USA Today
Experts think gas will hit a six-year low this summer, or about a buck cheaper a gallon than last year. "This is cheapest driving season since the summer of 2009," says Tom Kloza, global head of energy analysis for the Oil Price Information Service. And, he notes, 2009 was a recessionary year when fewer consumers were in the mood or could afford to travel.
Huffington Post
Lingerie brand Panache, specializing in D+ cup sizes, has a new advertising campaign called "Modeled by Role Models," featuring six model ambassadors from around the world, selected for their individual achievements, contributions to society and healthy approach to body image. They include Rachel Elliot, an Ebola nurse who worked as a volunteer in Sierra Leone, Hannah Cockroft, a British wheelchair racer, and singer Mica Paris, who also works as an ambassador for the Amy Winehouse Foundation.
Marketing Magazine
Beer brand Fosters has revealed it is dropping the two male Australian characters Brad and Dan from its advertising. The final spot for the campaign shows the two characters leaving to marry their respective fiances, Dawn and Matilda. They are seen leaving "before the phone bill arrives." Fosters said the campaign had been "hugely successful" for the brand, driving 70% sales growth between 2010 and 2013.
Detroit Bureau
After a steady build-up of leaks and teases, Chevrolet has finally pulled the wraps off the sixth-generation Camaro, a model that it claims is lighter, faster, more nimble and more fuel-efficient than the "pony car" it replaces. The 2016 Chevrolet Camaro is also more technologically sophisticated, introducing a number of new features - such as a first-ever turbocharged engine - and expanding the availability of others, including a magnetic ride control suspension.
Toronto Star
Ikea Canada will open a very small retail location in London, Ont., later this year. The 20,000-square-foot pick-up store will feature a limited number of items for purchase and immediate takeaway. It will also have tablets on site for customers to browse and buy on www.IKEA.com. Such services as merchandise pick-up, home delivery, assembly, planning, returns and exchanges and online and sales support will also be available. The store will employ only 20 people.
Chicago Tribune
Chili's says it's spending about $750,000 a year for an egg wash that gives its burger buns a photogenic glaze. It's part of an effort by the chain to get you to take pictures of its food and post them online. "It just makes it look great. It glistens, it shines," said Wyman Roberts, CEO of Brinker International, the parent company of Chili's.
Detroit Bureau
The need to speed up product development cycles helped expedite GM's decision to spend $1 billion dollars to rebuild and refurbish the company's aging technical center in Warren, Michigan, a Detroit suburb. Mark Reuss, GM VP for product development said the Technical Center was 60 years old and had never undergone a complete renovation. However, GM now has the resources to plan for the future, he said.
Nation's Restaurant News
It's part of a remodeling program under the moniker "Red Robin Burgers & Brews," which includes new waiting foyers with chalkboards for kids to draw on, family-friendly dining rooms separated from the 21-and-over bar area, and Ziosk order-pay-and-play kiosks on tables. The new kids menu, launching mid-June includes three new items, a line of unlimited sides, and bottomless drinks. The physical menu features American landmarks with silly twists.
The Drum
A week after Interpublic (IPG) announced that its agencies Mullen, and Lowe and Partners have merged to make the Mullen Lowe Group, Royal Caribbean International has named the agency as its creative shop after what the company said was an extensive agency review process.
NPR
Tough neighborhoods are barren of healthy food options. But not where Brown's Super Stores operate. The chain, part of the larger ShopRite franchise, went to community leaders and asked them what they were looking for in a grocery store. That unusual approach is part of what helped make the chain a success in areas where most wouldn't tread. The company now operates seven profitable supermarkets in low-income neighborhoods in and around Philadelphia.