Though some musicians and singers may feel against putting out corporate jingles, nonetheless Coca Cola has secured their presence in the mass transit system to increase their brand awareness in a seemingly integrated way.  There will also be Coke-emblazoned logos on London Underground public transportation, as well as the carrying out of Coca Cola Great Britain’s two phased campaign.  The first phase, ‘anticipation’, starts the airing of the famous “Holidays Are Coming” T.V spot to let it be known that Coca Cola has started the Christmas countdown.  The second phase, ‘celebration’, adds the ‘Gift of Giving’ 30 second commercial two weeks before Christmas that brings about the message of generosity and traditional values to a modern-day audience.  Additionally, print ads reflecting a 1930’s holiday feel will be implemented to evoke the Christmas warmth in everyday contemporary settings.  Once again, the United States beverage giant is putting its foot down on the competition near end of the year to tell everyone just how much more Coca Cola is  the cola of choice.

“Coca-Cola has a rich history in festive advertising and for many, our iconic ‚ÄòHolidays are Coming’ campaign has become synonymous to the festive season. We’re really looking forward to again building anticipation and celebration with our through-the-line campaign during this wonderful time of year, whilst rewarding our consumers for their continued loyalty.”

– Cathryn Sleight, Marketing Director of Coca-Cola Great Britain

And some enticingly interesting creative from Coca Cola in France that employs velcro posters for promoting their Grip Bottle which surprisingly resulted in a 3.8% brand volume growth for 2008.

Their Reactions…

These ideas that people have unconsciously imprinted in their minds about concepts/objects are the result of culture, history and the national identity of a country. It is these very ideas that markets and advertisers use communicate to their target markets. However, many times they fail. Its because they don’t know the “code”.

An easy, entertaining breezy read, Clotaire does a great job of communicating to his audience. A psychologist by education, his insights into human behavior are captivating. Highly recommended for anyone interested in learning about the close relationship between business and culture.

***** (5 Stars)

Instead of talking up VW’s cars as usual, the basis of the videos come from a simple idea: “the thought that something as simple as fun is the easiest way to change people’s behaviour for the better. Be it for yourself, for the environment, or for something entirely different, the only thing that matters is that it’s change for the better.” They call this “The Fun Theory”. The most popular of the campaign videos, titled “Piano Staircase”, debuted at No. 2 on Ad Age’s Viral Video Chart last week, and as the title implies, has absolutely nothing to do with cars, but shows what happens if you try to make stairs more fun: by converting them into a larger-than life piano. The outcome? More people chose to take the stairs instead of the escalator.

To some, this may not seem like the best use of VW’s money allotted for marketing expenses, but it essentially drives home a basic idea: if you can change people’s behavior by making mundane things fun, this can also be applied to other activities, like driving cars. Of course, this wouldn’t work if it was an unbranded effort, but just the VW logo makes VW’s seem more fun than other cars.

Check it out for yourself at thefuntheory.com, or watch the “Piano Staircase” below.

Also see: Viral Video: DDB Hits Viral High Notes for Volkswagen – Advertising Age – Digital: Viral Video Charts.

That is what B Corp. is for: it is a certification, a promise, that corporations under this stamp of approval are utilizing the power of business to solve social and environmental problems. To become a B Corporation, the standards of the B Rating System must be met which include that the corporate governing documents be amended to incorporate the interest of employees, community and the environment.

Currently, there are 63 B Corporations in California among which one that I spotted in a glance was Method. Makers of the non-toxic, environmentally friendly home care, fabric care, air care and personal care products, Method was certified in June of 2007 with a score of 142.9 out of 200 when 80 makes one eligible for certification. Other well-known brands include Seventh Generation, Numi Organic Tea (also located in California) and New Leaf Paper.

The B Corp certification lasts for only two years and at the time it expires, the corporations must get re-certified and in the coming months, the 80 founding B Corps will be required to meet even tougher standards. For co-founder Jay Coen Gilbert of the B Lab, one thing he wished he did differently was the investment towards technology such as the web or social media. He believes that it would have added value to and build the voice of the B Corps community further.

Though some may argue that the title to be a B Corp is merely a marketing strategy, ultimately, it is more than just good marketing. B Corps embody what it takes to be a good company because of the standards they must reach for eligibility to be one. Therefore, despite its lack of outreach, B Corp has already been placed in three of the top five spots on the list of Most Promising Social Entrepreneurs of Business Week among press coverage in the New York Times and Wall Street Journal.

Think about it… would a so-so company be able to make it on the top five list of one of the biggest magazines within a couple of years? Possible, but rare!

So keep an eye out for them as they continue to be the change they seek in the world!

Here, advertising does what it does best for these quick service restaurants; it creates a seamlessly light and impactful response from the consumer that produces a feeling only the human body can invoke–Raw Hunger. In one form or another, the instinctive drive of humans since the beginning for the most food for the least loss and effort has become the primary impulse when making the choice in food purchases. Pizza delivery sales have fallen to the mercy of frozen pizza at the grocery market, while the penetration of the American hamburger over a dynamic food market has made its mark as a commonplace menu item. The recession is adapting to the needs of the customer, where fast food chains everywhere have recognized that having the best burger at the best cost is by all means a must. Ensuing from this is the premium burger war that demands the beefiest burger with the freshest ingredients at a price lower than competitors, with 41% of Americans eating burgers at least once a week, while 21% more of Americans are eating burgers compared to two years ago.

Fast food chains have upped the ante with customers in catering to them a burger that represents a statement of tasteful confidence while offering the most bang for their buck. Everyone wants a piece of the action, with franchises like Burger King and Carl’s Jr. pouring out their piggy banks for advertising expenditures and the remodeling of restaurants to present a new image and refined service. After eighteen months of testing, BK has decided to keep their Double Cheeseburger at $1, putting them in front of McDonalds Double Cheeseburger and Wendy’s Double Stack on the value front. Though some chains are experiencing the roughness of the trough, print and TV spot advertising in addition to social media incorporation have been working against the grain of recessionary effects. Among the chains, Carl’s Jr. has had a decrease in same-store sales by just over 3%, despite their success with their new value burger, the Big Karl. Other recent strategies that have drawn attention include Wendy’s ‚ Real food campaign, as well as Denny’s Better Burgers that are hand pressed and meant to be served rather than on the run. Burger King has taken an interesting route with their Whopper Bars, a spinoff the original restaurant but overhauled to a more upscale bar-like appearance emphasizing a whole new level of customization with a contemporary and modern feel, courtesy of Crispin Porter + Bogusky.

The quick service premium burger has become a finely engineered piece of cow, as bigger proves to be better as far as practical pricings go. The good news is that because of fast food promotions and deals over various mediums, 54% of surveyors nationwide, from the recently released Zagat survey, are finding better deals at restaurants. Whether it is the creative visuals and supporting copy from a print ad or even if it’s the train wreck of a jingle from a commercial that gets you, fast food advertising continues to be both clever and efficient in bringing in the clientele. As the quintessential broke college student who scourges for slick deals while surfing the web on a daily but necessary basis, it has become almost natural to think of the closest burger joint when it comes to eating out–almost in a way like playing pin the tail on the donkey with a thumbtack and dollar bill where the decision we have to make isn’t only where to go or even how much we’re willing to spend, but which new ad campaign sticks the best and delves into our brain, and stomach, the most. With ad agencies going for broke, the shape of the fast food business is constantly being shaped and altered in brand perception, all with money to spare at the end of the day for the consumer.

Got to love the King.

Sure, today’s 20-inch iMac uses 55 percent less material than its first-generation, and Apple says that they are able to ship 50 percent more boxes in each airline shipping container just by redesigning packaging. These are all great things for the environment, but what does it have to do with advertising or branding?

Be Green! Be environmentally conscious. That is the trend right now.

Other than the fashion industry, the advertising industry is next in line when it comes to being trendy. It would be like missing Black Friday sales for these corporations if they don’t take advantage of the hype to be friendly to Mother Nature.

As for Apple, not only did they make their environmental footprint completely public on their website, they also provided a lot of information behind why all these improvements matter and how they are beneficial. By doing so, they have managed to make this information play a larger role in how a consumer chooses between brands. Personally, this information has led me to think what impacts I am making on the environment even as I type this article and that is one of the goals of advertising: to completely change or improve the way a consumer views a product in hopes of influencing the choices a consumer makes.

For those that have already sworn loyalty to the Apple products, this step probably amplified their pride of being a Mac at least 500 percent. Mac users are some of the most passionate people about technology and gadgets out there. What better reason to up that passion a little more and further the spread of what I like to think of as the Appledemic?

I think I’m getting infected. Are you?

While in the Atlanta airport on this fateful night (2am pacific time), I happened upon a strange and unexpected sight. A Reebok store. It’s amazing that for most of us, we know what Reeboks are: we know what they look like, what their logo is, and how available they are, yet most of us don’t own a single pair. We probably haven’t owned Reeboks since our childhoods. Recently, however, Reebok has found the small strength that they have left in them and they went for a hail mary. In non-football terms, they saw that their competitors with solid, recognizable brand identities such as Nike (Just do it.), and Adidas (Impossible is Nothing), are winning on the home-front among consumers because they are constantly propagated in every outlet of media with consistent and powerful brand messaging. Not to say that Reebok doesn’t have a unique brand, but their message clearly wasn’t strong enough to compel consumers to buy their products over their competitors. However, with this new push from Reebok, and hopefully a stronger push of more stores throughout the nation’s upscale shopping malls, the ailing company will be able to rebuild their brand. If you aren’t already familiar with the brand messaging behind Reebok, look at their early 90s ads of “Reeboks let U.B.U.”. While they weren’t the best or most compelling ads, they established a certain feeling that Reeboks are custom to you. The message being that with a large variety of styles, individuals of all personalities can find shoes that match them.

Of course, all of this can be quickly discounted to say that Reeboks are much more popular on the East Coast, namely the New York area, where they even have a Reebok themed Sports Club/LA (the most upscale gym). What we Californians will see in the future is a strong push by Reebok into our daily lives, where they should hope to stay.