Google shows that brand is a dirty word

Google graph showing key word search using ‘brand’ & ‘design’ in the US over the last 30 days.

Google is the most used search engine on the web, so referring to Google Trends is an interesting exercise to gauge interest in your business, regardless of industry. As Dezomo is a brand and design related Blog, it was interesting to see Google’s search results for the key words –  ‘brand’ and ‘design’. US results are above.

Searches for Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States all reflect surprisingly less searches using the word ‘brand’ than they do using the word ‘design’. And possibly even more surprising is that the US graph reflects less internet searches using the word ‘design’ than both the UK and Australia.

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God Bless America: Barbie wins Whopper.

retail brand design/Burger King-Whopper Bar

Burger King’s claim yesterday to the Retail Store of the Year 2009 competition awarded by US publication Chain Store Age, certainly made me curious. It so turns out that Burger King won the ‘Casual Dining’ category, making their announcement an exaggeration of convenient proportions.

More frustrating is that Chain Store Age runs the program as an open award to the industry globally, and while it kindly includes an international category, (although it is not clear if this refers to non-American clients or projects executed outside of the US), of the 19 first place winners (pardon?) and 7 ‘Honorable Mentions’, 21 are from the US.

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Intelligent creativity

Creative websites and blogs abound. They come in every size and color offering, well you name it. When you’re not doing a dedicated search, it can boil down to pure luck to find a site that grabs our attention.

Just wanted to share this one with all the creatives out there who may be looking for a similar service or just want some inspiration. FFFFound!’s website says “…it is a web service that not only allows the users to post and share their favorite images found on the web, but also dynamically recommends each user’s tastes and interests for an inspirational image-bookmarking experience!! ” Definitely worth a visit…for everyone.

ffffound.com

McDonald’s super-smarted at Fashion Week

Just when you think your retail strip is looking pretty tired, hope may well be on its way. The Cool Hunter’s ideas agency called Access’ recently collaborated with McDonald’s for International Fashion Week and the result provides pause for thought.

Seriously, despite my cravings for the occasional sundae and fries, I hate McDonald’s and everything it represents and attracts, but Access’ super-smart application of creativity would make anyone rethink their order.

Described on their website as ‘A transformational ideas agency’ Access created McFancy, a retail concept for McDonald’s launched at Fashion Week. With the New York Fashion event over-shadowed by the death of Alexander McQueen, McFancy very likely didn’t get the mainstream visibility it otherwise might have (or at least not for any open-minded client to hear about).

If you haven’t already seen these fab pics, where you’ll also find The Cool Hunter/Access Agency information about the project, log on to – http://www.thecoolhunter.net/article/detail/1682

I know I for one will be keeping on top of what these wildly intelligent creatives are up to next. Yes, I guess I have a crush on you all!

Tiger milks death

Mr. Woods isn’t the only product or cause that has used death in some way to motivate customer response. In pondering the use of a dead man’s voice in a major ad campaign I came across some unrelated and diverse examples in the media where death plays its role. The reality is, in whichever way it’s used, it’s shocking but powerful.

Moxie Sozo is the design and advertising agency responsible for the Haiti Poster Project. The same idea has helped raise money for Hurricane Katrina victims in 2005 and the California fire victims in 2007. Two recent poster additions to the Haiti Poster project from Pentagram’s Harry Pearce and Justus Oehlerand are profiled in the latest issue of Creative Review.

http://creativereview.co.uk/cr-blog/2010/april/haiti-poster-project


A peculiar story in the British media that ran in February was about Channel 4 TV’s search for a terminally ill patient who would be willing to volunteer to be mummified as part of a documentary. The ads read: ‘We are currently keen to talk to someone who, faced with the knowledge of their own terminal illness and all that it entails, would nonetheless consider undergoing the process of an ancient Egyptian embalming.’ And the surprise bonus is that the chosen candidate may be forever on display in a museum! How cool is that?

And back to Tiger… CBS asked Ad Week’s Barbara Lipford to explain what she thought of the campaign –

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Rs7KpA9vlo


Finally, and let no more be said, you gotta love Ad Busters’ graphic spoof depicting Wood’s relationship with Nike.

http://www.adbusters.org/blogs/adbusters-blog/tigerwoods.html

 

Clemenger BBDO creates blind fragrance

Popsom.com|25 March 2010

Clemenger BBDO Melbourne created a fragrance as the key element of the charity marketing campaign for people who can’t see. The main idea of the Guide Dogs Australia project was to develop something that would be easily noticed by all people including the blind and vision impaired. So, smell was employed as the basis for the campaign.

The new scent was created with the help of Kit Cosmetics. The packaging of the fragrance called Support Scent has the name of the product printed in Braille and infused with the fragrance, so that it would be easy for the blind people to determine the scent among other products.

The campaign includes online, TV, cinema, radio, press and outdoor advertising.

The Support Scent range including the fragrance, scented body lotion, body wash and a candle is available at department and cosmetics boutiques as well as online stores. All the proceeds will be donated to Guide Dogs Australia to support the organization’s projects.

Source – Popsop.com

Jamie Oliver wins Ted Prize

Obama and Jamie Oliver reshape America?

Let’s hope Jamie Oliver’s UK cool can rub off on America’s eating habits. His credentials are remarkable, and he is undisputedly deserving of a TED prize with –

  1. 12 television series in 130 countries
  2. 10 cookbooks translated into 29 languages, almost 24 million copies sold in 56 countries
  3. His School Dinners/Feed Me Better campaign pressured the UK government to invest $1 billion to overhaul school lunches
  4. Founded the Fifteen Foundation, a social enterprise and chef apprenticeship for 18-24 yr olds. Based in London, it has been replicated through franchising in Amsterdam, Cornwall and Melbourne
  5. A new TV series, Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution USA, is to air on ABC in 2010, bringing Jamie’s unique vision to America

Unfortunately, while Jamie’s focus is where it should be (in halting the obesity epidemic) – we, especially in the US, still calorie count rather than start with the right foods in the first place (fruit and vegetables, or just REAL FOOD). It’s simply a change of food perspective that’s needed.

2011 will see it law in the US to calorie-post. Good on you Obama, but this is such a superficial solution. Dunkin’ Donut, Burger King and the crowded stable of franchised fast food outlets must simply be avoided altogether. Their job is to feed your cravings; it’s the business of obesity. They don’t do healthy eating. Go home and make yourself a meal with real ingredients. And to top it all off people actually believe that calorie counts on these brand websites are meaningful? Newsflash! You can’t lose weight eating french fries and donuts no matter how hard you try.

The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that the 25% of Americans who are considered obese will rise to 43 %, or 103 million by 2018 costing an anticipated $344 billion per year. Today obesity chews up almost 10 percent of US health care costs annually. This will rise to 21 percent by 2018. The World Health Organisation projects that by 2015 there will be  2.3 billion overweight.

So, what’s this got to do with my brand blog? I’m going to think about that one and add a new post later.

For the full story log on to http://blog.ted.com/2009/12/ted_prize_winne_4.php

Twitter hears only 12% of top 50 brands

AdNews|30 March 2010|Danielle Long

BRISBANE: Only 12% of the top 50 Australian brands are listening and responding to their customers’ comments on Twitter, according to a social media study by advertising agency BCM.

BCM analysed nearly 8,000 relevant mentions for 81 brands or organisations on Twitter throughout two weeks in Q4 2009 to monitor how brands were responding to consumers’ negative and positive commentary.

The findings revealed only 54 of the top 81 brands had Twitter profiles and of these only six brands actively listened and engaged with customer comments, with the majority (72%) using Twitter as a one-way channel to publicise promotions and promote news updates.

Telstra was the most responsive company responding to 45% of negative and positive comments, but the brand also has one of the largest levels of commentary receiving more than 10 times as many negative comments as positive ones.

Flight Centre topped the unweighted brand response scores with an 80% response rate although the brand does not receive as much comments as other organisations.

Big Pond, Vodafone, Telstra, Australia Post and the Australian Taxation Office received the highest amount of negative commentary on Twitter.

Toyota, Target, Boost, Sony and Canon ranked highest in the study for positive consumer comments.

However, the survey was undertaken before Toyota’s global recalls which would impact differently on the brand’s social media commentary.

BCM partner Kevin Moreland said whether brands “like it or not, conversations about them are happening on a daily basis and brand or product mentions are becoming intertwined into social networking activities”.

Nestlé & Sainsbury’s Easter eggs go green

Packaging News|29 March 2010|Jill Park

MP Jo Swinson has published her annual report into Easter egg packaging, claiming that, in many cases, “the huge boxes contain more air than chocolate”.

This year Sainsbury’s and Nestlé came out on top with the most efficiently packaged egg and the only egg with packaging that is widely recycled, respectively.

Last year Nestlé reduced its Easter egg packaging by 30% and made changes so that 80% of its eggs were packaged with fully-recyclable material.

In 2010, the brand will ensure that 90% of its Easter egg packs are recyclable.

The confectionery giant has introduced new packaging for its Quality Street, Aero and After Eights eggs which now have no plastic fitments and made changes to their “mug” eggs so they are only packaged in cardboard.

“Consumers are tired of excess packaging – they are tired of paying for it and tired of having to dispose of it,” said Swinson.

“Easter eggs are a prime example – in many cases, the huge boxes contain more air than chocolate.”

Swinson highlighted the efforts made by Nestlé, Cadbury, Green & Black’s and Thorntons to reduce their packaging and improve recyclability, but added that Guylian and Lindt were still producing “grossly excessive packaging”.

“The government is clearly failing to enforce the law, which requires packaging to be reduced to the minimum necessary,” she added.

To read Swinson’s full report click here

Huggies gets a redesign

Packaging News|4 March 2010|Simeon Goldstein

Design agency Anthem Worldwide is continuing its packaging work for Kimberly-Clark by revamping its Huggies baby care range for the first time in eight years.

The new look packaging, which will hit shelves in April, features a photograph of a baby and an overhauled logo incorporating a child’s hand print that Anthem said would help attract parents to the product.

The brand name has also been made bigger to help the packs stand out on shelf and the size of the nappies is more prominent on the new packaging.

Caroline Stanley, European marketing manager for Huggies brand communications, said: “In a highly competitive market, it is important to have stand-out and show that we are engaging with our target audience.

“Our extensive research has told us that shoppers find the category garish and confusing and they have responded very well to our fresh, modern look with substantial increase in purchase intent in many places.”

Anthem Worldwide account director Alex Creed said: “The gorgeous, distinctive photography and the simplicity of the pack architecture will connect with mum in a way that has just not been done before.”

Anthem has also worked with Kimberly-Clark on the redesign of the Andrex and Kleenex tissue packs. Click on the brand name to find out more about each redesign.

Neville Brody’s RCA appointment is a bold move by the college

Design Week|25 March 2010|Lynda Relph-Knight|Editor

Neville Brody’s appointment to replace Dan Fern at the Royal College of Art next year is likely to be controversial. Though Brody is renowned for shaping a generation of graphic designers in the 1980s through designs for The Face and Arena magazines and has a strong international following, his work has become less evident in the UK in recent years.

http://designweek.co.uk/neville-brodys-rca-appointment-is-a-bold-move-by-the-college/3011576.article

PATTS USES NAVY STAFF TO CREATE VESSELS

B&T Weekly|26 March 2010

Members of the Royal Australian Navy have been used to recreate their workplaces in a series of new ads to encourage people to join the service as well as to inspire existing service men and women.

Created by George Patterson Y&R Melbourne, the ‘Be part of something bigger’ campaign used almost 100 Navy personnel from HMAS Albatross to recreate different naval vessels including a frigate, transport ship and submarine.

To view the making of the ads, click here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjMLnXmIJxg