Athenos is ruffling a few feathers with their new ad campaign. "These commercials are not appropriate from a Greek perspective," says Maria Anagnostopoulos, program director at The Greek Institute, a non-profit cultural center. She wants them pulled. But Kraft executives say they have no such plans. "While these ads may be controversial, for the most part people will see them for the light-hearted fun they are …
London Olympics Part of The Zionist Conspiracy, Says Iran
I like to see that people are sensitive to design, but what you're about to read is some lunacy. According to the Daily Mail, Iran may decline to participate in the Olympics next summer because the logo for the 2012 games spells "Zion." The Iranians sent a letter to IOC president Jacques Rogge saying: "(This is) definitely spawned out of some people's racist spirit. The use of the word Zion is a very revolting …
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We’re Moving From Aspirational Brands To Meaningful Brands
Umair Haque is Director of the Havas Media Lab. He's also a contributor to Harvard Business Review. I like how Haque says (at the 5:36 point) that people are beginning to value nature, the future, society, one another and their own sense of purpose and well being. This is a great global shift, sometimes we call it a values revolution at the Lab. Many companies think that they can escape the great shifts going on in …
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In My Wallet Is “Where Money And Meaning Come Together”
At the end of this Draft/FCB-made spot the announcer, in his most inclusive voice, says, "Now, you belong." But it's not true. I don't belong. I carried and used a Diner's Club card since the 1990s, and never had a problem, but when Darby and I had one 30-day late on our Hilton Head house last year, our house of credit collapsed. According to the banks, once you miss a mortgage payment by 30 days you're a horrible …
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Listen To The Consumer’s Unconscious Mind
Countless billions have been spent on consumer research, but author Phillip Graves believes it's a waste. "Consumer behavior is a by-product of the unconscious mind, whereas research is inherently a conscious process," explains Graves. "The truth is that we are far less consciously involved in and aware of our consumer actions than we like to tell ourselves and far more influenced by the questions we're asked than …
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How Do You Make A Taco Supreme With Binders And Fillers?
A class action lawsuit filed Friday in federal court in California by the Montgomery law firm Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles claims Taco Bell's meat mixture lacks real meat. The lawsuit filed on behalf of Taco Bell customer and California resident Amanda Obney does not seek monetary damages, but asks the court to order Taco Bell to be honest in its advertising. Taco Bell President Greg Creed said that …
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Over-Promise At Your Own Peril
Do you have clients who insist on over-promising to their customers? Seth Godin, for one, doesn't like it. Godin mentions Delta in his post, so I went out and found a Delta ad to illustrate his points (even though Delta is merely an example here). Here's the crux of Godin's argument: The problem is this: ads like this actually decrease user satisfaction. If the ad leads to expect one thing and we don't get it, we're …
San Francico Tells McDonald’s To Stop Toying Around
According to Los Angeles Times San Francisco's board of supervisors has voted to ban McDonald's Happy Meals from the city's restaurants. The measure will make San Francisco the first major city in the country to forbid restaurants from offering a free toy with meals that contain more than set levels of calories, sugar and fat. Supervisor Eric Mar, who sponsored the measure. "From San Francisco to New York City, the …
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