Axe recently launched its "Susan Glenn" campaign featuring Kiefer Sutherland and the idealized woman he wished he had spoken to. The Unilever brand has a new campaign that spotlights a different stylized view of men and women. The ads detail a love story between a man and woman who see each other at the office but somehow never connect. The catch -- and the element that manages to dance around the stereotyping issue -- is that each is a ridiculous embodiment of what men and women are theoretically drawn to in each other: the guy is a two-foot-tall walking haircut; the girl is a two-foot-tall walking cleavage. The campaign, an umbrella effort for all of Axe's 21 or so hair care products, is via BBH New York. It comprises 60-second and 30-second ads whose message asks, what if we are attracted to what we first notice about the opposite sex. For women, it would be hair. The new tagline --“Hair. It’s what girls see first.” Axe has dealt with hair in other recent campaigns such as one for its anti-dandruff products, wherein a guy's blizzard of dandruff makes women disappear, leaving only their apparel. If there's something Muppet-like about the diminutive, quirky sex objects, it's because they're Muppets. BBH, eschewing digital effects for real puppets, went to Jim Henson’s Creature Shop to build the characters. A new study on the body wash and shower products categories from Chicago-based market research firm Mintel says Unilever shampoo brands increased by 10% between 2010 and 2011, it was due in large measure to the acquisition of Alberto-Culver in 2010. Axe, which was not an Alberto Culver brand, increased share in shampoo by 10% as well in that period. Mintel says, broadly speaking, private label is exerting pressure on the category as consumers are more focused on price. Mintel reports sales of P&G’s products were down almost 2% in the 2010 to 2011 time frame with Pantene posting nearly an 8% decline in the period. Showing the relative immunity of dandruff products, Head & Shoulders saw an increase of 6.9% in sales during the period, per Mintel. Where Axe really took off, per the firm, is in the gel and mousse area of hair care, as did sibling brand Suave, because of the affinity of younger men to the former, and price-conscious consumers to the latter brand. Mintel says of products for younger men and value shoppers, "Both attractive niches in the current economic climate." Sales of Axe mousse and gel products rose 21.6% in the 2010-2011 period, per Mintel. Axe is also the top-selling body wash brand in the retail market, with sales of $63 million 2011, up 5.7% over the prior year. Unilever expanded the brand in 2012 with the release of Axe Anarchy for men and women.
Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) on Monday launched a new campaign to promote its mbrace2 telematics platform. The campaign centers on a 30-second spot, "All From One Place," that will break during the 2012 U.S. Open, of which Mercedes-Benz is a presenting sponsor. There are also extensive digital and social media executions, per the automaker. The new version of the telematics system was introduced at this year's Consumer Electronics Show. Mbrace2 has features like "Travel Zones" and so-called "geo-fences" which delineates where someone (one's driver-aged kids) can and can't go, Curfew Minder, Driving Journal, Speed Alerts, Valet Protect and Remote Horns & Lights. It also has "Mercedes Benz Apps," a suite of in-vehicle versions of social media platforms as well as things like Google Local Search. The company says it also includes update software that automatically updates apps via the cloud. The new spot puts the guy in various scenes -- in a stadium full of fans, in front of a burning house, on a stock exchange floor, in the middle of violent storm, at a party and on a date -- in which he talks to the camera about how the system helps him optimize his daily life with sports information, weather, business news, restaurant listings and such. The Montvale, N.J.-based MBUSA says that after it debuts on CBS during The U.S. Open, the ad will continue in rotation through early November, including on the 2012 Emmy Awards on ABC, NFL games on CBS and throughout network series season premiers such as "The Office," "Revenge" and "Smash." The automaker says it will also run the spot on cable channels like Bravo, E!, ESPN, Discovery, The Food Network, National Geographic, TNT and USA. The U.S. sales arm of the German luxury brand is also doing a digital component of the campaign, but the focus is tablet versions of publications in auto, tech, news and business verticals. Autoweek, Engadget, Bloomberg, CNNMoney, Forbes, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal will get the ads. The mbrace2 platform will also get the spotlight in custom sponsorships on landing pages of both Slate and Wired according to the company. Also, the company is running a program where people searching for information about mbrace2 on Google, Yahoo, or Bing, or on social channels will be connected to Mercedes' content on mbrace2. By way of example, the company explains if you search "mbrace2" on Google you get a text ad that you can click to go to mbrace2 content on MBUSA.com. On social media, people with interests in auto or tech content will get mbrace2-sponsored posts. The automaker says mbrace2 messaging will also be featured on the MBUSA Facebook page with a dedicated mbrace2 tab coupled with a takeover of the MBUSA YouTube Channel.
While Food Network's cooking shows continue to sizzle, Bravo is launching another spinoff for its “Top Chef” franchise. The network is taking some of the compelling personalities of its “Top Chef” series and bringing viewers a sort of “where are they now?” In October, Bravo will debut “Life After Top Chef,” with a look at the personal and professional lives of four previous contestants from Philly (Jen Carroll) to L.A. (Fabio Viviani). Bravo says all four have established themselves as "culinary leaders in the food world.” Food Network and Bravo approach the food genre differently. By one measure, Food had a 15% ratings bump in the 18-to-49 demo through most of the second quarter. Part of the coming show will look at Carroll’s move to open her own establishment, Concrete Blonde, while caring for a sick mother. Viviani owns two L.A. restaurants and is “going nonstop with global food festivals, charity events, a Web show and multiple partnerships, and this unwavering ambition starts to take a toll on him, both physically and emotionally.” In 2009, Bravo debuted “Top Chef Masters,” three years after the original (which has had nine seasons) launched. “Top Chef Just Desserts” had two seasons, the last in late 2011.
For the second year in a row, the NBC affiliate in Salt Lake City has decided not to air a first-year series from the Peacock network. The Mormon Church-owned station will take a pass on comedy “The New Normal,” which includes a surrogate mom for a gay male couple. Last year, KSL-TV opted not to show drama “The Playboy Club,” which had only three episodes on NBC. "From time to time, we may struggle with content that crosses the line in one area or another," Jeff Simpson, Bonneville International CEO told the Salt Lake Tribune. "The dialogue might be excessively rude and crude. The scenes may be too explicit or the characterizations might seem offensive."Bonneville International is the parent company of KSL and falls under the ownership of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The CW Salt Lake City station will air the NBC comedy at some point on weekends. It carries “Saturday Night Live,” which KSL opts not to carry. Nexstar recently agreed to buy the CW station.
You may be a dyed-in-the-wool Massachusetts Democrat appalled that somehow the state has a Republican senator. But if you’re playing to win with MTV, you want no part of Elizabeth Warren so far. Warren, the Democratic candidate trying to unseat GOP Sen. Scott Brown, isn’t scoring well in early returns for “Fantasy Election ’12,” a clever game just launched by MTV. Designed to get young people more engaged with public affairs, it’s supposed to be fantasy football for politics. Trouble is, it may excite Beltway insiders and political junkies more than apathetic teenagers. All federal candidates -- from the two for President to all the others running for the House and Senate -- run up points or lose them, just like the Patriots’ Tom Brady with an NFL fantasy league. But unlike touchdown passes, what counts in fantasy politics are constituency engagement, honesty, transparency, civility and public opinion. The five qualities are determined by nonpartisan organizations such as PoliFact and the Center for Responsive Politics, which can go up and down based on what happens on the actual campaign trail. A candidate making a bogus statement suffers; a candidate focusing on an issue instead of launching barbs in a TV commercial fares better. Using Facebook, fantasy leagues can be formed with between five and 12 participants. Each player drafts a “dream team.” Competition starts Sept. 10. It’s early, but Massachusetts' Warren is struggling with a -835 score. Her opponent Brown is soaring with a +1,512. Constituents of New Jersey’s sixth congressional district can be proud. It appears their Rep. Frank Pallone (D) leads all candidates nationwide with a +5,302. Someone named James Reed (D) running for an open House seat in California looks to be in last place with a -10,421. President Obama would settle for the MTV rankings determining whether he stays in office. He’s at a +2,274. Mitt Romney? On the eve of the GOP convention has some work to do at -647. Members of fantasy leagues can trade or drop candidates. Last week, Missouri senate candidate Todd Akin, the one with the offensive comments about “legitimate rape,” had to be a quick waive. He’s now at a -911. Not sure if MTV is getting super PAC-like money, but it has signed Kia and Lenovo as sponsors. Their involvement will also include MTV’s broader election awareness efforts on-air. (Digital agency HYFM built the cool fantasy game and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation supported it with a $250,000 grant.) Fantasy players struggling to find the right mix of candidates can earn extra points in their leagues by reading articles at Politico’s and BuzzFeed’s Web site and by using GetGlue and foursquare to “check-in” on political debates. MTV will award thousands prizes to random players, with the crème de la crème being $25,000 to the winner and the chance to take three friends to the 2013 “Video Music Awards.” MTV says its initiative gives young people a chance to “hold candidates accountable.” Unfortunately, that may be a fantasy.
When Stephen Colbert talks, people listen. The cable-show host often brags of the “Colbert bump,” usually enjoyed by politicians who appear on “The Colbert Report.” But his humor, a zippy blend of insight and irony, isn’t just entertainment. According to the compelling book “Colbert’s America: Satire and Democracy” by Penn State professor Sophia A. McClennen, it champions critical thinking and citizenship. Not bad for a guy who goes with his gut. For example, when Colbert roasted President George Bush at a 2006 White House press dinner, it wasn’t just tough-love theatrics. It was a bold reminder that speaking truth to power is vital for a healthy democracy. Similarly, Rep. Lynn Westmoreland, who co-sponsored a bill to have the Ten Commandments displayed in Congress, was stumped when asked to name them. Colbert made a crucial point: Westmoreland, who advocates breaking the longstanding separation between church and state, could not articulate the principles he claims should guide our legislature. Colbert has an Emmy, a Peabody and a NASA treadmill named after him. Now, he’s got academia on board. “Colbert’s America” salutes a pretend pundit who uses a comedy show to hold our leaders accountable. “The Colbert Report,” a parody of “The O’Reilly Factor,” apes conservative punditry to send it up. He doesn’t just make us laugh, contends McClennen, who directs the university’s Center for Global Studies. His satire doubles as public service: He makes us think. And give. He's encouraged viewers to support charitable organizations focused on education and injured vets. His famed “truthiness” called out the fear-mongering of the Bush years and what McClennen decries as Fox News’ “reactionary and reductive public pedagogies,” such as Obama is a Muslim; Obama is a socialist. Sounding like the president of Colbert Nation, she makes a thoughtful, well-researched case for concluding his satire is "redefining the parameters of political dissent.” Colbert’s “The Word” segment exposes logical fallacies and the twisted reasoning of clueless politicians on both sides of the aisle. Like his colleague Jon Stewart, he exposes an often lazy, self-serving media, devoid of any depth. McClennen gives props to Colbert by noting that in post-9/11, the Bush Administration deemed it nearly treasonous to question its policies about war, torture or reduced civil rights. Yet in 2005, the year his show debuted, Colbert gleefully lampooned faux patriotism and paranoid government policies. In an NPR interview, he said he was trying to capture the hubris of O’Reilly, Sean Hannity’s bullheadedness and Lou Dobbs one-issue obsession (immigration) to ramp up his uber-patriotic pose. He’s adopted their modus operandi: shouting or silencing an opponent as a substitute for truth. His specialties are puns (“factose intolerant”) and malapropos (“wikiality”) to justify dubious positions. “It’s not a recession, it’s a correction. Correction, it is a recession. This is The Colbert Report!” She salutes the comic faker as ace satirist who exposes the disconnect between political rhetoric and reality to provoke public engagement. When Stewart’s Restore Sanity 2010 rally was announced, a reaction to Glenn Beck's Restore Honor rally, Colbert reminded viewers that “reason “was only one letter short of “treason.” And he kicked off his own effort: March to Keep Fear Alive. “Now is not the time to take it down a notch, now is the time to freak out for freedom,” he said. This is serious commentary, delivered with a wink and a nod. Colbert, she claims, is heir to Ben Franklin and Mark Twain; all use satire to challenge and enlighten. More proof? His “Better Know A District” series was so good at getting Congressional reps to make compromising statements Nancy Pelosi advised Democrats to steer clear of him. Whether confronting right-wing fundamentalism or left-wing relativism, Colbert mocks both. True to form Colbert, who touts his disdain for books, would probably zing hers -- then bask in the afterglow of conquering another world.
Technological advancement or sign of the apocalypse? LG Electronics, a big proponent of content viewing in 3D, created an experimental platform in which users could view their Facebook Newsfeeds on 3D screens. This begs the question: Is 3D becoming ubiquitous? Perfect Fools created LG 3D Studio, which houses the free app that brings a user’s Facebook feed to life, morphing posts from friends and brands into 3D building blocks. The number of likes and comments to a post determines how tall and how wide a block becomes. So if a pal’s senseless trivia and everyday minutia is aggravating in 2D, what will it do in 3D? I’m guessing Facebook will begin offering anger management courses – or users will get more selective about friending. Conversely, if your buddies lead a jet-set lifestyle, 3D just enhances their fun. The application can also be viewed using a 2D screen, but looks better in 3D. “It can be used anywhere in the world, as long as Facebook is not restricted,” said Michael Aneto, head of strategic planning at Perfect Fools. “It can also be used on all 3D screens, not just LG's.” The app launched July 30 and initially debuted in beta, tested by members of Amsterdam’s creative community. Aneto said the biggest challenge of the campaign was “convincing LG to do something different.” How about a cellphone you can actually hear on? He also said the app has left users feeling a bevy of emotions, from “inspired, intrigued, puzzled and critical.” Let's add confused. If they keep viewing everything online, they may forget how to use their legs. Here's five words that may save you from an early embolism: Step away from the screen.