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How Snickers Fired a Quarterback, Hired a Zebra and Tweaked One of Advertising’s Most Famous Taglines

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 02/27/2014 - 11:41

Much like songwriters, brand marketers play variations on a theme. Coca-Cola’s famous tagline “It’s the real thing” from 1970 became “Can’t beat the real thing” 20 years later. KFC’s unforgettable “It’s finger-lickin’ good” slogan of the 1960s and ‘70s morphed into the more compact “So good” in 2011. And L’Oréal’s successful “Because I’m worth it” slogan has modulated twice, first into “Because you are worth it” and then “Because we’re worth it.” Most of these evolutions have to do with the usual things: changing consumer tastes and shorter attention spans.

Limit to Ad Tax Deduction Is in Rep. Camp's Tax Reform Package

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 02/26/2014 - 19:29

Rep. Dave Camp (R-Mich.), the outgoing chairman of the House ways and means committee, unveiled his tax reform package Wednesday, and the bad news for the advertising and media industries is that it includes new limits on the advertising tax deduction. As feared, Camp's proposal would cut the deduction by half in the first year with the rest amortized over 10 years. To help out small businesses and local advertisers, Camp's draft would allow companies to expense the first million dollars of advertising, provided the total advertising budget does not exceed $2 million.

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.