Brands

According to Ad Age, Anheuser-Busch is asking cable networks to not run a rival’s ads claiming Bud Light has changed. The Miller Brewing Co. ads in question, from MDC Partners’ Crispin Porter & Bogusky use humorous courtroom settings to push Miller’s ongoing claim that Miller Lite has more taste than Bud Light. The ads, one of which features Flavor Flav of Public Enemy, describe Bud Light as having “changed.” The ads …

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Business Week's David Kiley is not fond of the new corporate ad campaign from Ford Motor Co. starring chairman and CEO Bill Ford. In the ads, Bill Ford, the great-grandson of company founder Henry Ford who took control of the company in October 2001, casually sits on a stool in a design studio and talks about the company's commitment to "driving innovation.” In fact, the vanilla theme of the campaign is “Driving …

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I suppose when you position yourself as a global branding expert, and the very city you live in spends millions on a new branding campaign without asking you for an opinion, you won't be happy it. Needless to say, Al Ries is less than impressed with Atlanta's new branding initiative in his new column on AdAge.com: “Opportunity. Optimism. Openness” is the new, compelling branding strategy backed by a red-and-white …

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According to Adweek, Grey Worldwide is responsible for the city of Atlanta's shoddy new logo and tagline. The new branding effort began earlier this year when Mayor Shirley Franklin formed Brand Atlanta, a partnership between public and private interests to develop an advertising campaign for the city. Franklin wants to attract more tourists and businesses to the city. The new work replaces the former slogan, "The …

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Microsoft is rolling out something called AdCenter. My guess is the people at VCU AdCenter are less than thrilled. c|net: Microsoft's grand ambitions for free services rest on one thing: its ability to get to know you better. The company has outlined a whole host of things it would like to offer as part of its "Live" services effort. But it needs to make more money selling ads to make the push pay off. To do this, …

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USA Today: Hong Kong Disneyland's debut was marred by public relations debacles that left Mickey Mouse looking like Cinderella's stepmother in this former British colony. In the days surrounding the opening this fall of Hong Kong Disneyland, the entertainment giant enraged local pop stars, antagonized labor leaders and earned a rebuke from its own partner in the theme park, the Hong Kong government. Last month, a …

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Corporate Design Foundation: Lands' End enjoyed a loyal following and a successful marketing strategy, but after 40 years in business, it saw its brand image looking tired and frayed at the edges. In the process of revitalizing its identity, Lands' End introduced a graphic system that brought order to its catalogs and higher visibility to its brand. For a fresh perspective, Lands' End looked outside the industry, …

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LA Times: Last week, Audi launched its own television channel in Britain, which, if successful, could be rolled out in other countries too. The Audi Channel will run 24 hours, seven days a week and is aimed at a mass-market audience: British car owners and car enthusiasts. The launch schedule is split between product-related "infotainment" during the day and more general entertainment-driven material in the evenings …

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