Crown Royal currently lets customers personalize a product label and/or the blue chamois bag the bottle comes wrapped in. The blended whisky maker is now taking this concept to the next level, by allowing for personalization of one of the brand's signature events. According to ESPN, one lucky NASCAR fan will have his or her name attached to the 2007 Nextel Cup Series race at the Richmond International Raceway in …
Pardon The Disruption
Communications technology has altered the marketplace (and very nature of the game) in one industry after the other. USA TODAY takes a look at how the Realtor's roll is being reshaped in the information age. "The Internet has done what no consumer advocate could ever do: It has reduced the distance between the consumer and the real estate expert to the point where the consumer is so much more informed, they don't …
The Impact of Immigration Rallies On The Ad Biz
If you were one of the people fascinated by last week's pro-immigration rallies, you're not alone. Hispanic advertising is booming, and the politics of immigration is definitely impacting the ad biz. Ad Age has more: "This market is being changed," said Gino Pacheco, managing partner-director of strategic planning at the Vidal Partnership, New York, the largest independent U.S. Hispanic ad agency. "We don't know yet …
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Rapid Fire Tough Advise
Back in the day, an aspiring copywriter or art director had to call creative directors on the phone and beg for 20 minutes of their time. Thanks to ihaveanidea's Portfolio Night, aspirants may now pay a fee and see a bunch of CDs in one place. Here's how the New York Times describes it: There are not a lot of job openings on the highly coveted creative side of advertising agencies, but there are lots of hopefuls …
Return Of The Zinesters
According to an article in the Sunday Style section of today's New York Times, there's a new, decidedly more commercial, kind of 'zine on the rack. Though there is no official body that tracks the number of small-circulation glossy magazines with obscure sensibilities and arresting design like Lemon, those who pay attention to these niche publications say they are multiplying in bookstores, boutiques and high-end …
A Whiff Of Childlike Creativity
News of another iconic brand deploying scent is wafting on the wires. This time it's about nostalgia. For the first time, Hasbro, Inc. has bottled that fresh, just-out-of-the-can, "eau de PLAY-DOH" aroma into a limited-edition fragrance as part of a year-long celebration of the beloved modeling compound's 50th birthday. The 1-ounce, spray bottle fragrance is meant for 'highly-creative people, who seek a whimsical …
EMI Accepts New Rules (Maybe They Could Have A Talk With The RIAA)
In a panel titled, "Is Web the New Hollywood?" at OnHollywood this week, Ted Cohen, senior vice president of Digital Development and Distribution at EMI Music said, "The audience is taking over the programming. A few years ago we looked at litigating it, now we are looking at how to monetize it. You can't set up too many rules right now….if you don't let them play they will play anyway." According to ZD Net, Cohen …
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Redesigning McDonald’s
For the world's largest burger chain, upgrading its image requires more than advertising--a whole new look is in store at McDonald's. BusinessWeek has the inside scoop. "McDonald's promises to be a 'forever young' brand," says John Miologos, vice-president of worldwide architecture, design, and construction at McDonald's Corp. "We have to deliver on that promise." The last major change at McDonald's restaurants was …