Los Angeles Times is on top of breaking news in QSR land. The owner of Arby's said today it is buying Wendy's International Inc. in an all-stock deal worth $2.34 billion that comes after the burger chain's board rejected at least two earlier offers by the company. Triarc Companies Inc., which is owned by billionaire investor Nelson Peltz, will pay about $26.78 per share for the company, which has about 87 million …
Just Turn Your Head…Uh…Cockeyed To The Left
And see if you can spot what's peculiar about this logo for the UK Office of Government And Commerce. …
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Where’s That Disembodied Voice That Comforts Me So?
Olay for You, an online product- recommendation program that's attracted more than a million visitors since January, is getting some play in Ad Age. I'll give it some more here because I like to see online initiatives with offline legs. Wal-Mart Stores has begun testing an in-store version of Olay for You via kiosks in stores, marking the latest of several efforts in which offline retailers are looking to tap the …
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Must Have Commodity Benefits from Branding
According to The New York Times, gasoline prices surpassed $3.50 a gallon nationwide for the first time and oil jumped to a record high on Monday. Given the intense price pressure on consumers, it's interesting to note this article in Ad Age about consumers buying gas on brand preference, not price. Karen Wildman, brand and communications manager of the Shell brand at Shell Oil Co., said the industry hasn't done a …
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Guest’s Slumming for DIRECTV Hits A Nerve
I love the copy in this new spot from DIRECTV. Here's the cable exec's babble: Problem: People everywhere are hooking up their new flatscreens to DIRECTV and they are blown away by the picture and all the amazing HD channels. Solution: We go viral. We get on the net and we blog it out. Ta da! We are up 800% among suburban tweens. Who just saved Q3? This campaign is directed by satirist Christopher Guest. Speaking …
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Take Your Rice Beer And Go Home
A microbrewer, like a small scale wine producer, creates passion around its product and, by extension, its brand. By forgoing the mass market, the microbrand actually can have a meaningful dialogue with its base (something big brands desperately want right now). Here's an example of the kind of "talk" that perfectly presents a brand's value proposition. Rogue Nation Beer Manifesto est. May 1996 I. We hold that beer …
Drive One, You’ll Like It
According to Adweek, Ford management has asked its 750,000-person network of employees, retirees and dealers to talk to friends and family about the quality and features of Ford vehicles. The new marketing initiatve created by JWT/Wunderman, known as Drive One is also supported online, in print and on TV. "The whole idea behind this campaign is not fancy ads. It's talking to the customer, who talks to a friend," said …
But Will It Play In Peoria?
According to The Hollywood Reporter and Ad Age, "Gossip Girl," despite lackluster ratings, is still the flagship program of The CW and a program worth pimping (and I use that word intentionally). "We wanted to create a provocative campaign that stands out from the competition and reminds viewers of some of the 'OMG' moments that have made Gossip Girl one of the most buzzed-about new shows on television," the CW …
