What do you get when three friends suddenly gain superpowers and one of them starts using them for evil? Well, you have the premise for the new movie Chronicle which opens in theaters today. But, you also have the potential for an awesome guerilla marketing campaign. And that’s just what 20th Century Fox and viral marketing partner Thinkmodo did.
Those in New York City on January 30th may not have believed their eyes when they looked up in the sky to see people flying. Three RC planes shaped like people could be seen soaring above the iconic skyline and landmarks such as the Statue of Liberty and the George Washington Bridge to promote the movie.
Advertisers use guerilla marketing as a unique way to reach consumers. An alternative to conventional advertising (tv, radio, print) it is often more cost effective and a great way to generate buzz.
Check out the video of the high flying action here.
I have to admit, I love Gus the groundhog and have a Pennsylvania dream of taking a February weekend off to watch Punxatawny Phil get yanked by his neck out of his hole, while sipping spiked cider. However if there were ever a driving force for me to become an avid gambler maybe even develop a problem, it would be Spain’s new ad for its National Lottery.
Beautiful special effects, a comedic beginning and carnival-like music make playing the lottery seem that much more fun. To be able to “Do what you Want” appeals to me. It makes me dream about what I would do if one day, I become a lucky winner.
The ad made me also wonder what possibilities we have‚ other than Gus the groundhog. Is the Pennsylvania lottery selling itself short? Could we have more fun with Gus, or has he become so much apart of the brand that taking him away, or changing him at all would be devastating?
Either way, Happy Groundhog Day! Here’s to six more weeks of winter. Maybe we’ll get some snow.
Just days before the retail store H&M unveils its first ever Super Bowl commercial, the company finds itself amidst social media mayhem. The backlash from fans is so great that the company risks permanent damage to the H&M brand.
So what happened to tarnish the brand’s rep? Well it appears that H&M stole the design for it’s new collection of products. When artist Tori LaConsay started receiving congratulatory comments on selling her design to H&M, she soon figured out that something wasn’t right. After realizing the design was stolen, people started attacking H&M on its social media sites, mainly Facebook.
While H&M is obviously in hot water, the company made things even worse with its poor handling of the situation. When the company started deleting user comments and trying to wipe their page clean of any mention of the incident, they broke the cardinal rule of social media: Do not censor your customer feedback.
Will this whole thing blow over before Sunday’s big ad reveal? I seriously doubt it. Check out the images below. On the left is LaConsay’s design, and the images on the right are products that H&M is currently selling. Did the company steal the design? See for yourself.
While the economy may be uncertain, one American pastime has remained unaffected. The Super Bowl has always been a highly anticipated, highly watched program. Last year a record-breaking 111 million Americans tuned in, and experts project even more viewers for the 2012 game. NBC has sold all of its Super Bowl ad space, which by the way costs between 3.5 and 4 million dollars for a 30-second spot.
As always, we are just as excited to see the commercials as we are to see the game. So what can we expect this year? According to Ad Age, commercials will be longer than usual. After years of shorter, information-packed ads, companies are opting for longer spots, with an emphasis on telling a story. With 45 and 60-second ads in demand, you can bet these will cost even more than the already steep price tag. Social media will play a major role in this year’s ads. Expect “calls to action” that motivate viewers to interact with the company on Facebook or Twitter.
In addition to the typical overload of car and beer commercials, this year there will be some unlikely Super Bowl newcomers like Century 21, Dannon, and H&M. Last year we saw a lot of great commercials, so it will be tough to top them. We won’t soon forget Volkswagen’s Darth Vader or Doritos’ Pug.
Doritos is once again doing the Crash the Super Bowl ad contest, where consumers create their own Doritos commercial. This year Doritos received over 6,000 submissions! The public can vote on which of the top five commercials is their favorite, and the winning commercial will be aired during the Super Bowl. Visit the contest website to see the five finalists, and vote for your favorite. Below is the commercial that earned my vote, but to watch the rest, click here.
It’s no surprise that social media is the biggest craze to hit the marketing industry since the Internet. Every brand, celebrity, and average Joe wants a piece of it. The pressure is on to build a strong online following, and people are coming up with new and creative ways to do so.
One Philadelphia team is taking it to another level, becoming the first professional sports team to use Twitter handles in place of names on their jerseys. What better way to gain awareness and interact with your fan base than to wear your own Twitter handle? Team management is requiring every player on the roster to create and maintain a Twitter account, and they’re even holding Twitter training sessions to help the fellas learn the ropes.
These Twitter Jerseys will be worn during the team’s February 12th home game, and will be auctioned off to support the American Cancer Society (@AmericanCancer). Check out the jersey prototype below, let us know what you think. Does social media belong on the field (rink, court, ice)?
Back in December, we told you about the Top 10 Commercials of 2011. Topping that list was Volkswagen’s spot entitled “The Force” in which a young boy dressed as Darth Vader seemingly starts his parents’ car by using the force promoting the car’s remote start feature (spoiler alert: his dad actually starts the car from inside the house!).
This year, with the Superbowl just weeks away, VW has released a teaser spot called “The Bark Side” featuring a chorus of dogs barking the Imperial March. At the time of this writing, only 2 days after it’s posting, the video already has over 3 million views on YouTube.
While I am not entirely sure what Star Wars has to do with VW or what this ad has to do with cars – no cars are even shown in the teaser spot – one thing is certain…I can’t stop watching it!
Remember that catchy 90’s song you never knew the words to but couldn’t get out of your head? If you were anything like me growing up, you had a sick obsession with the boy band Hanson. Oh yes, that he-she trio of brothers were my everything.
Now that I’m almost 24 years old, I have outgrown my Hanson-mania. OK fine, I still have the Middle to Nowhere album (in its entirety) on my iPod, still have just a teeny tiny crush on Taylor, and have seen them in concert somewhat recently.
I admit it; Hanson brings out the teenybopper in me. So you can only imagine my surprise to see my beloved boy band featured on the homepage of People.com this week.
Almost 15 years after releasing the chart topping single MmmBop, Hanson is back on the scene. But they aren’t in the news for their music; they’re in the news for the announcement of their band-branded beer. As the Hanson brothers made their transition from boys to men, they shifted the focus away from catchy pop music and towards India pale ales. What better way to evoke brand (band) awareness than to induce nostalgia in their biggest fans – who are now grown up.
Hanson has an entire online store dedicated to their branded products, including Hansonopoly, the Hanson-themed board game. The release of MmmHops IPA may reveal a more mature side to the band, that understands who their fan base is. Perhaps they will coordinate the IPA release with the new album that is apparently in the works. Either way, I will no doubt be purchasing MmmHops when it hits the stores.
Meet the iGeneration, otherwise known as Gen Z. They are unlike any other generation to date, and it will be a challenge for marketers to communicate with them. Born between 1992 and 2010, most of them are too young to drive, but they just might be the most powerful consumers in the market.
How does one define the iGen? Well for starters, they are extremely tech savvy. iGens live on the Internet, with 96% being Internet users and 4 out of 5 on a social network, according to eMarketer. Growing up in an online world, they utilize social platforms to share just about everything they can, from status updates to what brands and products they love or hate. Members of the iGeneration have more disposable income than generations in the past, and they heavily influence the purchasing decisions of their peers and their households. In fact, many parents look to their iGen children to help pick their next phone or computer.
Why is this new generation throwing marketers for a loop? For starters, they are not brand loyal. iGens care only about the product itself, and will not be persuaded to buy something because of a marketing campaign. Instead, they form their own opinions about products and then share the results with all of their friends. Whatever product is the best is what they will buy, and when that changes, so will their purchases.
According to Fuse Marketing, 77% of teens rely on their friends to tell them about new brands or products. This conversation takes place almost completely online. Therefore, marketers need to make it easy for iGens to share the brands and products they like with their friends. If a company wants to reach this generation, they will need a strong brand presence on social networking sites. From there, hand over the reigns. You cannot control the online conversation about a product or brand. Doing so will be viewed as inauthentic, and that is detrimental to your brand. If you have a great brand or product, iGens will flock to your page and you can sit back and watch it flourish. If you don’t, well maybe you should go after a different market. Either way, the iGeneration has shifted marketers’ attention away from millennials in favor of understanding all there is to know about the future leaders of our country.
For 50 years, the Barbie doll has captivated the hearts and minds of girls in the U.S. Her iconic style has evolved with us through the years, from her 60’s flower-power ensemble to the big hair 80’s and even through the shoulder pads of the 90’s.
The Barbie brand has grown into an empire, and she is recognized around the world.
Young girls have a tendency to emulate their favorite dolls. This can be both detrimental and beneficial to the Barbie brand. Since her debut in 1959, Barbie has been the center of controversy. Some argue that Barbie has been giving young girls unrealistic ideals about their bodies for years. In fact, if Barbie were a real woman, she would look something like this (pictured on right). She would be 6 feet tall with a 39” bust, 18” waist, and wear a size 3 shoe. Weighing 110 lbs., she’d be anorexic and would topple over from her disproportions.
On the other hand, one could argue that Barbie has been an inspirational role model for girls everywhere. The doll has always encouraged women to be independent and to have multiple career choices. She’s been a model, a surgeon, an astronaut and a presidential candidate. Since 1959, Barbie has had 125 careers.
Love her or hate her, she is the most popular doll in the world. A huge reason Barbie is still around- and relevant, is because the doll has adapted to the times. 50 years later, Mattel continues to create buzz around the brand by developing Barbie news stories (she broke up with Ken, oh wait, now they’re back together), evolving her style and career choices, and now she’s got 2 million friends on Facebook. The newest Barbie to be released is Pantone Pink Barbie, dressed head to toe in PMS 219-color chips aka Barbie Pink… and that’s her only selling point.
What are your thoughts on Barbie: love her or hate her? Leave us your comments!
One of the first rules of branding is to figure out your USP, or unique selling proposition. What is the one thing that sets your brand or product apart from your competitors? Knowing this will help you reach your target audience more effectively.
On a recent trip to the movies, I decided to check out a new theater that several of my friends had been raving about on Facebook. The Movie Tavern, who recently opened their 15th location in the U.S. just outside of Philadelphia, gives new meaning to the idea of dinner and a movie.
According to their website, “Movie Tavern combines the enjoyment of movies with an in-theatre dining experience. A menu of Classic American favorites is served to Movie Tavern guests while they enjoy first-run films in state-of-the-art auditoriums.”
The Movie Tavern not only offers movie staples like popcorn and candy, it also has appetizers, burgers, sandwiches, pizza, an assortment of desserts and, wait for it…your favorite alcoholic drinks! That’s right, in addition to having a full kitchen, they also have a full bar.
The premise is pretty simple. Arrive at the theater at least 30 minutes prior to the showtime to pick your seat and receive your menu. The waiters/waitresses will come right to your seat to take your order. We had our food before the start of the movie which was nice because it limited the interruptions during the film. If you need a refill or are ready for dessert, you simply push a button and the staff comes over to see what you need. After the movie is over, if you don’t want to go home just yet, you can sit in the bar/restaurant area in the theater lobby. It truly is one stop shopping for a night of fun!
So far, I have only heard of this place through word-of-mouth (which as we know can sometimes be the best kind of advertising) however, when it comes to have a unique concept in the market, the Movie Tavern definitely succeeds.
Check showtimes, preview their menu and see their locations by going to www.movietavern.com.
We are a strategic branding firm in the Philadelphia area focused on differentiating brands with a consistent, results-driven approach. We have the ability to develop a truly unique idea and register it in the marketplace. We bring strategic thinking, sharp ideas, superior creative and a disciplined approach to building brands for companies of all sizes.
