• Now For The Bottom Four Vehicles In 'Consumer Reports'
    We've all read about how great the Tesla S is and how it broke "Consumer Reports"' scale, but how about at the other end? The four worst vehicles for 2015, in "CS"'s view are: Chrysler 200, Land Rover Discovery Sport, Lexus 200t/300h and Kia Sedona. The magazine separated these four vehicles from the pack in its annual analysis of new vehicle releases. Get vicarious pleasure at someone else's suffering (if you're the type) at the jump.
  • Inside An Ad Shoot For 'Adore Me'
    At the jump see, unadorned, a campaign in the making from e-commerce retailer Adore Me. The company, as one can see in this visit to a model photo session, is horning in on Victoria's Secret's market share, partly by using stunning models. "We aim to slay Victoria's Secret," Sharon Klapka, Adore Me's director of business and brand development. "They are slow, they are expensive, they make women feel sidelined. It is about time that someone really revolutionized the space, and we're doing it."
  • Taco Bell Folds A Fryer, Calls It A Shell
    Taco Bell's food research and developers have figured out how to fold chicken. It's called the Naked Crispy Chicken Taco, and the company is only trying it out in California for now. The shell, if you can rightly call it that, is breaded white meat. The fillings are lettuce, tomato, shredded cheddar, and avocado ranch sauce.
  • McDonald's Launches Blind Test Campaign
    McD's can't get much respect. But what happens if you remove the packaging and serve it from a food truck? New ads, which might be called "faking out foodies," touts McDonald's Buttermilk Crispy Chicken sandwich. Real people at a food truck lineup get the sandwich from a "crispy chicken" truck. In the TV spots people love the sandwiches and can't believe it's McDonald's.
  • Facebook Says Meme About Its Ad Tech Is A Red Herring
    Is Facebook's ad tech business "closed"? Smaller competitors say it is, and so do independent observers concerned about the return of the walled-garden Internet. Brian Boland, Facebook's VP of advertising technology, says he is annoyed by the open/closed argument. "Every time there's an acquisition or a thing we launch, there tends to be a lot of discussion around open vs. closed." He said driving business outcomes for advertisers is what matters. How? Unity, quality, ease of use and scale are the keys.
  • Can The Ultimate Driving Machine Be Driverless?
    BMW wants to redefine what has defined it for years. The automaker doesn't have much choice in the matter. But can "The Ultimate Driving Machine" apply to alternative driving machines, including ones that drive themselves? The sixth-generation 7-Series sedan comes as close to hands-free driving as anything out there, and BMW brass wants to go further.
  • Delta Lands Deal To Reach College Consumers
    Saying it would go beyond traditional stadium signage and the like, Delta Air Lines has signed an alliance with nine universities, adding to six already on its roster. The plan is "to embed the airline and its employees in campus and alumni events, academics and career recruiting" in an effort to reach what it called its "future customers."
  • Gatorade Celebrates Serena In New Campaign
    Gatorade has released its latest ad starring Serena Williams. The ad, "Unmatched," features footage of Williams as a little girl answering a question from a reporter as to which tennis player she would like to emulate. At the end of the ad we hear her say, "I want them to be like me." Besides TV, there are 21 pieces of art that have been commissioned to celebrate each of William's grand slam wins.
  • Q&A: Mondelz Putting Oreo Thins In Center Court At U.S. Open
    Mondelz International, already an official marketing partner with Nascar, NCAA, MLS and U.S. Soccer, will be at the U.S. Open as well. The company's include Cadbury, Nabisco, Tang, Trident and Oreo, the latter of which recently added Oreo Thins. Stephen Chriss, senior director of marketing says the company's brands will get multi-platform activation on-site, in social media and on TV to encompass commercials, signage and some 100 thousand free samples to people attending the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
  • Kroger Opening In-Store Beer Taps
    Kroger is introducing in-store craft beer stations and tastings. The move lets customers buy or bring in their own growlers to fill with craft beers. Kroger has had beer stations in Arizona stores for years, and more recently in Columbus and Atlanta. This year Kroger has expanded the beer strategy to stores in Lexington, Ky.; Memphis, Tenn.; Little Rock, Ark.; Richmond, Va.; and Los Alamos, N.M. It has also added them to stores in the Pacific Northwest at its Fred Meyer and QFC chains.
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