Superbowl Sunday - watch for this new 60-second Pepsi commercial, called "Refresh Anthem."
Created by TBWA/Chiat/Day, Los Angeles, the ad uses Bob Dylan's song from the 70's, "Forever Young", and updates it for the modern generation.
The first half of the commercial features Dylan; second half features the one and only will.i.am. Lighters are replaced by cell phones, Shrek replaces Gumby, but the American spirit is the same.
The commercial ends with "every generation refreshes the world."
From the Organic Consumers Association website. I saw this in today's OCA e-newsletter:
The Organic Consumers Association's Washington DC office, led by Alexis Baden-Mayer, participated in the historic Inauguration of Barack Obama by organizing a roving band of dancing polar bears. OCA's Polar Bears Against War & Melting Ice, amplified by a mobile disco, handed out 6,000 free commemorative postcards and calendars and incited celebratory crowds to dance in the streets.
While OCA is relieved and happy to ride the wave of hope that's sweeping the country, we're also doing our best to make sure that the "change" Obama is offering in terms of public policy is amplified and galvanized by a massive grassroots Movement that can generate the "major changes" we need in these hard and frightening times.
On Inauguration Day we took a break from dancing in the streets to create a series of action alerts that you can use to contact President Obama, the Congress, and each member of the newly confirmed Cabinet. At confirmation hearings before the Senate, the new cabinet members outlined platforms for agriculture, health care, the economy, energy & global warming, the constitution & rule of law, environmental protection, labor rights, immigration, war & peace, and other important issues facing the nation. The Obama Administration and Congress are moving fast on many fronts with a stimulus package, more bailout money, and big changes to Bush-era policies.
Check out this website if you're looking for more information about how to use Facebook to promote your favorite non-profit.
This is a different subject, but I also just read this report that contains some interesting marketing examples that show how companies are "giving back" to their communities and their consumers, in response to consumer demand for greater transparency, and meaning.
Pepsi Goes to Washington Brings Its Optimism Message to Capital for Inauguration Events By Natalie Zmuda, Advertising Age, January 14, 2009
Since the roll out of Pepsi-Cola's new smiley-face-type logo and optimistic-themed campaign, plenty have drawn comparisons between it and President-elect Barack Obama's message. The soft-drink giant will solidify that connection with a major presence in Washington during next week's inauguration festivities.
At RefreshEverything.com, videos beginning with 'Dear Mr. President' range from the frivolous to the serious.
In keeping with the brand's new optimism push, Pepsi is plastering messages such as "All for One" and "Yes You Can" on buildings, billboards, buses and public transportation hubs around the city. Beginning Sunday, street teams will make their way around the nation's capitol, distributing commemorative Pepsi campaign buttons, scarves and hats.
'Bipartisan message' "We have always had a bipartisan message of optimism, and that's why we love [our] logo," said Anamaria Irazabal, director-trademark Pepsi, calling any similarities between Pepsi and Mr. Obama's message a "happy coincidence."
"This inauguration is pretty unique and historic," she said. "It is an event that's bigger than the Super Bowl, because it's a unique moment in time. It's an important cultural event, and we need to be part of the conversation."
On Saturday, a new commercial, dubbed "Pass," from Omnicom Group's TBWA/Chiat/Day, Los Angeles, will debut during "Saturday Night Live." Ms. Irazabal said the spot highlights how Pepsi has been a part of cultural moments and includes a call to action. "There's [this idea] that the new president is going to change everything," she said. "But we all need to be engaged, and we all need to be agents of change."
To that end, Pepsi is giving consumers the opportunity to submit videos as part of an open multimedia letter to the new administration. At RefreshEverything.com, videos beginning with "Dear Mr. President" range from the frivolous to the serious. A Florida woman asks that medicine not be socialized, while an Ohio man asks that utility companies be better regulated. One Michigan man tells the president the U.S. should claim pizza as the national food, if Italy hasn't already. Many wish Mr. Obama good luck.
More than traditional marketing But Pepsi's presence in Washington next week will go beyond traditional marketing and advertising. The brand is also sponsoring a Refresh the World Symposium on Jan. 19 and The Creative Coalition Gala Inaugural Ball on Jan. 20.
"As a topical brand and cultural leader, it's our responsibility to add value in these moments," Ms. Irazabal said of the events. "Two things that define Pepsi are change and, compared to our key competitor, something that defines them, they are timeless, we are timely. We are always topical. We are always a part of the conversation."
The symposium is being organized with Spike Lee and Howard University and will feature such heavy hitters as Andrew F. Brimmer, former chairman of the Federal Reserve, the Rev. Al Sharpton and Arianna Huffington. Sessions include Refresh Education, Refresh Gender and Refresh Black America. There's also the light-hearted, Refresh Hip-Hop session featuring Sean Combs, Queen Latifah and Chris Lighty.
Meanwhile, Quaker Oats, another PepsiCo brand, will also be looking to connect itself with next week's historic inauguration. The brand is partnering with 11 "mommy bloggers" to host inauguration parties. "Moms are core to Quaker Oatmeal, so [mommy bloggers] are particularly important to us," said Shelley Haus, marketing director-Quaker breakfast portfolio. "The inauguration is an interesting fit with breakfast. There are not a lot of global historic events that fit so well with the breakfast time period."
The blogging effort will serve as the kick off to Start With Substance, a partnership between Quaker and Share Our Strength, whose mission is to feed children.
If you find yourself driving along I-405 in So Cal, then keep your eyes out for this billboard --
Mammoth Mountain, a So Cal ski resort, has errected a billboard on the 405 that looks like a half-pipe. The billboard even features an airborne snowboarder in actual clothing.
This billboard launches Mammoth's new tagline - "Play Big."
In keeping with the new tag-line, Mammoth customers now receive a 7-foot-wide trail map in their VIP kits.
Created by David&Goliath. Media buy handled by Initiative Media San Diego.
Did anyone else catch this commercial? I don't even own a TV, yet I still managed to see it, somewhere:)
The promo ended on Jan. 2nd, but I still wanted to mention it. The Cherry Hill, NJ-based company allowed it's new-vehicle customers to pick 1 of 5 charities to support, when they purchased their new Subaru vehicle. The charity would then receive a $250 donation from Subaru. Subaru planned to raise $5 million for charities, through this campaign, which is part of their newer brand campaign, "Love. It's What Makes a Subaru, a Subaru."
The charities: Boys & Girls Club Habitat for Humanity Meals On Wheels the National Wildlife Federation the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA)
"In looking for a way to stand out during the December selling period, one of the pieces of research we see is that our customers are socially involved, very involved with supporting their communities--we see that often," says Kevin Mayer, director of marketing communications for the company.
Wes Brown, with L.A.-based marketing lab Iceology, agrees. "They are, in general, more altruistic; they don't like to broadcast it, but they are," he says. "They volunteer a lot and they give a lot."
Tim Mahoney, Subaru's SVP/CMO, said that Subaru has been working with the 5 charities - "We have been working with them to activate, and dealers have been reaching to their local chapters as well, on an ad hoc basis." For example, the ASPCA brought adoptable pets to Subaru dealerships.
Subaru dealerships were also planning to participate by hosting events and projects in their communities.
source: MediaPost article Subaru Leverages Buyers' Philanthropy In Promo by Karl Greenberg, Monday, November 24, 2008, 4:08 PM
The information below was posted to a social marketing discussion group that I belong to, by Sandra de Castro Buffington, Director of Hollywood, Health & Society. As a "Private Practice" fan - I just watched the episode mentioned below - I thought this was particularly interesting:
Hollywood, Health & Society (HH&S), a program of the USC Annenberg Norman Lear Center, worked with writers of the January 8th episode of ABC's "Private Practice" to provide accurate health information on vaccinations and autism. Last fall, HH&S facilitated several phone conversations between leading immunization experts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and writers of "Private Practice." Key health messages on the importance of vaccinations were conveyed to the scriptwriters together with case studies on the topic. The writers incorporated these messages into the dramatic storyline seen in the January 8th episode, "Contamination." According to the Nielsen Television Index, ABC's "Private Practice" reached over 3 million viewers nationwide that night.
In our eighth year of support from the CDC, HH&S is a sustained and systematic program of support to the entertainment industry to encourage accurate and timely public health content in TV storylines. Through services such as free on-demand consultations and briefings with experts, HH&S serves as a one-stop-shop for writers and producers in search of credible information on a wide range of health topics. Funded by the CDC, The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, The California Endowment and the Health Resources and Services Administration's Division of Transplantation and Poison Control Program, we recognize the profound impact entertainment media have on viewer knowledge, attitudes and behavior.
To learn more about Hollywood, Health & Society visit www.usc.edu/hhs
This leaked photo has been circulating the tech world - T-Mobile and Motorola have teamed up to create this cell phone - the Motorola Renew - part of T-Mobile's 2009 line.
“Exclusively from T-Mobile, the environmentally responsible MOTO W233 Renew is uniquely designed to reduce environmental impact by using sustainable materials in its design and packaging while at the same time delivering performance and quality customers rely on.”
I was surprised to read a lot of negative comments about the phone, here.
Most the complaints have been about the apperance of the handset, which is rumored to include an MP3 player and FM radio.
According to reports, T-Mobile will release the phone in early February.
source: Sustainable Life Media: Motorola, T-Mobile to Launch Cellphone Made from Green Materials, January 9, 2009.
This video series is too good - had to post it. Starring Marty, of the Surfrider Foundation's San Diego Chapter.
PLEASE don't water your driveway ... or the sidewalk.
And while I'm on requests, if you are a smoker then please "hold onto your butt." Cigarette butts are NOT biodegradable. The cigarette filter is made out of PLASTIC.
More info about the problem can be found here. Check out this personal, pocket-sized ashtray!
This is a GREAT lecture - an anthropological history of Youtube.
Presented at the Library of Congress, June 23rd 2008 by Michael Wesch, a professor of cultural anthropology at Kansas State University.
Professor Wesch shows how YouTube, LinkedIn, Digg, Technorati and other social media tools are not just influencing culture but creating it, not just changing traditional media but replacing it.
