Six of the Best: Are we sending cards this year? edition ~ Brand Mix

Friday, December 12, 2008

Six of the Best: Are we sending cards this year? edition

Here's my summary of some of the most interesting things I read this last week.

1) Frugal living through holes: TED
That's something I never thought of. Save ink by using font with holes. Brilliant! Here's a link to Ecofont, the sans serif font designed by SPRANQ that uses 20% less ink.

2) Know When To Euthanize Your Brand: Branding Strategy Insider
I can't believe it. They're killing the Robertson's jam brand that's been around (the UK) since 1864. OK. So Mark Ritson is right about all the reasons it should be done away with (#3 brand, stronger other brand in the portfolio, caught in the middle price-wise, blah, blah, blah). But I grew up with that brand. They can't kill it!

3) I feel... Christmassy! The dozen
This sounds like a good idea. As reported by Egg Strategy: "A recent Google map mash-up called “I Feel” pinpoints what best meets consumers’ emotional needs in New York City, Toronto and London. Nine moods guide you through the three major cities so you can decide what to see and do with locations and activities you might not think of, but can discover solely by sentiment." So if you feel Christmassy, the map will suggest some festive paces to go.

4) Branded entertainment about branded entertainment: murketing
This sounds, on the other hand, like a bad idea. Ad Age has a story about “The Style Series, branded entertainment presented by Diet Coke.” The thing that caught Rob Walker's attention was the fact that the debut episode includes “the exclusive premiere of Rihanna’s new e-film for Gucci.” As he goes on to say: "So, let’s just get this straight. One of the featured guests on the branded entertainment post-TV program was there to tell us about her latest post-TV branded-entertainment deal?"

5) The Worst Ads of 2008? Brand Strategy Magazine Blog
Campaign magazine has nominated 10 ads to be the worst of the worst. #1 on the list is the Gillette spot featuring Federer, Woods and Thierry but, for me, nothing can beat this astonishing spot for Orangina:



Best ad of the year? I agree with Campaign, it has to this Hovis ad

6) Austenbook (via Fritinancy)
The best of the Facebook parodies? Austenbook with such entries as:

George Wickham told Elizabeth Bennet about Mr. Darcy's evil deeds. ;-)
15 of your friends are attending Ball at Netherfield.
Fitzwilliam Darcy is dancing with Elizabeth Bennet.

And one last pic for the week:

via BrandFlakesforBreakfast

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

orangina - i'm not seeing it that way. it is pure brilliance. so fantastically bad, in such poor taste and without any relevance to the brand at all. i dunnno, kinda supports your "doing away with the brand model" idea perfectly...it actually get worse (or better, if you like). check it. below. sorry gotta go, back to their "site". only the french. cheers.

http://www.naturellementpulpeuse.fr/

Anonymous said...

re: orangina -- come on, martin -- i thought europeans were the ones that called us americans prudish??!! -- don't you love erotic animal fantasia with a bit of surrealism thrown in for good measure? and doesn't it make you want an orangina??!!

Anonymous said...

Honestly before I saw the Orangina ad, I could have named a dozen worst TV ads of 2008... then I simply forgot what I was going to say. Still having a hard time lifting my jaw back into place. Where to begin...?

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Martin Bishop said...

Orangina - where to begin is exactly right. It's fantastic in the "odd and remarkable; bizarre; grotesque; capricious; outlandish" sense of the word.

 
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