1. AdWeek Advertising and branding
  2. View items

Articles from AdWeek Advertising and branding

Primary tabs

Senators Introduce Bill to Limit E-Cigarette Marketing to Kids and Teens

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 02/26/2014 - 18:59

Worried that e-cigarettes are taking the same marketing path as conventional cigarettes, a group of Democratic senators introduced legislation today that would prohibit the marketing of them to children and teens. E-cigarettes are under increased scrutiny in Washington. Though currently unregulated by any federal law, a number of cities, like Chicago, New York City and Los Angeles have banned or are considering banning the use of e-cigarettes in restaurants and other public places. Utah, New Jersey and North Dakota banned the use of e-cigarettes anywhere smoking is prohibited.

Kevin Costner's New Spy Movie Re-Imagined to Star NFL Wide Receivers

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 02/26/2014 - 18:20

Check out this promo for Kevin Costner’s new movie, 3 Days to Kill, reimagined in a dream sequence to star Pro Bowl NFL wide receivers Dez Bryant, Michael Crabtree and Alshon Jeffery. The somewhat silly set up has them imagining themselves as action stars in the movie, but the surprise is that they actually might have been amazing in it. I would watch a movie staring these dudes over 3 Days to Kill anyday. The stunts were choreographed by Action Factory and led by Eric Linden to mimic actual football plays.

Ad of the Day: Jägermeister's New Commercial Deserves a Great Big Bro-Hug

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 02/26/2014 - 17:00

When alcohol brands try to broaden their reach beyond their core crowd, the results can often be awkward or even laughable. The best ads are those that acknowledge the brand's base but create a story compelling enough to draw in new audiences. That's the difficult balance Jägermeister achieves with its new U.K. spot, "Journey to Surf," from London agency The Red Brick Road.

Your Moment of Zen: Krispy Kernels Returns With Another Hilariously Strange Ad

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 02/26/2014 - 15:25

Canadian snack maker Krispy Kernels had a sleeper hit a couple of years ago with its "Couch" commercial, a delightful bit of oddvertising that absconded from Cannes with a Bronze Lion. Now the brand is back with this amusing new ad, "Meditation," which mixes zen meditation with furtive snack eating, with unexpected results.

Whiskey-Loving Frank Sinatra Is the Newest Celebrity Endorser Back From the Dead

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 02/26/2014 - 15:21

Frank knows Jack. I'm talkin' Sinatra and Daniel's, baby! The legendary crooner, who passed away in 1998, returns in a push by Arnold Worldwide to pitch a high-end version of the whiskey rolling out nationwide in June. Would you pay $150 and up for Sinatra Select? It's 90 proof—regular Jack is 80—so your ol' blue eyes will get bloodshot faster than ever before. (The variant has been sold in duty-free stores in airports for a couple of years.) There's digital, print and a 30-second spot mixing archival photos with big-band music stylings and nightclub scenes.

Job Bank Chief Apologizes After Anti-Millennial 'Humility Lesson' Backfires

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 02/26/2014 - 14:12

Many older marketing pros may feel millennials have a lot to learn. But this week served up an important reminder for all of us: If you can't think of anything nice to say, don't send that email.  Kelly Blazek, head of the Cleveland Job Bank, has deleted most of her digital presence and issued a lengthy apology after sending at least three scathing rants to applicants who had asked for her help.

There Is Frying in Baseball, as Phillies Triple-A Team Unveils New Bacon Logo

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 02/26/2014 - 14:07

Bacon is everywhere. (No, not Kevin Bacon.) And it seems everyone loves it—even pigs! It's so great, it once helped a man negotiate his way across the nation dealing exclusively in bacon. Thanks, Oscar Mayer. Now, the bacon craze is hitting the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, the Triple-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies. The IronPigs this week unveiled what I can only imagine was a highly anticipated bacon-themed Saturday uniform, which includes a bacon-strip logo on the cap, and a "first-of-its-kind" bacon-style piping down both legs of the pants.

These Consumer Brands are Transforming Marketing

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 02/26/2014 - 13:18

Just a few years ago, consumer packaged goods brands didn’t know what success in a new world powered by content and social media looked like—never mind how to achieve it. But the recent past has brought a slew of content marketing breakthroughs and successes for CPG brands, which in turn has led to bolder experimentation. This is welcome news, but it doesn’t change the fact that most players in this space still have a long way to go.

Bourbon Ad Shows You the Peculiar Way People Get Around in Woodstock, Ky.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 02/25/2014 - 21:50

Woodstock Bourbon's ad showing its hometown's enthusiasm for the brand is pretty funny (well, besides that "Barrellel Parking" sign—groan). But it's right on the brink of being one of those fake homespun liquor ads that Henry Rollins used to laugh at, what with the fiddle music and rural aesthetics. It's like O Brother Where Art Thou? but less subtle. Perhaps this is because it was made by Australian agency CumminsRoss for the Australian market, and so it needs to show a somewhat cartoony version of Kentucky. Still, you can't deny the funny visuals.