Advertising Age - News

How Electronic Hamsters Became the Hottest Toy This Holiday Season

bbulik@adage.com(Beth Snyder Bulik) — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 18:07:45 -0500

YORK, Pa. (AdAge.com) -- The must-have toy this holiday season is the electronic hamster. Zhu Zhu Pets, a line of five furry interactive hamsters (pronounced Zoo Zoo) have been selling so briskly they have gone missing from retailers' shelves for weeks. The little hamsters are so popular, Toys 'R' Us is using them as a Black Friday marketing centerpiece. Every Toys 'R' Us will have 100 of the furry bots for sale at midnight when the stores open for Black Friday shopping, with a limit of one per customer.

Coca-Cola Lays Out Its Vision for the Future at 2010 Meeting

nzmuda@adage.com(Natalie Zmuda) — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 08:00:56 -0500

ATLANTA (AdAge.com) -- Amid some 200 analysts, investors and media last week, Coca-Cola CEO Muhtar Kent made a confession. "There was a period when our company did lose its way," he said. "We were too internally focused and not focused enough on the changes taking place with our consumers and customers. In essence, we were too busy looking at the dashboard and were not sufficiently paying attention to the world outside of our windshield."

Will Retailers or Consumers Come Out on Top on Black Friday?

jneff@adage.com(Jack Neff) — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 08:00:21 -0500

BATAVIA, Ohio (AdAge.com) -- Black Friday 2009 has become a massive game of chicken among retailers and consumers, as the closely watched post-Thanksgiving sales data will largely decide which succeeds at outsmarting the other.

Branson Says Competing Airlines Should Start From Scratch

mbush@adage.com(Michael Bush) — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AdAge.com) -- Richard Branson sat down with Ad Age to talk about the future of the airline industry, what he hopes legacy carriers can learn from Virgin America, TV as an ad medium, what marketers need to do to get through the economic downturn and, of course, commercial space travel.

What Landing Cadbury Would Mean for Kraft, Ferrero, Hershey

eyork@adage.com(Emily Bryson York) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:55:15 -0500

CHICAGO (AdAge.com) -- Cadbury is the chess piece that could determine who leads the world's confectionery market, depending on whose hands the company ends up in. If it lands in the portfolio of Kraft, that marketer would topple Mars from its perch as the globe's leading confectioner. But now, Ferrero has confirmed an interest in acquiring Cadbury, and The Wall Street Journal reported that it is considering a linkup with Hershey to do the job.

AT&T Strikes Back at Verizon With Its Own Comparison Campaign

rchang@adage.com(Rita Chang) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:09:05 -0500

SAN FRANCISCO (AdAge.com) -- AT&T launched a new ad campaign that hits back at Verizon Wireless, aiming to put some polish back in the reputation of its network coverage.

Verizon Wins Round 1 in Legal Spat With AT&T

rchang@adage.com(Rita Chang) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:55:18 -0500

SAN FRANCISCO (AdAge.com) -- Verizon Wireless has won round one in the widely publicized legal tussle with rival AT&T, which recently sued the leading carrier over an ad campaign that AT&T claims misleads consumers about its network coverage. An Atlanta federal judge Wednesday denied a request by AT&T to force Verizon to halt its commercials, saying he found no evidence that the ads were inaccurate.

Starbucks Rings in the Holidays With Big Social-Media Push

eyork@adage.com(Emily Bryson York) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:41:23 -0500

CHICAGO (AdAge.com) -- Get ready for Starbucks Holiday 2.0. The brand is going big in social media this year, having learned that its consumers want to participate in a variety of ways. So Starbucks is pulling back from its Thanksgiving TV buys of the past two years to focus on where its customers already spend time online and drive them into stores.

Recession May Be Over, but Worst Likely Still to Come for Advertising Industry

bjohnson@adage.com(Bradley Johnson) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:48:54 -0500

LOS ANGELES (AdAge.com) -- Ad-industry employment has increased for the first time in a year, a hopeful sign of recovery following a deep recession. But there is reason to be cautious as there could be more job cuts ahead.

Recession Leads Campbell to Overhaul Cooking Site

eyork@adage.com(Emily Bryson York) — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:54:46 -0500

CHICAGO (AdAge.com) -- Just in time for the holidays, Campbell Soup Co. has completed an overhaul of its cooking site, CampbellsKitchen.com. The site, designed by IMC2 Dallas, features topical holiday recipes and a number of upgrades based on consumer insights, such as more budget-friendly options that help move cooks "beyond the casserole."

For Big-Spending Consumer Brands, Has Scale Lost Its Power?

jneff@adage.com(Jack Neff) — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:11:34 -0500

BATAVIA, Ohio (AdAge.com) -- Have digital and social media leveled the marketing playing field so much that scale is losing its power?

Reaction to H1N1 Boosts Sales for Household, Personal Care Marketers

jneff@adage.com(Jack Neff) — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:49:01 -0500

Coca-Cola Juices Get Ready for a New Look

nzmuda@adage.com(Natalie Zmuda) — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:43:16 -0500

ATLANTA (AdAge.com) -- In the wake of this year's Tropicana re-branding disaster, Coca-Cola is planning a refresh of its own. The company is introducing a new packaging design for its mainstream global juice businesses, which include the Minute Maid, Del Valle, Andina and Cappy brands. When the rollout is complete, the new design will be featured on hundreds of packages around the world that account for about half of the company's overall juice volume.

Detroit Industry Faces Future Without BBDO

jhalliday@adage.com(Jean Halliday) — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

With the loss of Chrysler's business, the 485 employees of BBDO's Detroit office will be plunged into the cratered local economy in two months.

P&G, Walmart, Unilever, General Mills Are Major Marketers on a Mission

jneff@adage.com(Jack Neff) — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

BATAVIA, Ohio (AdAge.com) -- If you haven't touched and improved more lives more completely lately, you probably wouldn't last long as a Procter & Gamble Co. marketer.

Critics Say Social-Media Should Be Off Limits for DTC Drug Ads

adageeditor@adage.com(Rich Thomaselli) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 16:08:31 -0500

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Those speaking during the second and final day of the FDA's public hearings regarding the promotion of regulated products on websites and social-media sites weren't nearly as enamored of the technology as those speaking on the first day. And they weren't inclined to give the pharmaceutical industry much leeway.

Lessons Learned From the Ad Age/Creativity Idea Conference

aklaassen@adage.com(Abbey Klaassen) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 16:00:00 -0500

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- The fourth-annual Advertising Age/Creativity Idea Conference drew nearly 275 attendees listening to a colorful lineup of speakers ranging from a rap star to successful restaurateur to senior curator at the world-famous Museum of Modern Art. Here are 10 practical takeaways from their inspiring journeys into the business of creativity.

PhRMA Proposes FDA-Approved Logo for Marketing in Social Media

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 17:21:46 -0500

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- PhRMA is advocating for a universal safety symbol -- either the FDA logo itself or an FDA-approved symbol -- to indicate that a Twitter or Facebook mention links to a page that contains the pharmaceutical company's FDA-mandated risk information.

BK Franchisees Sue Over Dollar Double-Cheeseburger Promo

eyork@adage.com(Emily Bryson York) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:58:02 -0500

Activision's Ambitious 'Modern Warfare 2' Rollout on Target

bbulik@adage.com(Beth Snyder Bulik) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 18:49:43 -0500

YORK, Pa. (AdAge.com) -- Looks like a marketing mission accomplished for video-game publisher Activision and its agency, TBWA/Chiat/Day, Los Angeles.

Caribou Coffee Takes Aim at Starbucks With First TV Ad

eyork@adage.com(Emily Bryson York) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 18:04:55 -0500

CHICAGO (AdAge.com) -- Caribou Coffee will launch its first-ever TV campaign tomorrow with an approach that pokes fun at its biggest rival, Starbucks.

A-B InBev in Talks With Media Shops Over Best Practices

jmullman@adage.com(Jeremy Mullman) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:18:17 -0500

CHICAGO (AdAge.com) -- Anheuser-Busch InBev is huddling with its global media agencies in what the world's No. 1 brewer says is an attempt to create a standard set of practices for media buying across the globe -- but some think it may be a precursor to a large-scale media review.

Global Marketing Chief Russ Klein Exits Burger King

eyork@adage.com(Emily Bryson York) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 17:46:18 -0500

CHICAGO (AdAge.com) -- Burger King Global Chief Marketing Officer Russ Klein, who steered the brand from the brink of collapse to the glory days of "Whopper Freakout," has stepped down. The company said he left for personal reasons.

Flip's Quest in First Major Ad Push: Become a Lifestyle Brand

rchang@adage.com(Rita Chang) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:51:36 -0500

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Flip, the Cisco-owned maker of pocket-sized camcorders, wants to go mass, and it's hoping its first multimillion-dollar ad campaign, launched Monday, will establish it as a lifestyle brand.

Month's Top 10 Most-Liked, Most-Recalled New TV Spots

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 13:44:00 -0500

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- The spot for the NFL Touch Women's Fashion Collection starring its designer, actress and uber-sports-fan Alyssa Milano, was the commercial most liked by viewers during the last month. See the full Nielsen IAG lists of top-liked and top-recalled spots.

Why Walmart's Entry Won't Kill Casket Business

jneff@adage.com(Jack Neff) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

BATAVIA, Ohio (AdAge.com) -- Walmart put an entirely new spin on its "Save Money. Live Better" mantra by putting caskets and other funeral supplies for sale on Walmart.com last month.

Flurry of Smartphones Coming This Christmas

rchang@adage.com(Rita Chang) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

SAN FRANCISCO (AdAge.com) -- What a difference a year makes. This holiday season, more than a dozen touchscreen smartphones are out to take on Apple's iPhone, with device makers and carriers banking on hearty appetites among consumers who want a minicomputer in their back pocket.

AT&T Missteps With Verizon Ad-Claim Lawsuit

rchang@adage.com(Rita Chang) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

SAN FRANCISCO (AdAge.com) -- AT&T's lawsuit against Verizon is a case of what not to do when a rival kicks you in your sorest spot.

Brands and Media Look to Grow Audience With Holiday Turkey Talk

eyork@adage.com(Emily Bryson York) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

CHICAGO (AdAge.com) -- The battle is on for Thanksgiving supremacy. Food Network, Epicurious and Butterball are all working to establish themselves as the destination for all things turkey.

Chrysler Hikes Spending to 'Re-Establish' Three Brands

jhalliday@adage.com(Jean Halliday) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

DETROIT (AdAge.com) -- After five months of near silence on the marketing front, Chrysler Group is roaring back with a new attitude.