A new website called “Will It Blend” features a man in a lab coat blending together random and odd mixtures. The videos are pretty high quality and the website follows modern Web 2.0 standards of design (something Coke could afford to do). There are a total of 5 videos on the site and 2 of them feature Coke mixtures; Coke and Chicken = Cochiken and Coke Can Smoothie. Sounds a little like when Wal-Mart tried to pull the sheets over our eyes with “Wal-Marting Across America.”

Well, KFC has recently revamped its image with an edgier and older looking Colonel Sanders. Apparently I have an odd eye and think Sanders has recently received Botox Injections and stylized his hair like billionaire Donald Trump (bad comb over). The logo was revealed yesterday and includes bolder colors and a well defined look. As my dad puts it based on our bad experiences, we’ll always call it “Kentucky Fried RAT.”

The Democrats might have won the House and the Senate this year, but their hearts must be broken. Ad Rants reports that a new website called Democratic Singles has sprung up which allows single liberals and democratic free thinkers to connect and share. As the website points out “Democrats, Greens, Vegetarians - Progressive singles of all flavors meet at Democratic Match! It’s completely free to join and initiate contact with thousands of fun, cool, forward-thinking liberals!”

Sometimes you have to really wonder whether or not Democrats are hippie herb growers. I mean just look at the picture on the main page of a man and woman in love over organically grown produce. Geez!

Talk about innovation! Oh yeah, I hope that title caught your eye. Ad Rants points out that Betty Beauty is a brand new do it yourself dye kit for branding your pubic hair any color you want. Blonde, brown, pink or red you can have it your way. It was also reported that not only women, but men are secretly tearing these beauty-kits off the shelves! So when the holidays come around, rush out and buy your loved one a box of pink dye from Betty Beauty.

In this camapaign from The Republik, a North Carolina based agency, a redneck drags a ‘Triumph’ boat down the road and through the woods to prove the stability of the water-craft. The company is hoping the ad sets off a viral video virus throughout the web. This boat wasn’t towed, but dragged like a rag doll down the highway. The video was supposed to claim the company’s slogan of “The World’s Toughest Boats.” The commercial will be accompanied by 11 print advertisements.

“We have a limited budget, and we had the world’s toughest boat and we knew we wanted to show that. I thought, ‘Let’s go the exact opposite of the direction everyone else goes in.” You can watch the videos at The Triumph Boat website.

Talk about corporate branding. Living in Minnesota, I grew up having to watch the Minnesota Timberwolves play in the “Target Center.” Following the trend of corporate sponsorships, CitiGroup will pay the New York Mets a reported $20 million per year for the next 20 years to rename their ballpark “CitiField. The reopened and renamed field will debut in 2009.

Time Warner Cable has recently launched the first collection of interactive tv ads in the New York area. The ads are called ‘telescoping ads’ which are a traditional 30-second spot with a decision to be taken to an area with more information on the product or service. Ad Age reports that advertisers will be able to target by household and use the direct response opp. by asking viewers to register, request a brochure packet, or call a toll free number.

The Amnesty International has launched an anti-domestic violence video featuring a woman beanten up on the seaat of a nightclub toilet.The man beating her is invisible though which makes this ad a little odd. The message of the ad; Do something about violence and simply don’t stand around.

YouTube is being very slow right now so please click here for the video link.

How would you like to work in an office like the one above? The George Davison InventionLab spent big bucks on this office space. Take a look at the Flickr photos for more.

Well, to honor the first brand to be visible from space I tip my hat. The 87,500 sq. foot logo was created with tiles placed in the Nevada, US desert near Area 51. Only thing is, the Colonel’s hair looks a little odd.

The logo consists of 65,000 one-foot by one-foot painted tile pieces that were assembled like a giant jigsaw puzzle: 6,000 red, 14,000 white, 12,000 eggshell, 5,000 beige and 28,000 black.

The logo took 24 days, working around-the-clock, to manufacture and ultimately produce. It then took six days on site to construct the logo, during which time the logo design pieces were kept hidden and under cover from identified and unidentified flying objects.

Read the rest of this entry »

Lost Remote reports an interesting voice over in a recent NBC’s “Heros” episode in which the narrator says “don’t hear about it in the morning. Be there Monday night.” The voice over is an obvious ploy at telling people indirectly not to use a DVR and skip over commercials. Valuable ad dollars are being improperly used and the network wants to build a live network to accomdate its advertisers.

That’s right. Since this has been reported numerous times here is the statement from Justin Long himself:

“As for the Mac commercials, I don’t know where that report came from that said I wasn’t going to do anymore - I’m literally setting my alarm right now to wake up for a Mac shoot tomorrow - if I’m not doing anymore I guess I can sleep in on my day off - that’d be nice. But, yeah, we’re doing some holiday spots now which I think will be pretty funny - not nearly funny enough to justify the money they’re paying me though, I’ll be honest with you.”

Do I care? No, I am more in tune with the Japanese Justin Long version now.

Would you click and visit advertisers to get a free Google Cell Phone? Google is planning on launching a cell phone which tracks the ads you click and watch to pay for minutes. The move is one of many new strategies Google is using to learn more about how consumers interact with mobile marketing. Maybe this move will work for Google. I am sure people will always think of who gave them the phone and the ads they have to watch. Let’s hope some consumers will feel better about their phone will with the Google Cell Phone. Read

Pepsi - Cola has recently hired ad agency Element 79 to conduct marketing operations of its new lighter-carbonated beverage, Tava, to be launched early 2007. The Omnicom Group Shop will focus on branding, advertising, guerilla marketing, and other tactics as needed. Pepsi-Co hopes a grassroots marketing campaign and an untraditional approach to the brand will help drive success for the beverage. Read

Today, the Council of Better Business Bureaus and the National Advertising Review Council announced the establishment of the Children’s Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative. The volunteer based program is comprised of 10 major companies and will work to shift away advertising messages of fatty foods from children. Particpating companies include; Cadbury Schweppes, Coca-Cola, General Mills, Pepsi, McDonalds, Kellogg, Kraft, Unilever, General Mills, and Campbell Soup.

Will marketers stop marketing fast foods and soft drinks to children under 12? I highly doubt it and self-regulation like this will never work. Read