• Bond, Smirnoff Reunite In New Film
    "Vodka martini, please. Shaken, not stirred." To a certain generation, that is the most famous cocktail in the world. And there's no mistaking who placed the order. Bond, James Bond. Perhaps you know the fictional British super spy by his code name, 007. And his brand of vodka? Smirnoff. The relationship between Bond and the brand goes back to the spy's first movie, "Dr. No," in 1962, reports USA Today. The relationship cooled for a while, but now the two are reunited in the newest 007 flick, "Casino Royale," scheduled for a November release. Smirnoff will be on a smaller …
  • Disney, Kroger Cut Healthy Food Deal
    In the wake of the childhood obesity controversy, Disney Consumer Products will introduce a line of more than 100 Disney-branded healthy food products through a new deal with supermarket chain Kroger. The company plans to have products in 12 categories, including water, juices (low-sugar), milk, fruits, vegetables, pastas, soups, breads, yogurts, meats, cheese and portion-control snacks like ice cream and biscuits. All will be marketed under the brand name Disney Magic Selections. On the packs will be Woody and Buzz Lightyear ("Toy Story"), Mike Wazowski ("Monsters, Inc.") Dashiell "Dash" Parr ("The Incredibles"), Tigger, Winnie the Pooh, and, of course, Mickey …
  • NFL Stars Focus Of Reebok's New Branding Effort
    Athletic gear marketer Reebok, now under the ownership of former rival Adidas, is hoping that a handful of National Football League stars will help revive its sluggish sales. The player roster includes Peyton Manning (Indianapolis Colts); Vince Young (Tennessee Titans); Steve Smith (Carolina Panthers); Torry Halt (St. Louis Rams); DeAngelo Hall (Atlanta Falcons); and Roy Williams (Dallas Cowboys). All six will appear in a major new branding campaign that Reebok is launching this fall. In the ads, each athlete wears performance apparel bearing either an "Rbk" vector or "N.F.L. Equipment" logo, and describes the moment in his life when he …
  • New Service Measures In-Game Ads
    Marketers' demand for metrics that prove the effectiveness of their advertising has spread to the world of gaming, an ad outlet steadily growing in popularity. A new research company, Interpret LLC, has announced that it is launching a service dubbed Gameasure that will provide third-party measurement for in-game advertising, reports Mediaweek. Gameasure will track a variety of metrics for video games across multiple gaming platforms, such as user demographics, reach and frequency and duration of play, according to Interpret. At launch, the product will pull survey-based data from a panel of gamers, but plans are in the works to …
  • AT&T Expansion Pushes Brand Identity
    Marketers know the value of a venerable brand name. All would love to own a name that resonates through the years and plants a solid, unmistakable image in the minds of consumers. Think Coke, Nike, or McDonald's. Another one is AT&T. Although it has been slightly tarnished of late, the brand still strikes a strong chord with consumers. That's why its owners are betting heavily on a brand resurgence as they expand the company through acquisition, says The New York Times. When SBC Communications bought AT&T last year, SBC promptly took the AT&T name. And if its pending purchase of …
  • T-Mobile Targets Younger Consumers At Small Events
    Telephone-services marketer T-Mobile has found a new way to use sponsorship marketing in the U.K. to reach young consumers. Instead of sponsoring large-scale events like rock festivals, the company is inviting small groups--as few as 300 people--to shows by top bands in small venues such as basement clubs or lighthouses. The advertiser's presence at such events is subtle, yet unmistakable. For example, their corporate logos are nowhere to be seen, but the stage is lit in the unmistakable color pink of the T-Mobile logo. "We're trying to put bands you wouldn't expect in really surprising venues," says Karen Harrison, brand …
  • Jeep Compass Targets Younger Buyers
    Jeep wants younger consumers to buy its vehicles and is counting on bobbleheads to deliver its commercial message in a new, multimillion-dollar TV ad campaign. That's right, bobbleheads. Four 30-second TV spots for the Compass, Jeep's first entry into the compact SUV segment, feature over a dozen bobblehead characters, including a blues musician and a dog. Brandweek says the campaign will target a younger buyer, 22-30, who is single, urban, and college-educated, with an average income of around $40,000. The campaign's goal is to bring the Jeep brand to younger buyers than its current 45-to-55 consumer. It also wants to …
  • Marketers Hit Beach With Promo Items
    It's summertime, and like everyone else, marketers are hitting the beach. Not for vacation, mind you, but to promote their brands. Beachgoers this season will see sun bunnies lounging on Smirnoff towels or seeking shade under Verizon umbrellas. Many promotions are new, but some of the items sporting brand names and logos have been around for a long time. That's one of the advantages of such promotional materials--they have a long shelf life. While it is difficult to measure the success of such campaigns, consumers are seen as more receptive to ads at the beach than they might be elsewhere. …
  • Toyota Inks New VOD Deal With Cablevision
    Japanese automaker Toyota has discovered the wonders of video on demand, says Ad Age. The company has cut a deal with Cablevision for a VOD campaign that supports three of its brands: the Camry sedan, the RAV4 small sports utility vehicle, and the Yaris. All are highlighted in branded content on the cable provider's digital Optimum Autos interactive channel, where subscribers can watch videos about each car's 2007 model. Users can also request pricing information or product brochures with the click of a remote, since the cable operator already has subscribers' contact information. Toyota collects the requests and distributes leads …
  • Castelli Revives Fashion Bike Brand In U.S.
    The U.S. division of Italian clothing marketer Castelli is launching a new collection of high-end products re-establishing the brand as a leader in the cycling apparel industry. The move is being made under new ownership that has relocated the American distributorship of the brand to Portland, Oregon, reports The Oregonian. "Castelli was known for innovation and delivered a product that made a difference," says Greg Cowan, who owns a majority of the Castelli U.S. business with his wife. He acknowledged that the company "hasn't fulfilled that promise" in recent years, but said it's looking to change. "We're not living in …
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