Volkswagen: Another Day, Another Dollar

Volkswagen has created a new TV ad that speaks to the affordability of its Jetta. The viewer watches a young man take ridiculous job after ridiculous job, all with the plan of saving enough money to buy his very own Jetta. At the end of the ad, he is proudly washing his new Jetta, with a license plate that declares, MINE! 

Ah, but wait! There is one last photo opportunity ... the camera pans out and you see a second Jetta in the driveway, with a MINE2 license plate. 

I really enjoyed this ad and liked the interesting twist on affordability that it presents. 

But, of course my mind wonders to the second Jetta and I wonder ... did he really need to take that nude modeling job or to be a rodeo clown running for his life? Wasn't one new Jetta enough? I mean, just how greedy can one guy be?

Clorox Green Works Surprises

Brand Channel announced this week that Clorox Green Works is now the #1 natural cleaner in the U.S. Is it just me or is there something a little hinky about that? I can't help it but when I think of Clorox, my mind immediately drifts to bleach. And bleach - to my way of thinking - is about as far away from "natural" as you can get.

That being said, you do have to admire the Clorox folks. In coordination with International Walk to School Month, Clorox Green Works is sponsoring a Walk to School Challenge for elementary and middle school students and their families.

Clorox encourages kids to sign up on their Facebook page to pledge to walk or bike to school during the month of October. The carrot?  Being healthy might just lead to your school winning one of five $5,000 grants.

According to Brand Channel, "The overall goal of the Green Works campaign is to promote kids and families adopting healthier lifestyles, with the eco-friendly byproduct of reducing air pollution by promoting walking over driving to school."

I love the idea that a major CPG company is inspiring kids to get out and walk. What better way to start the day off then to get some fresh air and some exercise? A possible side effect may be students that are more mentally alert and stimulated during the school day.

So, for me, what started out as a possible negative turned into a well thought-out social media campaign that just may have a positive effect on lowering childhood obesity in the U.S.

What Apple Ads Do You Think Are Real Duds?

It is true that brands that have a lot of money can do a whole lot more with their advertising. They can rack up production costs by hiring the best directors, the best producers, the best talent. They can go to exotic places for their photo shoots. They can blow their message out to their target using traditional, nontraditional, and social media. They can sustain their advertising flight for as long as it takes to attain the reach and frequency they're looking for.  They can simultaneously target multiple types of consumers. All because they have a very large and abundant advertising budget.

But money alone does not guaranty that an ad agency will create great ads that break through the clutter, command attention, and motivate the target to buy. Advertising remains a largely artistic endeavor. And, as we all know, art is viewed differently by different people.

So, it's amazing when you begin to look at a wide range of Apple's advertising ... and you see one great ad after another. Whether it's for the Nano, the iPad, the iPhone, or the Air Laptop, Apple seems to get the equation right time and time again.

That's not to say that Apple doesn't product duds from time to time. They do. But, more often than not, they produce ads that are engaging and memorable. I can't tell you how many times I've seen the Nano ad in the past several weeks. Yet, every time I see it, I find myself watching the screen and humming along to the catchy little tune.

So, I'm going to ask for a little help here. Post links to Apple ads that you think lacked the WOW factor. Ones that you saw and thought, "What?"

Five U.S. Food Trends

 
Check out the presentation I created and shared on SlideShare. The presentation describes the five most interesting food trends in the U.S.

Jell-O Makes Happy Happen

 

Jello-O has launched a fun Facebook campaign, called The Jell-O Happy Appy. They encourage visitors to their Facebook page to either "Share Your Happy" by uploading your own happy picture or to "Explore the Happy" by looking at other people's happy pictures.

The first thing I noticed when I came to this page was that the happy little red creature featured in the Hello Jell-o logo has been created from all the photos uploaded to the site. The visuals appear to constantly change as more and more photos are added. So, at any point in time, your photo or the photo of a friend just might find its way on to Jello-O's Facebook page.

So, I asked myself, "Will I become happier by looking at these happy photos?"

In theory, of course, the answer would be yes. But, unfortunately, most of the photos that have been added to the Facebook page didn't make me smile. They were just the kind of photos that you might have snapped at a family outing. Gees Louise ... some of the people in the posted photos even look sad.  :-(

But, then once in awhile you uncover a real jewel .. you feel the edges of your mouth starting to creep up towards the sky and then it happens ... you break out into a smile that warms your heart.

Like the one that Shannon B. posted of her little boy in a red and black flannel shirt sitting next to his Yellow Lab by the Christmas tree or Christine J.'s photo of a little boy snuggling his adorable, fluffy dog or the one by Stephanie D. of her little girl getting a kick out of life. (There's a theme here isn't there? Kids and dogs!)

And, truly, at the end of the day, who am I to define someone else's happiness? And, that's the whole point behind Jello's campaign, isn't it?  Jell-o would love to share a bit of happiness with you - no matter how you define happy.

So, go out and make "happy" happen for you today.

Consumers Redesign Chiquita Sticker

You know that little label on your Chiquita bananas? It may not seem like much to you and I, but for a fruit, it's about the only opportunity they have to brand themselves.

So, Chiquita came up with a pretty brilliant idea on how to get consumers to think about their brand ... and that little sticker that we have come to take for granted. They thought, why not let consumers take a crack at designing a new sticker for the brand?

Consumers thought it was a great idea, a way to express themselves and maybe design something that would be seen by people across the United States. Chiquita received hundreds of designs options ... some very close-in to where they are today and some far more expressive.

After sifting through the options, Chiquita selected the top 50 as their favorite designs. Then, in yet another brilliant move, they put the designs up to public vote, luring thousands to view the designs and cast their votes.

Chiquita ultimately selected 18 winners. Next month, these 18 designs will be stuck to Chiquita bananas all over the nation.

What a great way to get consumers involved in your brand ... as designers, voters, and consumers. It will be interesting to see if the contest increases banana sales across the country?!

Never Ever Shake a Baby

Serve Marketing, a Milwaukee-based advertising agency, exclusively focuses on creating breakthrough advertising that helps nonprofits get their message heard.

The creative director, Gary Mueller, tells a story about a visit from his boss a few years ago. She asked him to create an ad that could be heard only one time and never forgotten. Easy, right?

Well, it turns out she had a darn good reason for asking Gary to do this nearly impossible task. You see, the number of children treated at the local Children's Hospital for shaken baby syndrome had jumped from 17 in 2007 to 30 in 2008. That was 30 children that had either been killed or permanently disabled as a direct result of being shaken.

So Gary set out to create that absolutely unforgettable ad.

Rather than only focusing on the creative - which some creatives do - Serve Marketing paid attention to both the ad and the medium in which it was delivered. Gary created a radio ad that was clearly unforgettable but that he knew people would have difficulty listening to. So, he went to every radio station in town and convinced them all to run this radio spot at precisely 7:40 am on a Friday. During rush hour that morning, every single person who had the radio on heard the Shaken Baby Association's PSA. And if they didn't like the baby crying and switched the station, guess what they heard? The same baby crying.

In the seven months prior to airing the ad, 26 cases of shaken baby syndrome were reported by area hospitals. In the four and a half months that followed, only ONE shaken baby incident was reported.

Remarkable results.
Remarkable agency.
Remarkable cause.

See more at Serve Marketing's website.

Ben & Jerry's Has Been Dishing Out Misinformation

Shame on Ben & Jerry's. All these years, we were led to believe that these two ex-hippies were dishing out ice cream that was different than all the rest because it was "all natural." And that naturalness came at a premium ... which many were willing to pay because they wanted to eat ice cream that was more pure and less processed.

Okay, okay. Anyone that read the label would have seen artificial sounding ingredients like "hydrogenated soybean oil" and "anhydrous dextrose" and would have decided on their own that Ben & Jerry's wasn't really as natural as they were claiming to be.

But, what bothers me is that rather than leveling with their consumers, Ben Cohen & Jerry Greenfield (yes, there really is a Ben and Jerry) chose to communicate misinformation to consumers for all these years. In truth, it took the nonprofit watchdog agency, The Center for Science in the Public Interest, to get Ben & Jerry's to fess up to their wrongdoings.

Alright, time to give credit for what Ben & Jerry's has done right. According to MediaPost, CEO Jostein Solheim claims they use the most natural products they can find, like hormone-free milk and cage-free eggs. Plus, their products are Fair Trade Certified.

So, in the big scheme of things, Ben & Jerry's may still be one of the better ice creams out there.

But, and this is a big but, I still feel duped and that makes me unhappy. Unhappy enough that I just may shy away from buying their ice cream in the future.

Kit Kat Encourages You To Take a Break

Imagine strolling the streets of London, absorbing the sights, sounds, and smells of the city.

And then, there it is. A park bench that beckons you to "have a break." But, this is no ordinary bench. This bench is designed to look exactly like the chocolate Kit Kar bar you have come to know and love ever since you were a child.

How could you possibly ignore the opportunity to do exactly as Kit Kat beckons - have a break while out on your stroll?

What a simple and wonderfully executed marketing tactic. The bench clearly and succinctly delivers Kit Kat's brand positioning ... with a budget that is probably the likes of chump change for Kit Kat.

I wonder how many visitors have snapped a photo of this bench?

Save Someone's Life ... Every 56 Days

I was driving to work the other morning, when I glanced up at one of the billboards adorning the interstate.

Never saved a life? It taunted me.

Well, of course, I never saved a life. Chances are you haven't either. Who has?

But, then I realized that the message was assuring me that I could, in fact, save a life ... in fact, I could save someone's life every 56 days. How? By donating my O Negative blood.

Just like you, I've been exposed to all kinds of ads from the Blood Center for a good share of my life. I've heard the pleas to donate blood on the radio, on billboards, on posters, at events, at my children's schools, at work.

But, something about this ad grabbed me on a whole different level. It made me stop and pay attention.

Oh, I know that donating blood can save lives. Chances are you do, too. But, I thought of blood saving lives somewhat distantly ... kind of like that friend you had in 8th grade that pops into your mind once every few years or so. You think about them fondly, wonder what's up in their lives, and then promptly forget them.

But, this billboard delivered a promise that was impossible for me to ignore. It assured me that my O Negative blood would - not could - save someone's life and that this would happen every single time I donated.

Wow.

It sure makes all my excuses for not getting to the Blood Center seem, well petty. Regardless of your blood type, giving blood is one easy, sure-fire way for you to feel like you're passing a piece of you out into the world to help others.

Did you know that someone in the U.S. needs blood every two seconds or that 14 million blood transfusions are given each year?

My advice to you is to go to your local Blood Center and ante up. You'll feel good about yourself ... and who knows, you just might save a life.

Korean Air Travel Beckons You To Fly With Them

Korean Air Travel serves up a new global TV campaign that is soft, elegant and inviting. Using Tiffany Blue as the common color across ads not only helps to unify the campaign but also portrays an overall aura of sophistication.

Korean Air's new ads bring their tagline - Excellence in Flight - to life in a series of stunning ads (#1 and #2) that beckon you to join them on their journey to exotic lands like Vietnam, India, Seol, Shanghai, Paris, and Brazil.

Korean Air provides a whiff of the flight attendants of yesteryear, as beautiful exotic women very nearly prance down an imaginary runway. It conjures up images of the 2003 movie "View From The Top," when flight attendants were still young, curvy, and beautiful and their jobs were coveted by all young beautiful women.

Wonderfully shot ad; sensual music; imagery that supports the selling message. Great ad!

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Please visit my health and wellness blog at http://thought4foodblog.blogspot.com/

A Pedal Tavern Without Any Alcohol

A few days ago, I was enjoying an outside dinner along the Milwaukee River when I caught a glimpse of something out of the corner of my eye. After a double-take, I realized that it was a 16-person bicycle of sorts, which was filled with a rambunctious group of 20 somethings who appeared to be drinking and whooping it up as they cycled down Water Street.

While I must admit that this Milwaukee Pedal Tavern looked like fun, all of these questions popped into mind. Like, is it legal to drink and drive? What happens if everyone on board gets drunk? And, do you really want to work that hard when drinking?

Alas, these questions took me to the Milwaukee Pedal Tavern's website so I could learn more about this innovative new portable bar. I was relieved to discover that an employee of the tavern actually drives and steers the bicycle, while the patrons merely relax. But, here was the shocking revelation - passengers cannot drink while on board. Evidently, the tavern is currently in talks with the city of Milwaukee and the state of Wisconsin to persuade them that passengers would not be drinking-and-driving and, therefore, it would be totally safe transportation. (Hmmm ... what about the drunk passenger that falls off the bike into traffic? Although the same could be said about a passenger on a Harley-Davidson.)

I must admit that I really felt let down when I discovered that no drinking was allowed. They call themselves the Milwaukee Pedal Tavern, but in reality they aren't a tavern at all. Deceptive advertising? Heck, yeah.

So, basically, this bicycle built for 16 represents an alternative to a relaxing horse-drawn carriage ride throughout the city ... without the brown presents deposited by the horse.

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Please check out my Health & Wellness blog at: http://thought4foodblog.blogspot.com/

Wake Up America and Eat Oatmeal ... or Not.

Breakfast. That meal that you've always been told is the most important meal of the day. We've heard it all of our lives from moms and from advertisers. But, it's a message that hasn't necessarily sunk in for many of us. In fact, according to ABC, roughly 4 in 10 Americans skip breakfast.

In walks Quaker Oats, with their new Wake Up America commercial ... an ad dedicated to instilling the beauty of morning into your psyche. A charismatic voice tells you to wake up and to conquer the world as you embrace morning. Quaker Oats aren't introduced into the commercial until the last few seconds when a freeze frame of the package and the words, "Does your breakfast make you amazing?" grace the screen.

This ad was certainly effective at making me feel good about the power of that special time of day called morning. But, it used a very soft sell to try to encourage me to eat oatmeal to start the day off right.

A look back at that ABC article reveals that only 9% of people eat hot cereal for breakfast. Cold cereal wins hands down, with 31% claiming it as their morning favorite.

While I really did like this new Quaker Oats commercial, in the end it really didn't convince me to give up my morning fruit for a steaming bowl of porridge.

There Are a Whole Lot of Numbers Left in My Life

In the 1950s, there were three things that a woman would never be caught doing: 1) smoking in public, 2) wearing long pants, and 3) coloring her hair.

Where her hair was concerned, she was instructed to pull each gray strand by its root, rather than risk association with those who bleached, or worse, dyed their hair (actresses and "loose" women). That is ... until Clairol entered the scene with their revolutionary new product, making the act of coloring your hair an acceptable practice. Women went to the store in droves to purchase Clairol, recognizing the new product for what it was ... a way to defy age.

Years ago, it was considered uncouth to ask a woman her age and the presence of just a few strands of gray hair was looked at with disdain, even horror. Yikes! As a young girl, I remember women being stalled at 39 years of age for years on end. If someone commented on her being 39 for three years running, she would merely smile and say, "A lady never tells her age."

She didn't talk about menopause or depression or having a hysterectomy either. She lived in a world where she was expected to know her place and to be happy in it; a place where her husband was king and she was meant to be the perfect wife, the most gracious hostess, and a June Cleaver type mom to their perfectly turned out, well-behaved children.

Of course, life wasn't really like that inside the privacy of their home; but, the media certainly portrayed a woman's life in the 50s and 60s as a living, breathing Pleasantville, of sorts.

Lord, am I happy those days are gone.

Being 50+ today is a celebration! It's a time to take stock of all you have accomplished in the first several decades of your life, to redisover love, to form a friendship with your adult children, to find time to sit and enjoy a cup of tea while reading a wonderful romance novel.

There are other more subtle benefits to being a touch older, too.

I find that I am no longer comfortable being a well-worn welcome mat - I can say no and not feel as guilty about it.

I don't care as much about what people think of me these days - I just do what's right for me and the people I care about.

I can actually shop by myself, for myself, taking time to wonder around a bookstore or to carefully select produce at a farmer's market.

Instead of jet-setting to track meets, dance recitals, and school plays, I have rediscovered the love and companionship of my best friend ... my husband.

I spend time with my girlfriends, talking about our children, yes, but also cheering on the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field or planning exotic vacations over a glass of wine.

Life is full of richness and wonder for me these days. I'm in a great place at work - a place where i can use my wisdom to make an indelible impact. I have a wonderful relationship with my grown children and am thrilled they still enjoy spending time with their parents. I am rediscovering quieter, more intimate times with my husband, as we go on weekly dinner dates. I love who I am and what I've become.

As Mark Twain once said, "Age is an issue of mind over matter; if you don't mind, it doesn't matter."

To my way of thinking, age is just a number and there are a whole lot more numbers left in my life.

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I am trying to blog my way to the AARP Orlando@50 conference. This blog post is an entry in their competition to find the official blogger to travel to and cover the event. Find out more about the conference here.

What Do You Want to be When You Grow Up?

What do you want to be when you grow up? That's the question asked of all little children.

I want to be a fireman!
I want to be a hula dancer!
I want to be an artist!
I want to be a princess!
I want to be a train driver!
I want to be Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz!

In this YouTube video, the dreams go on and on.

But, somewhere along the line we stop dreaming. We figure out where our life is headed, hunker down, and follow the path that has presented itself to us ... usually, the path of least resistance.

Some of us may have had doubts along life's path. An even smaller number of us may have had the courage to switch careers mid-stream, with the hope of finding our true passion in life.

Who ever said that we had to stop dreaming anyway? Why can't we change our direction from time to time? It sure would make life a whole lot more interesting.

With amazing insight into the new aging consumer, AARP nails what so many aging Baby Boomers feel - it's never too late to learn. Their two new commercials (#1 and #2) are absolutely charming, with vignettes of older individuals talking about .... When I grow up ...

I want to be a volunteer firefighter
I want to run a marathon
I want to write a novel
I'm going to start a band
I want to fix up old houses
I want to fall in love again

Thank you to AARP for shattering the paradigms of aging. How incredibly refreshing!

#MediaPost

Hope Has a Face

Cancer has touched everyone in one way or another. Some of us (me included) are unfortunate enough to have had to deal with the agony of the diagnosis and the pain and discomfort of surgery, radiation, and/or chemotherapy, on a first-hand basis. Others of us have gone through it with someone we love.

In an excerpt from my book, On the Other Side: The Journey of a Cancer Survivor, I reveal some of the pain that a diagnosis may unleash in your life.

"I used to think that the type of cancer we had separated us from each other, but I feel differently now. I agree that we may undergo different treatments if we are diagnosed with colon cancer, lung cancer, breast cancer, or Hodgkin's. We may have different outlooks on our life expectancy. Some may undergo surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, or some combination of these. But, we all share commonalities that band us together for life. We are brothers and sisters, joined not by genetics but by life experiences.

We all remember what it felt like when we were told that we had a cancerous mass growing inside our body. We know what it's like to feel fear that is so palpable that you taste it. We empathize with the rigors associated with surgery, chemotherapy, and/or radiation. We understand how devastating this disease can be, not only for us, but also for our family and friends. And for those of us that have been fortunate enough to kill the beast, we know what it's like to be a survivor, complete with all the ensuing positives and negatives.

Yes, we are part of an elite club. It's because we've been there. We know what it's like. We understand."

So, it's especially nice when someone puts a positive spin on cancer. Jigsaw, a Milwaukee creative agency, devised an interactive exhibit at St. Vincents Regional Cancer Center. Upwards of 7,000 guests were given the opportunity to directly interact with a 45′ x 7′ rear-projecting interactive wall by writing what the word HOPE means to them. The wall became a living, breathing organism.

At the same time, they encouraged people to tweet what they felt HOPE meant or add their thoughts to their "Hope Is" website. The words and phrases offered up by people were as far ranging as the diagnoses and treatment plans they underwent. Here are a few I particularly like:

Hope is a lifetime of springs.
Hope is finding inspiration in unexpected places.
Hope is making a child smile.
Hope is getting better so I can play with my grandchildren.
Hope is the look I see in her eyes.
Hope is the warm sun on my face.
Hope is the seeds you plant.

If you'd like to read a bit more on this initiative, check out Fuel Your Creativity's write-up at http://www.fuelyourcreativity.com/using-creativity-to-empower/.

Toyota counts on a different story being told

Toyota has just broke a new ad campaign, "Every Toyota has a story." The ad extends to both advertising and Facebook.

The buzz in the ad industry for the past few years has been focused on the importance of advertisers creating an emotional link between their brand and target. Storytelling is repeatedly offered up as a way to create a meaningful two-way personal dialogue with consumers. But, here's the catch - consumers have to want to be a part of the conversation and they have to find the storyteller (the brand) to be credible and trustworthy.

No doubt, Toyota had that kind of relationship with its owners for years, but here's the question: Has Toyota's ability to engage consumers in a meaningful two-way conversation been at all diminished by the bevvy of recalls that have plagued the company in the last few years?

Let's take a look at the history of Toyota's recalls just since January 2009:

1/09: 1.3 million vehicles recalled for seat belt and exhaust system problems
8/09: 690,000 cars recalled because of faulty window switches
9/09: 3.8 million cars recalled due to floor mats trapping acceleration pedals
1/10: 2.3 million more vehicles are recalled because of sticking pedals
1/10: Stop selling eight vehicle models due to sticking pedals
1/10: 1.1 million vehicles recalled due to pedal-entrapment issues
2/10: 437,000 hybrid models recalled due to faulty breaks
8/10: 1.1 million Corollas and Matrix cars recalled due to computer issues
8/10: 1.1 million compact cars are recalled due to engine problems

My math adds all those recalls up to 9.5 million vehicles worldwide in just 19 months.

So, the $9.5 million question is: Will this new ad campaign positively engage consumers at an emotional level?

My gut tells me that the Toyota brand has certainly been damaged in the area of quality, but I think long-time Toyota users will forgive and forget. Toyota has been a reliable vehicle for years and they will likely cut them some slack in the near term.

I think the biggest concern for Toyota are the younger, first-time Toyota buyers. When you don't have a history to draw from, why bother to pledge your allegiance to a brand that hasn't been able to get it right for the past few years?

Having a Vagina Makes You Brave

"Courage. You were born with it. And what better way to nurture that feeling than with a little extra care down there? After all, when you're clean and fresh, you can focus on any opportunity that comes your way. So be ready. Slip a packet of Summer's Eve Feminine Cleansing Cloths into your bag ... It'll help you unleash that bring-it-on attitude."

Are you serious? I mean, are you really serious? Apparently so since Summer's Eve recently aired this ad in a Woman's Day magazine.

As I ask myself why the makers of Summer's Eve would want to disparage women in this way, the idea of creating talk value plays at the edge of my mind. But then, I ask, why did they select Woman's Day magazine as the venue to create buzz? Why not something like Cosmo?

Well, evidently, they received so many complaints about this ad that they pulled it. Here's the apology from Summer's Eve brand manager Angela Bryant (a woman!):

"I would like to first of all apologize if this ad in anyway has offended anyone. We are taking immediate next steps to remove the ad from circulation. We want you to know that Fleet Laboratories and the Summer's Eve brand have the utmost respect for women. While we understand how some may come to an alternative conclusion regarding our recent ad, that was never our intention. Thank you."

Hey Angela, have you ever heard of r-e-s-e-a-r-c-h before?

Oh Lionel - What Were You Thinking?

U.K. snack brand Walkers has given Lionel Richie a chance at a second life in this new commercial where Lionel changes the words of his once hit song, "Say You, Say Me," with corny lyrics like "Extra crunchy. Save one for me."

Back in 1986, Lionel Richie recorded "Say You, Say Me" for the film White Nights starring Mikhail Baryshnikov and Gregory Hines. Life for Lionel must have sunk to a new low to cause him to bastardize his once high-performing single to this garbage. This commercial is an absolute disaster.

Lionel fan or not, it's hard to understand why he would stoop to this level to earn a few bucks.

One can only conclude that he really needed a few bucks.

Thanks to AdFreak.com for sharing this truly inspiring ad with me.

Hostess and Healthy - An Oxymoron?

Company X has launched a new line of muffins made with whole grains, fiber, real fruit, and nuts.

If I read the above statement, I would think the muffins sound pretty good. Whole grains, fiber, real fruit, nuts ... what's not to like?

Now, let's try reading that same statement with a brand name inserted.

Hostess has launched a new line of muffins made with whole grains, fiber, real fruit, and nuts.

My perceptions of this muffin instantly changes. Somehow, I perceive that Hostess played around with the laws of nutrition science to deliver a kid-friendly, sugar-laced muffin that tastes good ... but isn't good for you.

Amazing what the power of a brand name can do, isn't it?