Ramblings of Immersive Marketing Geniuses

Carl's Jr. Teams With Rob Dyrdek to Sell Burgers

noreply@blogger.com (Premise) — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 22:51:00 +0000

Some of you may not know Rob Dyrdek as a long time professional skateboarder, but he has become a household name for the MTV generation. First with his successful MTV show Rob and Big and now with his new show Fantasy Factory. When I first heard about this show I was skeptical and after watching the first episode my initial thought was it is even dumber than Rob and Big. But then I found myself tuning in each week anyway. Maybe it is because I am a skateboarder and am hoping to see some guest pros ride the indoor street plaza, but I am also drawn to the stupid humor. I am sure there are plenty of people out there who say they hate the show but secretly still watch it, helping boost the ratings.

No matter what people say you have to give Rob credit for his entrepreneurial skills; successful TV shows, endorsements and signature products from his skateboarding sponsors and now he is giving back to the skaters and public with his DC Shoes/Skate Plaza Foundation and his Safe Spot/Skate Spot concept. You can read all about this on their website.

As part of his push to help create more skate spots for todays youth, Rob has teamed up with Carl's Jr. on an experimental advertising and marketing campaign to help Rob raise money for more skate spots and for Carls Jr. to reach their target market, young hungry males. Other fast food chains and brands have tried to use action sports to appeal to this demographic in the past, but in this slumping economy where consumers are tightening their belts, Carl's Jr. has stepped up to the plate with an aggressive plan to target young males. The same old methods of advertising (print ads, commercials) do not cut it in this day and age and so Carl's Jr. is planning some more alternative and experimental means to advertise and generate buzz including sponsoring a skatepark in downtown LA, putting Rob's picture on its cups and being featured on Robs show Fantasy Factory. Rob has also been featured on his show in a Carl's Jr. Star costume performing stunts and the video clips have been virally spreading throughout the web and youtube like wildfire. The Carl's Jr. star logo has also been incorporated into a skate feature at the LA skate spot, providing a subtle yet constant reminder that if you are hungry after a long day of skating you need to go eat at Carl's Jr. Time will tell how successful this experimental campaign will be, but according to the article they have sold out of 3.5 million cups in a little over a month, so it must be working.

Chris Patnaude, Account Coordinator
Lunch Today: I wish I could say Carl's Jr. but I had a frozen weight watchers meal and some chips. (Maybe I will go try out the new Bourbon Burger at Carl's Jr. for supper tonight.)

Happy Birthday to Premise!

noreply@blogger.com (Premise) — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 22:17:00 +0000

Well folks, 2009 is a big year for Premise. We've got 10 candles on our birthday cake and are looking forward to adding many more - although you'll never catch us in orthopedic shoes.

We got ourselves one (ok, several) amazing presents. A new office, an updated logo, exciting new clients...and keep your eyes peeled for our fancy new website - coming soon!

In the meantime, have a fab 2009 and keep checking the mailbox (or this blog) for your party invitation...

Lindsay, Campaign Manager
Lunch Today: lean cuisine, apple, mango iced tea

Will you be my Valentine?

noreply@blogger.com (Premise) — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 22:42:00 +0000

Yes! Yes! I thought you'd never ask...Oh, wait...

...I mean, yeah. Sure. I guess so...

What have Hallmark and Hershey's done to us? A marketing scheme to sell candy, cards and flowers has instilled warm fuzzies in the hearts of Americans...Unless you are single. Then February 14th causes panic attacks, paranoia and sleepless nights.

As consolation, us single people get to simultaneously celebrate Singles Awareness Day (ironically, abbreviated to "SAD") and if you head over to the SAD webpage, you will find this.

Ha. Ha. Ha.

I am waiting for somebody to come up with the ultimate Valentine's Day reverse marketing idea. Like a restaurant that offers seating in odd numbers only.

-Lindsay, Campaign Manager
Lunch Today: Cheese Sandwich, Peach Snapple

p.s. I would like to thank Roger for showing the V-Day love to the whole Premise team (regardless of our Facebook relationship status). The flowers are beautiful!

Axed Obama Logos

noreply@blogger.com (Premise) — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 18:03:00 +0000

You may say that waiting until after Obama's historical inauguration to examine some of the campaign logo options is 'a day late a dollar short'. I say nay!

Whether or not you care to acknowledge it, the 2008 Obama campaign was far and away the most successful marketing campaign in history. Only now, with it resting comfortably in the recent past can we truly examine it and recognize it's perfection. The logo was executed by the team at SenderLLC led by Sol Sender himself. I've included some quotes from Sol from an interview found here.

“We developed a lot of logos. Usually we only develop two to four, maybe five. There were fifteen, sixteen options, and we focused on three.”

Final Round:

#1:
“This masking of different photos with the O shape became an opportunity to say different things in different moments… The O could contain all these different ideas, possibilities and feelings.”

#2
“There was a lot of excitement about this. People felt this was really something new, something different. It was a kind of populist expression — everyone’s excited about Obama, people are talking… (but) it was a little too far out of the box. We felt that having a little more tradition in the mark was the smart way to go.”

#3
“For me personally, this was always the one.”

"Originally the stripes were kind of symmetrically expressed across the horizon, and as we went into final refinements we felt that giving it a little bit more dimension, a little bit more motion, ways to enter into it a little bit more for the viewer was a better way to go.”
So there it is, a glimpse into the process. Personally I think they nailed it, though I did love the first finalist with the "O" masking different photos. Finalist #2 was a bit too far out there and not quite executed very well. Especially in light of the work these guys have done for moveon.org that hits the more youthful feel. Not to mention the infamous Shepard Fairy poster. Behold the power of Graphic Design and Art to change the world! But I guess there wasn't even really much competition in that field. The McCain logo? yikes.

John Zappas, Graphic Designer
Lunch: I wish! I had some pizza yesterday. mmmm pizza.

By 2049, robots will rule the world

noreply@blogger.com (Premise) — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 22:44:00 +0000

I was sent a link to this video by my office buddy, Jack, who also happens to be the resident marketing strategist here at Premise. I thought it was pretty interesting how quickly technology is changing everything in our world.

Take a look. A little scary...

Did You Know? Sony BMG Rome 2008

-Lindsay, Campaign Manager
Lunch Today: lean cuisine, carrots and hummus

I Like to Play with Legos

noreply@blogger.com (Premise) — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 17:33:00 +0000

If you get the opportunity, check out the new test launch of “Digital Box” by Lego which, when held up to an in-store camera, will superimpose a rendering of the completed Lego model on top of the product box on screen. The Digital Box was designed by Metalo for Lego, and can be seen soon at select toy stores and Lego shops around the world. Now I can't wait until the technologies advance far enough for consumers to afford the version that projects a "how to" blueprint so I can create that life-sized Star Wars Death Star I've been eying up. Or better yet, a DC for kids shoe box that projects how to lace up your shoes, could be helpful at my house :)

Gregg, Partner
Breakfast of Champions: Cup of Coffee

Economic Downturn = Spam Upswing

noreply@blogger.com (Premise) — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 20:58:00 +0000

An interesting mobile piece on how not to use sms when targeting youth or any demo for that matter from the New York Times.

Gregg Witt, Partner
Lunch: Some healthy pre-packaged pasta

Immerse Your Content and Message in The Printed Blog

noreply@blogger.com (Premise) — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 16:44:00 +0000

In my work at Premise I'm constantly in exploration of innovative new ways the team can immerse brands in the online and real worlds of their targeted consumer cultures. This morning I stumbled upon a cool new media source that is not afraid to be different and it's called The Printed Blog.

In their words, The Printed Blog is the first daily newspaper comprised entirely of blogs and other user generated content. They say they are starting distribution in select cities and obviously this will be their key challenge. That said, even if it were limited to a few markets and left super niche, its certainly innovative thinking and I commend them for it.

Hope this inspires more online-to-offline communication mediums

Gregg, Creative Adventurist
Breakfast: Coffee from Grants Market

Texting is the new black

noreply@blogger.com (Premise) — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 23:40:00 +0000

Over the holidays I noticed something that, while quite evident, always seemed less obvious to me.

TEXTING IS THE NEW BLACK!

I must have received two dozen (yeah, I'm popular) "Happy Holidays!" and "Happy New Year :)" texts over the last couple weeks. However, I only received 5-6 actual Christmas cards in the mail and two phone calls (thanks Mom and Dad).

Are we getting that lazy and impersonal that we simply type a message to our friends and family instead of calling to say it with love in our voice? I probably sound ungrateful to have received so many well-wishes, but really I'm not. I appreciate that my friends and family thought of me (and most likely everyone else in their phones contact list) and took 4 seconds out of their day to text me a Holiday message.

Of course, I'm only kidding.

I am a HUGE fan of texting. I prefer it over all forms of communication aside from actually being engaged in a face-to-face conversation (bonus if there are frosty beverages involved). I even got myself a fancy iPhone so I can text at the speed of light. But don't expect to be getting a mass text message from me anytime soon. If you would like to know what I have to say to the masses, just check my facebook status ;)

Lindsay, campaign manager
Lunch today: lean cuisine (for the record: I'm still hungry and I don't feel any more lean)

The (Burger) King Conquers New Territory

noreply@blogger.com (Premise) — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 18:52:00 +0000

What's the one thing I hope doesn't turn up underneath my Christmas tree or in my stocking this year (or any year for that matter)?

THIS!

Burger King is full of little viral marketing surprises these days. I mean, who wants to hang out with somebody who smells like they work the fryer at the local BK? Maybe it's just me and my delightfully meat-free lifestyle, but that sounds about as appealing as having my eyelids glued shut.

While searching around for more information on this glorious new scent certain to be tantalizing our nostrils through the holiday season, I came across another campaign by the King. It's a documentary by Stacey Perelta on folks that have never, ever, ever eaten a hamburger.

WTF?!?

As you can imagine, the travel expenses must have been astronomical for this taste test as finding an American who has never even heard of Burger King would be near impossible unless you raid the nursery at the local hospital (which would hardly be effective since I don't think cheeseburger is on the children's menu at that age), but the results are incredibly interesting to watch. Check it out here.

As Americans, we are so conditioned to seeing Burger King and McDonald's on every main street it's absolutely shocking to imagine a place in the world that has never seen a BK commercial!

Makes you wonder, how different would our choices be if we weren't constantly exposed to advertising?

-Lindsay, Campaign Manager
Lunch Today: Cheese Ravioli, granola bar(sorry, no BK for me)

Happy Holidays From Premise!

noreply@blogger.com (Premise) — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 00:42:00 +0000

" We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give." - Winston Churchill

Nobody says it better than old Winston, and what better way to celebrate the season than to give the gift of giving. Premise wants your help in deciding which cause will receive a $500 holiday donation (runner sup receive $100 each).

The mission of Elemental Awareness is to educate and inspire young people to develop self-esteem, social and environmental awareness and the tools to lead successful lives.

The Partnership for a Drug-Free America unites parents, renowned scientists and communications professionals to help families raise healthy children.

The Sajai Foundation is dedicated to combating childhood obesity by developing programs that inspire wise nutrition and activity choices in children 6 to 11.

Please click below to vote for one of our favorite causes and view the polling results.

VOTE HERE

Team Edward or Team Jacob?

noreply@blogger.com (Premise) — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 19:15:00 +0000

Unless you haven't left your house in the last several months I'm certain you've heard of the phenomenon that is (cue suspenseful music)..."Twilight"!

The series of vampire fantasy novels have teen and young adult audiences buzzing. Although, the target demographic for the book was teenage girls, I've found many of my friends in their late 20's and early 30's to be equally as obsessed with the handsome vampire and his plain-jane lady love. I'm talking locked in their bedrooms, reading in the car, constant dinner conversation, 'I wish I could find a guy that is just like Edward,' nuts over this series.

I'm baffled that a book intended to entertain a 15 year old girl could hold the attention of somebody (presumably) more mature. Of course, my "adult" friends claim "Oh, it's just an easy read", but then they send mass emails to organize a viewing of the upcoming film version and have endless discussions about who is the better choice for the heroine - the line being clearly drawn between Team Edward and Team Jacob.

I'm impressed with the generational span this series has. I can't think of many products that appeal to both a teenager and a 30-something, except maybe a new car.

I personally have not read any of the books, but with each friend I lose to the Twilight addiction I become more and more curious at what exactly is so enticing about these stories.

Maybe I'll have to cave and just sink my teeth into them...(pun totally intended).

Lindsay, Campaign Manager
Lunch Today: Lean Cuisine, apple w/ peanut butter, and green tea

UPDATE: I bite into the first novel and now I should probably just bite my tongue...sigh...I'll be locked in my room catching up on the series if you need me.

CHOCOHOLIC!

noreply@blogger.com (Premise) — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 19:06:00 +0000

Do you remember the last time you were craving chocolate?

Do you also remember what it felt like when you saw the small variety of good chocolate at the store?

And no, I am not talking about Hershey’s chocolate or all the other candy bars out there. I know some people really like Hershey’s & Co., but come on - face the real world - that stuff isn’t really that great.

If you ever get a chance to go overseas, check out the grocery stores with their AISLES of chocolate. Growing up in Europe and always being able to access the really good stuff, I was used to eating chocolate every day. I have to admit, I am a ‘CHOCOHOLIC’ and I cannot live without my chocolate for a single day.

So, when I came to the U.S., one of my first tasks was to find good chocolate. After weeks of eating some good and some bad chocolate, I ended up calling my mom and telling her to send me a package with my favorite chocolate. When that package finally arrived, I ripped it open and I ate two bars right away.

My favorite chocolates are Lindt’s Creation 70% (ALL of them) and MILKA caramel.

Especially around the holidays, they come up with all those new varieties and I am already waiting for my monthly package of chocolate from my mom….. and like every month, I will rip open that package and eat a bar of really good chocolate.

BON APPÉTIT & HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Doreen, Research Assistant
Lunch today – salad and a doughnut

When Value Meets Values

noreply@blogger.com (Premise) — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 18:05:00 +0000

The Internet changed lots of things in lots of really neat ways.

Now that my overly-general attention-grabbing intro-sentence is out of the way, let’s get down to business, specifically, how the Internet has dramatically changed the way businesses start, operate, and fail.

Several variations on how to achieve the end goal of any business (making stacks, piles, and swimming pools of money) have arisen in the recent times, all varying in their experimental nature. Chris Anderson coined the concept of “The Long Tail” in an article for Wired Magazine in 2004. He has gone on to write two books on the topic and endless blog posts. The name comes from a power law distribution curve which (think back to graphing in Algebra, it’s very close to the graph of an exponential function). Traditionally businesses focus on selling only the most popular products, especially when it comes to media like books or music. Businesses like Amazon and Netflix have shifted that norm by overcoming costs of stocking and distribution by leveraging the Internet to reach a huge audience and offer them an unimaginable array of options at a very low cost. Thus making more money off of the nearly infinite ‘tail’ of the graph rather than the ‘head’. Essentially selling more of less popular items than possible ever before.

Another strategy employed by many Web 2.0 companies has become known as Freemium. Again, companies like Flickr, Second Life and Rapidshare use the Internet to reach a very large number of people for almost no money and then proceed to give away their service but offer paid premium memberships with added features. This model works because of the scale, if only 1% of users pay $25 for a year of your service and you have 10 million users, well do the math. The percentage of paid customers varies greatly depending on the service. Club Penguin, for instance, has 25% of monthly unique visitors sign up to pay $5 a month, where as most shareware software programs often see less than .5% of users paying.

This brings us to the “pay as you wish” method, which allows the consumer to pay only as much as they see fit. Obviously very counterintuitive, this idea was employed by Radiohead, Saul Williams and many other artists as a new way to distribute their music. Certain others are refusing to take money for their work, San Diego singer-songwriter, Joel P. West, is offering his album only in exchange for a creative work (photo, poem, song, painting etc.) to be posted on the album’s blog.

With all these evolving business models, the value of a service or product really comes to the forefront especially when leaving the monetary payment for said object to be determined by its consumer. This is a truly fascinating concept, which would revolutionize commerce. As many social scientists theorize, our personal sets of values are determined mainly by the culture surrounding us in our pre-adult years and the order in which we prioritize these values shifts around through the course of our lives based on the scarcity or need for them. For example, during a drought, the need for clean drinking water comes to the forefront of many people’s minds. My question is this: what if everything we consumed was paid in accordance with the ordering of your values set at any given time?

JZ, Graphic Designer
Lunch: Supafood Smoothie and Everythang Bagel wif Hummus

Get By With a Little Help From Your Friends

noreply@blogger.com (Premise) — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 19:57:00 +0000

The economic "slowdown" is having a negative impact on most people, especially college students (current and future) who rely on student loans to cover the immediate costs of education.

Lenders are raising interest rates on both private and federally guaranteed loans to offset the turmoil in the credit markets. I personally managed to get out of college without a single loan - except for the ones I issued to myself on my Credit Card to attend spring break festivities in Fort Lauderdale (yikes!). However, majority of my fellow students were looking at several thousand dollars of debt at graduation.

So, what can students do to finance their college experience in these tough times?

Well, not everyone has a rich Uncle to rely on, but GreenNote has a solution (www.greennote.com) that just might be crazy enough to work. They have created a website based on the idea of using your personal networks (friends, family, friends of family, community) to generate a student loan.

If you want it. Just ask for it. It's that simple.

GreenNote provides the platform for potential post-secondary students to ask their networks for the money they need to continue their education - and the tools for lenders to provide the funding at a low interest rate (6.8%) to the student in need.

What do the lenders get? A small return on their investment and the good-feeling knowing they helped a young mind achieve the foundation of their future; a solid education.

Lindsay, Campaign Manager
Lunch Today: Tuna and artichoke sandwich, potato salad and green tea

Gratification

noreply@blogger.com (Premise) — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 17:40:00 +0000

I am not usually one to follow the crowd when it comes to material things, although in some cases it is necessary in order to keep up with our developing society. Helping to develop this society is one of the leading trend setters, Apple Inc.

I don’t understand the meaning behind gigahertz and rams and pixels and processors, but I am captivated by the sleek design of Apple’s products and I think we can all agree that when a new product of theirs is released, people go hog wild. My concern is with the shelf life of these trendy products. One year after the original iPhone arrived in stores, the next generation iPhone 3G was making its debut. My question is this: At what point do we have the best product?

We all seem to want the “best” or the “fastest” or sometimes even the most expensive products, but I have been finding it hard to reach this goal. About a year and a half ago, Apple released the new MacBook Pro with a new operating system, new screen, etcetera, etcetera. Well, recently they released the newest version of the MacBook and MacBook Pro. Therefore, I’m sorry to all of you who have recently purchased what would now be considered an outdated version.

Do we really need the thinnest computer or the sleekest phone? In other words, when do we decide if enough is enough? I have to admit that I’ll probably purchase one of these new computers at some point when my four year old Toshiba takes its last breath, but I’m not so sure that a four finger multi-touch buttonless glass keypad, will really make my life any easier.

Ashton, PR coordinator
Lunch: Two slices of pepperoni pizza bought with USD CampusCash

Halloween Costumes Gone Awry!

noreply@blogger.com (Premise) — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 18:44:00 +0000

Remember the innocent days of Halloween costumes that were once cute, scary, or funny?

Maybe it’s just because I was younger, but as a child I never remember seeing adults or teens dressed up in revealing costumes that now seem to line the walls of nearly every Halloween store around. Don’t get me wrong; there is nothing wrong with a sexy vampire or witch costume every now and again, but lately it seems like everything has gotten so sexed up that even Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz has been transformed into a harlot!

I think the worst part about the new fad of provocative costume designs is the fact that they are usually marketed to teens. Sure, there are still some modest costumes out there, but the trend seems to be pushing towards showing more skin. Even childish get-ups such as Rainbow Brite, Little Bo-Peep, and Little Red Riding Hood have been taken to extremely distasteful proportions.

By no means am I a prude and if you’re an adult then I say you can wear whatever you want, but I just think there is something morally corrupt in leading young teen girls into thinking that they have to buy sexy costumes to look cute. Maybe it’s just me, but I prefer original and creative costumes to any pre-packaged, overly-mature attire any day of the week!

Brittany Hook, Editor
Lunch: Home-made potato salad, a croissant, and strawberries.

After reading Brittany's blog post I saw a ton of news coverage on this exact topic. Including a story from my hometown of Minneapolis. The folks at the Today show did a good job of covering this rather concerning issue as well. Here's the video of the story.

This trend became quite evident to me during my college years when it seemed that Halloween became an excuse to go to the bars in your underwear, but now this trend has trickled down to the youngsters and parents are having to navigate their young children away from provactive and overtly sexual halloween costumes targeted directly at the youth market.

Oh, the horror!

Lindsay, Campaign Manger
Lunch: Coffee and a Luna bar

In-game advertising

noreply@blogger.com (Premise) — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 19:08:00 +0000

It's nothing new.

But if it’s anything like Sen. Barack Obama’s campaign for the White House, he is all about change. In the video game world, it’s no different. Currently in ten swing states, spanning 19 video games for the Xbox 360, Obama is placing in-game advertisements for is campaign.
Obama’s push to gain more support from youth voters shows the degree at which the Obama campaign is willing to win the race.

Yearly entries into pop culture gaming like the Madden NFL franchise has been chocked full of product-placement and in-game advertising for years. Previously, products like Powerade, which are not time-sensitive, are statically placed inside the game. Generally, once a game is launched, the ads will never change.

Messages will have to be brief and to the point. Negative ads and long-winded statements will be impossible to see in games like Burnout, which include people racing at over 100 miles per hour. So, a quick message like “early voting has begun…Paid for by Obama for President” accompanied by a photo go right to the point.

Obama’s ads though are not static. Games that have been released as early as January now have billboards placed in various locations. When a user connects to Xbox Live to race a friend, or play some one-on-one basketball, the game’s software is updated. Part of the software updates includes advertising, and in this case, they are images super-imposed on certain parts of the games as advertisements.

Youth voters have always been a problem for candidates. History has shown they usually have better things to do on Election Day, like play video games. While Obama has previously derided video games, this ad campaign is probably the best way to attract the attention to youth.
TV advertisements, and Web ads have been littered all over the media spectrum for the last nine months, the switch to games is actually a bit of fresh air.

On top of that, the hardcore gamer demographic isn’t known for their intense reading or TV watching, so the Obama campaign has actually found the best way to move into a group of people that was otherwise hard to reach.

- John, editor
Lunch today: burrito

Cha-Cha

noreply@blogger.com (Premise) — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 18:58:00 +0000

I was at a family BBQ last weekend, sitting in my usual spot at the kid’s table, when my 15-year-old cousin whipped out his cell phone and told me to ask him anything. He’s always been “the smart cousin,” and was my source for entertainment at the family functions, so I was more than happy to play along.

“Are June Bugs blind?” I asked.

He punched a bunch of buttons on his phone, got a text message, and reciprocated a lengthy response that summed up the answer “No.” Since I knew he wasn’t coming up with these scientific answers on his own, and was more than amused, I told my uncle to try one.

“What is the greatest noise in the world?” he asked.

Once again, my cousin hastily sent a text and minutes later we go a response saying “Music” with an explanation.

Enough. I needed to know what this thing was. My cousin was a little skeptical to reveal his source, but it turns out it’s a search engine called “Cha Cha.” You simply type “Cha Cha” (242242) as the recipient and ask it any question, from random facts to the temperature in far off countries. Apparently your response in received and generated by a real-life human!

The service is free for now and a pretty great way to kill time. Or talk to someone if you’re lonely. www.chacha.com

-Richelle, editor
Lunch today - every kind of vegetable

Under Construction

noreply@blogger.com (Premise) — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 23:24:00 +0000

Please stay tuned as the Premise Blog is in transition to a new format. We will be back with more hot topics and our lunch menus shortly...

Orange: the color of decaffeinated coffee

noreply@blogger.com (Premise) — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 04:17:00 +0000

"Is that decaf? "I attended a function at my son's school and as usual had to check out the desert table to see what all the great domestic parents had brought to share. I fill my plate with a few samples and find myself headed for the much needed coffee. When I approach there are 6-7 standard coffee carafes. I quickly scan them and instinctively reach over and between those marked with a small orange circle and pick up the solid black carafe. As I begin to pour, I hear someone say to the random group mixing coffees "is the orange decaf?" several responses come back, "ya, I think so" - "pretty sure" - "I hope so, that's what I wanted" moments later another person approaches asking the same question. I start thinking to myself, how is it that I, along with several others, have declared orange the official color of decaf? Why orange and why is it so deep in my brain that I didn't even think twice. I knew that by selecting the all black vs the all black with the small orange circle I was getting the dose of caffeine I needed. What if one day someone decided to reverse the brews? Decaf with no mark and regular with the orange mark. What would happen? Would everyone just assume the orange was decaf?

When I returned home I started doing some research. I discovered that the color orange and decaf go all the way back to 1923 when Sanka (derived from the French words words sans caféine "without caffeine")one of the earliest decaffeinated coffees was launched. The Sanka label was a distinct orange and the company gave away orange handles to attach to coffee pots so servers could identify the decaf from the regular. Pretty brilliant don't you think. Over 80's years later orange is still a staple identifier for decaf coffee. Alas, orange was tied to decaf long before I had my first sip! But who still drinks Sanka anyway?

Kristine
Lunch today: 2 side salads from Organic To Go and Honey Dijon chips.

To go guerrilla, or not to go guerrilla? That is the question.

noreply@blogger.com (Premise) — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 20:48:00 +0000

John, one of our in-house media editors and Premise Observers, sent me a link to this video the other day and it got me thinking about just how risky guerrilla marketing campaigns can really be.

Although that video is quite far-fetched, it doesn't seem totally unthinkable considering some of the guerrilla marketing stunts that have hit our headlines over the last few years. Marketers and the brands they represent are getting more outrageous and unconventional with every campaign.

Golden Palace (www.goldenpalace.com), perhaps one of the 'greats' (I use that term loosely, as I personally feel some of their campaigns to be a bit over the top), has used a slew of tactics to push their brand into the spotlight and in the meantime generated some heavy blogging buzz around them. They've done it all, from streaking stunts to tattooing, to cow-painting (maybe it's the PETA member in me, but this just doesn't sit well. And, yes, I do realize that they had PETA's blessing on this one...something I still don't understand). You may even remember the name Golden Palace as the lucky bidder who took home the Virgin Mary Grilled Cheese from ebay (for a price tag of $28K). I'm still left thinking, "What does an online casino want with an old grilled cheese sandwich?" Publicity, that's what they want and that's exactly what they got.

How about Taco Bell constructing a 40ft by 40ft floating raft in the South Pacific and offering free tacos if any piece of the Mir spacecraft should happen to land on it. Sounds crazy right? Taco Bell's website nearly crashed as millions flocked to find out more information and they received international press coverage. End cost to Taco Bell = one raft.

Probably the most notable guerrilla campaign was the promotion of Aqua Teen Hunger Force causing a massive bomb scare in Boston in 2007. Light-bright style devices were attached to random city structures intending to provoke curiosity among the city-dwellers. Instead, these lights were mistaken for bombs and in the end Turner Broadcasting paid for the mishap. On the other hand, this promotion got national news coverage and Aqua Teen Hunger Force saw weeks of free publicity.

So, I ask myself, "Is it true what they say, is there really 'no such thing as bad publicity?'"

-Lindsay, Campaign Manager
Lunch today: pasta, salad and yummy bread (compliments of Pasta Bravo)

Kiehl's and Hollywood Join Forces For A Good Cause

noreply@blogger.com (Premise) — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 20:21:00 +0000

The world is FULL of companies attempting to increase sales by promising a large donation to worthy causes. I’m pretty skeptical sometimes, but this one actually sounds legitimate!

Kiehl’s and Brad Pitt are partnering to create “JPF Eco Systems”, which attempts to help “save the environment” or at least prolong the adverse affects that are inevitable.

Their first product is Kiehl’s “Aloe Vera” Biodegradable Liquid Body Cleanser. Following Brad and Angelina’s philanthropic efforts after the Hurricane Katrina disaster, the sales will go to the “Make It Right” fund, which is dedicated to the construction of environmentally sustainable, affordable housing for those affected in New Orleans following the devastation.

For more info, check out www.makeitrightnola.org

-Richelle (PB and J Sandwich and a BANANA!!)

The Times, They are a Changin'!

noreply@blogger.com (Premise) — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 18:19:00 +0000

Right when I think I have the latest in technology, Apple goes out and shakes things up. I just recently bought an iPod nano along with my MacBook Pro. I was feeling pretty high tech until I realized that the new nano was just launched yesterday and features a much slimmer, sleeker design as well as a bunch of other cool new features.

The new nano comes in a multitude of catchy colors and even includes a “Genius” feature, which means that your iPod can create new playlists based on artists you like. It’s like having your own personal DJ! Pretty smart, eh? If you’re getting bored with your playlists, simply shake your lil’ nano to your heart’s content and wa la!! A whole new shuffle! When the screen is turned sideways, you can view the Cover Flow, watch videos, look at photos, etc. Basically, the new nano is awesome and I’m a little bit jealous.

Apple also just unveiled the new iPod classic, which can hold up to 120 GB. I thought my old classic was pretty awesome, and that only holds 30 GB! Looks like the times are a changin’!

I’m sure it’s only a matter of time before my new MacBook Pro will be an ancient dinosaur in comparison to whatever those slick Apple designers are creating as we speak. Boo hoo.

On the bright side, at least I can still hear the music held in these crafty little devices, and that’s the most important part, right?

-Brittany Hook, Senior Editor

Lunch today: Homemade sandwich, an apple, and fruit snacks. (Hey, I'm on a budget!)

The End of the Energy Empire? The ban is coming...

noreply@blogger.com (Premise) — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 22:58:00 +0000

I've recently been seeing a lot of coverage around MillerCoors being sued by The Center For Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) over their alcoholic energy beverage, Sparks. Citing the health concerns and that the combination of alcohol and caffeine is dangerous and drinkers of these beverages are more likey to drink excessively, drive under the influence or be involved in sexual assaults.
True or not, I think we all know deep-down that mixing caffeine (a stimulant) and alcohol (a depressant) is probably not the healthiest or safest choice. Not sure about you, but I can get on board with this movement (maybe because I've never been big on the insane amounts of sugar in these beverages). Even Anheuser-Busch has agreed to remove the caffeine and additives from their version of energy-infused alcohol (Bud Extra and Tilt) when notified of the same legal suit that MillerCoors is now battling.

In a more drastic approach across the pond, countries have even begun to ban energy drinks alone. Redbull is banned in France, Denmark and Norway (among others). Can you even imagine the uprising if Redbull was taken from the hundreds of thousands of American teens and young adults that thrive on it?

And, how long is it going to take for somebody to go after the businesses (bars & restaurants) that serve the "Oh-so-popular" Vodka Redbull? It is exactly what CSPI is suing MillerCoors for, it just doesn't come in one neat, tidy little package.

As a former bartender and general "nightlife professional", I can say with great confidence that Vodka Redbull is the most popular mixed drink out there. I have friends in my immediate social circle that would be devastated if they were no longer allowed to order their favorite "stay-up all night" cocktail. I'm sure they aren't the only 21-34 year olds that would be upset about a ban on Vodka Redbulls.

Not to mention, the drastic loss of sales if Redbull is no longer allowed to be sold in combination with alcohol!

-Lindsay, Campaign Manager
Lunch today: too much Pizza hut