• Coca-Cola Turns UK Site Into Digital Magazine
    Across the pond, Coca-Cola has replaced Coca-Cola.co.uk with a new website that aims to look more like a digital magazine than a corporate site. Called Coca-Cola Journey, the new page is rich with multimedia content and storytelling. The company said it's about brand engagement and social media. It will feature both branded and non-branded content in an "editorial style" and an interactive Q&A section. Curated content includes an interview with pop star will.i.am about his new EKOCYCLE venture with Coke. The company says it also wants to work with bloggers and journalists.
  • For Pilot, Honda Goes For High-End Buyers
    Honda's redone 2016 Pilot three-row SUV will have a high-end trim called Elite with "A premium look, feel and experience with highest level of standard features," per the company. The company has put a price sticker on the window yet, but it will be over $42,000, which is the MSRP of the current high-end model, Pilot Touring. When it goes on sale this summer the Pilot Elite price won't surprise as it matches across-the-board increases for trucks and SUVs generally.
  • Is The Big 'H' The Worst Political Logo Ever, Or A Clever Surprise?
    The initial take on Hillary Clinton's "H" with a red arrow through it has been fairly savage, including comments that it looks as if Hillary has merged with FedEx or had stolen a hospital sign. Design experts have mixed reactions. Some thought it was a good idea for her to have avoided the patriotic imagery for something fresh. Others were puzzled. The guy who actually designed the FedEx logo thinks it's "disappointing, amateurish, clumsy and decidedly static."
  • Lafley Eyeing The Door At P&G?
    People in the know think A.G. Lafley is looking to leave P&G, and that he might be seeking to go as early as this summer. That would leave the chair open for David Taylor. Three months ago the company took a step toward choosing a successor to Lafley when it elevated Taylor to oversee beauty, over half the company's business. Insiders say that if Lafley takes the door he would stay on as chairman of the board for two years.
  • Agency Exec Becomes Land O'Lakes CMO
    Longtime Chicago advertising executive Tim Scott is stepping down as president of McGarryBowen Chicago to become CMO at Land O'Lakes. Scott joins the Minnesota-based dairy giant on April 22. "Tim brings deep expertise in working with global brands and brand teams - skills that will play a central role in this next chapter of our Land O'Lakes growth story," said Chris Policinski, president and CEO of Land O'Lakes, in a statement.
  • Is New Dove Ad Slicker Than Soap, And Too Patronizing?
    Dove's "Real Beauty" campaign has been huge hit. And on the surface, it's a strong statement against airbrushed bodies and borderline anorexia. But, it's advertising for soap, not an act of moral indignation. The new effort, assuming most women tend to describe themselves as "average" when asked, suggests they feel more empowered if they chose to describe themselves as "beautiful."
  • Hyundai Beats VW, Buick As China's Top Mass Auto Brand
    Hyundai Motor Co. beat Volkswagen AG and Buick to be the top-ranked mass-market auto brand in China. BYD Co. was the top-ranked Chinese automaker in the China Brand Power Index, putting it ahead of Toyota Motor Corp. and Ford Motor Co. Audi was first in the luxury auto category, according to the survey, which was based on interviews with 11,500 Chinese consumers in 30 cities and funded by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.
  • What's In A Butter Cookie?
    What's a Danish cookie? Danisa cookies, imported by Takari, are not Danish; they are actually made in Indonesia. And they aren't butter cookies, Campbell Soup Company discovered, since they aren't made exclusively with butter. When competitor Campbell Soup pointed this out to the National Advertising Division, the NAD told Takari to cut back on the Danish imagery.
  • Apple Watch Preorders At 1 Million
    Nearly one million people placed an order for an Apple Watch on the first day it was available, with most going for the cheapest model, a shopping research firm estimated. Slice Intelligence said e-receipt data finds that 957,000 people in the U.S. pre-ordered on Friday, spending, on average, $504 per watch. An estimated 62% purchased the less-expensive Sport model. If they bought the Apple Watch Sport, they spent $383 per watch.
  • Chicago Launches Big Ad Campaign
    Chicago today launches a new national television campaign, touting the city as a happening place to visit. The tourism effort moves away from traditional Chicago images around its midwest industry roots, and aims instead to tout the city as a hotbed of music festivals, hipsters, fine dining and shopping. The effort, "Chicago Epic," features a 30-second TV commercial aimed at markets like San Francisco and Denver.
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