal any intrinsic right to health care, food or shelter. That's because there isn't any," disillusioned Whole Foods faithful, who'd assumed the company's management was as crunchy as the brand, are feeling unsurprisingly betrayed. And they're venting loudly on social networks. Even calling for a boycott. WF's spokesman insists Mackey's personal perspective has nothing to do with WF, which doesn't have a perspective. Can the brand and the man successfully co-exist with such radically different voices? Judge for yourself. http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB10001424052970204251404574342170072865070-lMyQjAxMDA5MDEwOTExNDkyWj.html. (source: Washington Post, 8/19/09 & Wall Street Journal, 8/11/09)

Calling a spade a spade
"Pointless babble" is now a scientific term.

Johnny Cardboard
Furniture, sculpture, window décor, Johnny does it all-with corrugated. http://jonnycardboard.com/sculptures/sculptures.htm (source: Very Short List, 8/19/09)

Give me an "A"
If you loved "Helvetica," keep an eye out for "Art & Copy," a new film coming (maybe) to a theater near you. It's about, you guessed it, the art of writing great advertising copy. (source: NYTimes, 8/19/09)

The well-traveled clementine
Not a real receipt, but an interesting idea. It hit my mailbox as I was eating an apple from New Zealand bought at Wegmans in Pittsford and wondering what the...NY State grows an average of 25 million bushels of apples a year, with our neighboring Wayne county being one of the major producers. It's about 9,000 miles from Rochester to NZ. (source: PSFK and New York Apple Country Fast Facts)

How the cheddar crumbles
The state of Victoria, Australia, has awarded $18,000 to a researcher who's spent the last 2 years studying how cheddar cheese cracks under pressure. The goal is to avoid waste by learning how to make perfect cheese crumbles and reduce the number of inferior crumbles. (source: WAToday.com, 8/19/09)

What does your refrigerator say about you?
Mine screams middle-aged food penitent. http://www.good.is/post/picture-show-you-are-what-you-eat/ . A visual discussion of consumption.

Why we love to Google
And tweet and read celebrity stats and endless other completely irrelevant information. Scientists used to think it was because finding stimulated our brain's pleasure center. But according to a Washington State U neuroscientist who's devoted his life to the subject, our need to seek is even more powerful. The possibility of a payoff is much more stimulating than actually getting one. Problem is, curiosity, combined with the ability to fulfill it online 24/7, may be rewiring our brains, making it nearly impossible for us to give sustained attention to anything. And since our brains are designed to be more easily stimulated than satisfied, we get into a loop of seeking without being happy with what we've found. (source: Slate, 8/12/09)

All you can jet
$599 gets you an unlimited, month-long pass on JetBlue. Some restrictions apply, but if you've got four weeks to go gypsy, it's a great opportunity. Aw, too slow. The program maxed out yesterday.

Send in CSI, we've got a mystery
And now from the people who bring you "Two and a Half Men" and "Medium," something interesting -- a video ad running inside Entertainment Weekly. A tiny screen embedded in the ad lets magazine flippers watch montages from their choice of five CBS shows. (source: Cori) http://adage.com/mediaworks/article?article_id=138546

Never a dull day on Lombard Street
Wednesday SF's twistiest thoroughfare was turned into a giant Candyland board complete with kids dressed as colorful game pieces. (source: Cori encore) http://ow.ly/kC1b

We've still got some evolving to do
The human body is only 25% energy efficient. (source: Bicycling, August 2009)

Spectacular spec
Built on a vacant urban lot to sustainability standards. Fantastic inside and out. It's for auction, but it's in Australia. More pictures http://www.realestate.com.au/cgi-bin/rsearch?a=o&id=105868671&f=20&p=10&t=res&ty=&fmt=&header=&cc=&c=71291812&s=vic&snf=rbs&tm=1249623612

Hungry?
Walk by a Keith Urban concert and you will be. Ticket holders enter his shows via a giant inflatable grill that pumps out BBQ chicken aroma-Kingsford charcoal and KC Masterpiece are sponsors. (source: Shopper Marketing, August 2009)

What are you doing with your life?
American Time Use Survey shows how people over 15 spent their time in 2008. Searchable by many criteria including time of day. Seems the more education you have, the more time you spend eating. Fascinating. http://www.nytimes.com//interactive/2009/07/31/business/20080801-metrics-graphic.html?ref=business

Get inspired
Need a break from the August blahs? Speakers from Etsy to Method to Mini http://www.idea2009.com/

Order in the...wow, what a view
The position of magistrate judge for the US District Court in Yosemite National Park is open. $160K a year plus all the fresh air and jaw-dropping landscape you can stand. Misdemeanors only, like biking while intoxicated. Park felonies are tried in Fresno. The courthouse is located at the base of Yosemite Falls. The judge is allowed to live within the park. (source: NY Times, 8/10/09)

Belly up to the Coke bar
This free-standing dispenser lets soda-drinkers concoct their own flavor, with over 100 possible combinations. The data are relayed back to Coke, so they know what was popular and what time of day it was popular. The touch screen starts with the most common orders and lets you scroll down for something more exotic. Comes in red, black, and grey. (source: Shopper Marketing, August 2009)

Watch your rep
71% of Americans will avoid purchasing from companies whose social and environmental policies they find disagreeable. 48% will tell other people to stay away from those companies, too. (source: Mintel)

Predigested stationery
Sheep Poo Paper is paper made from, well, sheep poo. Apparently, ovines don't digest most of the cellulose they consume. So if you rinse it a lot, and beat the remains together with other castoffs like waste paper and textile off-cuts, then squeeze out the water...voila, artisan paper. Don't judge. They get to live in breathtaking rural Wales, and you don't. Pretty clever, huh? http://www.creativepaperwales.co.uk/how_made.asp (source: Fast Company, 8/10/09)

Moving a 19th century cereal into the 21st
Originally, Grape Nuts claimed to prevent malaria and appendicitis and to develop brain and nerves. In 1914 it moved on to curing constipation. Now, with less than 1% US share, it's pinned its hopes on virility. Not literally, of course, but in a "you're a 45+ male stuck driving a minivan and living with your mother-in-law, but you eat a tough-to-chew, manly cereal, so you're cool" kind of way. (source: Quirks, August 2009)

Whatcha gonna do when you get outta jail?
Unless you've got a lot of family support, you're most likely going right back. A big part of the problem is finding somebody willing to hire ex-cons. But that's Felony Franks' whole business model. The home of the "Misdemeanor Wiener," FF's is staffed by 10 former law breakers trying to make good. The owner hopes to turn his joint into a national chain of second chances. (source: Iconoculture)

Friend me forever
That's the tagline for a $5 million, federally supported campaign promoting marriage to 18- to 30-year-olds. (source: Christian Science Monitor, 8/10/09)

Meaty paradox
* 61% of American adults say they watch their food carefully and strive to be healthy. 66% are overweight or obese.
* Demand at food pantries is up 20% over last year. Donations are down 9%.
* Americans waste 27% of our available food, not including ready-to-eat meals available at supermarkets.
* Only 2% of food waste is composted.
In related marketing news, the UK government is considering a ban on fresh food BOGOs to reduce waste and associated carbon emissions.
(sources: Quirks, August 2009; CDC; NYTimes, 5/18/08; Ad Age, 8/11/09)

Zero waste by 2020
That's San Francisco's trash and recycling goal. One big step is their recently instituted tri-color residential sorting program. The only thing the instructions don't tell you is how to keep the wheely bins from rolling downhill. http://www.sfenvironment.org/

We'd better take care of Earth
‘Cause it's rough out there in the universe. Planet WASP-17b has had a hard life. Not only did something (probably) smack the giant world hard enough to get it rotating the wrong direction, but it's been squeezed and stretched so much by its own star's gravity that it only has the density of foam packing peanuts. (source: Christian Science Monitor, 8/13/09)

Play in style
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0-J-HssYQA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUzb6JNtahA&NR=1

Quality is job one
New Toyota President Akio Toyoda "doesn't like figures," so he's swept aside his predecessor's goal of achieving 15% global share. Toyoda doesn't "feel comfortable upholding figures as our vision" and will instead refocus on quality over quantity, striving to grow by meeting customer needs instead of chasing numbers. How novel. (source: Automotive News, 8/10/09)

Help, OTCs are too confusing
A $4 square of biodegradable paper and corn-based plastic containing only what you need for your headache, allergies, etc, nothing more. No dies, minimal filler, no extraneous medicines. 5% of the profit helps people without health care get it. The guys behind Health Remedies wanted to offer a safer, simpler choice than big pharma or homeopathy. The packs are small so "people don't treat it like candy." Currently available at Target, drugstore.com, Virgin America airplanes, and http://www.helpineedhelp.com/ (source: Ad Age, 8/10/09)

Peanut butter, check
82% of grocery shoppers now write lists before they hit the aisles. 64% compare store ads. 46% shop several stores based on price. (source: Washington Post, 8/12/09)

JWT's new office in NYC
It's seriously groovy. The kind of place that makes outsiders think we don't really work. Yet the wise German woman in me can't help but worry about how much hair and lint is going to get static-stuck to all those squeaky vinyl couches and wonder how long it will be before the grassy walls turn into icky vertical dust mops. More photos and the architect's video http://www.fastcompany.com/blog/cliff-kuang/design-innovation/jwts-offices-designed-telling-tales-and-bs-ing-friends (source: Fast Company, 8/11/09)

Who ya gonna call?

What's top-of-mind for your target? How can you make their lives easier? Indian cellular company Aircel hung a raft on one of their billboards just before monsoon season bearing the headline "In case of emergency, cut rope." When the rains came and the roads flooded, people did just that, and ferried stranded travelers to safety. The result was a ton of media attention and, no doubt, a ton of Indians who will contract with Aircel. The company's erecting more dinghy boards in other cities, just in case. (source: Springwise, 8/5/09)

Georgia Power says, Woof
Yeah, I know, cute dog videos...but these are clever, and informative.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldSJNZ3o2Ls
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNYyyr2K7uc&NR=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhLsAvsBkbs&feature=related

Don't worry, be happy
According to the Happy Planet Index, a scientific study that takes things like health, life expectancy, life satisfaction, and sustainable relationship with the environment into account, the top 10 happiest places in the world are:
1) Costa Rica
2) Dominican Republic
3) Jamaica
4) Guatemala
5) Vietnam
6) Colombia
7) Cuba
8) El Salvador
9) Brazil
10) Honduras
Another study from the Organization of Economic Development put Denmark, Finland, and Netherlands at the top. Nobody ranks us very high. (source: Christian Science Monitor, 8/3/09)

How he-he did it
Patent no. 5,255,452, issued to Michael Jackson in 1993. The heel of the shoe slides onto a hitch that can be stuck through the stage letting the wearer lean forward beyond his center of gravity. Lean back, slide off, and boogie. (source: POP Design, July/August 2009)

Moo vs. ‘fu
The average American eats 200 lbs of meat a year. That's about ½ a pound a day. Just shy 3% of us are vegetarians. (source: CDC/Harris Interactive)

Is your laptop feeling unfulfilled?
Most of the time your home computer's just hanging out, lonely and unloved. But it could be doing something great. Volunteer its unused processor power to assist in research on AIDS, climate change, or combating malaria in Africa. It's an old idea, but Intel's created a simple new way to share it and do it. Go to www.facebook.com/progressthruprocessors , pick a project, and poof, you're a hero. (source: Marketing Daily, 8/5/09)

Thursday. The Hague. Paid official New Years day visits.
Who says dead men can't tweet? John Quincy Adams just started this week, but already has over 6K followers. It seems the 6th president was waaaay ahead of his time. His 69-volume journal, written over 51 years of his life, is filled with one-line accounts of his daily doings-just perfect for Twitter, or at least so thought the teenager who read them and suggested the feed to the Massachusetts Historical Society. http://twitter.com/jqadams_mhs

Things you can get from vending machines
Flat shoes (at dance clubs), prescription drugs, cell phone chargers, electrical adaptors, pot (in CA of course), umbrellas, eggs, panties, novels, bicycle parts, iPods, beer, soccer balls, socks, video games, gold bullion, Krugerrands, live bait, pet products (from food to Frisbees), sushi, sneakers, and swim trunks. (source: Wired, Springwise, various blogs)

The NY State lotto jackpot is now...
When I grow up, I want to live here. (source: Johnston Architects, somewhere near Seattle)

Don't mess with Cookie Mom
When C.V. Harquail, cookie organizer for her daughter's Girl Scout troop, tasted Walmart's new cookie varieties at the recent BlogHer conference, she was certain something was rotten in Bentonville. On her blog, she accuses the mega-retailer of copying Girl Scout flavors to undercut the girls by offering what had been, until now, exclusive flavors all year long. GSA didn't have much to say about the matter. (source: Ad Age, 8/3/09)

Lite Brite Jordan
Is it in you? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6VhYFLlObk

Club Cradle-to-Grave
Need a casket? Costco's got ‘em. They'll even ship overnight. Beat that, BJ's. (source: Costco.com)

TARP tracker
Keep an eye on your investments http://projects.nytimes.com/creditcrisis/recipients/table

How much do you love Leia?
Here's your chance to prove it. A crowd-sourced project to recreate 472 15-second scenes using stop-motion animation. Tackle up to 3. They'll all get stitched together to make "Star Wars: A New Hope" (the first movie which was really the fourth movie). Claim your segments today at http://www.starwarsuncut.com/ . Action figures not included.

How did the Vikings manage?
According to the ADA, redheads are more sensitive to pain. Often local pain blockers, like Novocaine, don't work on them, and they need considerably more general anesthesia than heads of other colors. The genes that influence their pigment also control pain receptors. (source: NY Times, 8/6/09)

Jelly submarine
What looks like its eyes are really its nostrils. Its eyes are the green orbs swiveling inside its clear forehead. The barreleye lives far under the surface of the ocean, so having a transparent skull helps it capture flakes of fellow fish and other potential food floating down. (source: National Geographic, August 2009)

Not naming names 1
Another case of a good sustainability idea gone bad. My bank is offering to pay its customers 10 cents every time we make a cashless payment. Good. Pay us a little something to accept e-statements instead of mailed ones. Also good. Make the whole thing official by mailing us a new ATM/debit card made of recycled plastic with a special green logo to replace the perfectly good plastic cards we already have. Splat. Well, thanks for the dimes.

Not naming names 2
A local newspaper is now delivered in a green-colored plastic bag that says it's recyclable and celebrates the company's eco-friendliness. Sounds great, but wait. The bag's a "blue box" no-go. It's #7 plastic that isn't accepted by the county or city recycling program. Some #7s are compostable, but the bag doesn't mention if it is. All this means that recyclable (somewhere) or not, it's still going in the trash here.

Cutting out the middle man
In the land of central control, Pepsi isn't sponsoring pop stars, it's creating them. PepsiCo China has launched its own music label enabling it to groom, produce, and ultimately control its recording artists. The company's hosting an Idol-style TV series to let the viewing public choose who gets signed, and who gets to promote Pepsi. There's also a website, social network, yaddah yaddah. (source: Business Week, 8/6/09)