The drink Like was popular in the 1960s, but was discontinued when cyclamates were banned, making its slogan, “Diets Like Like” a bit obsolete.

Back in the day, soft drink companies had different brands for their diet drinks. For instance, Coca-Cola had Tab and RC had Diet Rite.

It later became Diet 7Up, and 7Up apparently brought back the brand Like as a cola drink.

Question: Was it a good tasting drink?

Does the real sugar Coke taste better than your local bottler’s version ?

We talked about the trend with Cheryl Swanson, Principal of the Manhattan-based branding firm Toniq LLC. Swanson has worked to revive dozens of brands with her firm, located on East 32nd Street.

Q: What makes a brand a good candidate for revival?
Swanson: Brands that have a strong heritage – ones that can evoke a sense of nostalgia.

Q: What is the difference between a classic brand and a vintage brand?
Swanson: Classic brands are brands that have come to define their category through quality,heritage, and brand loyalty. They are iconic brands that can be easily recognized. For example, Coca-Cola, Kleenex, Band-Aid, Barbie, Chanel, Levis, Ford, Chevrolet, and so on. Vintage brands, on the other hand, are brands that were popular for a certain period of time. They may define a decade or a generation, but are not a mainstay in the product category today. Many vintage brands may be a model or style from a “classic” company. You see many vintage brands in candy, cars models, and clothing. For example, Necco Wafers, candy buttons, Hot Rods, 1950’s Chanel suits, etc.

Q: What is the age limit on brands. I have had some calls from people looking for 1980s “vintage” brands.
Swanson: Well, vintage is generally defined as anything that is over 20 years old. It’s scary to think that products of the 80’s can now be considered vintage. However, I think it depends on the product category when dating and classifying products to be vintage. For example, vintage cars are usually built between 1919 and1930. Vintage watches are usually those produced before 1960. Vintage clothing is broader encompassing brands and styles between 1920 and 1980 (pre 1920 is usually referred to as antique). As for CPG, I think the 20-year rule is applicable.

Q: How have companies missed this trend over so many years? After all, it started
with the New Coke fiasco.
Swanson: It probably has to do with all the marketers and execs now getting older and realizing the potential of the emotional strength these classic brands have with the consumer. And with everything going on in the world, the brands that are taking note and producing these “throwback” packages are providing a sense of familiarity and comfort for consumers. It allows consumers to think back to a better time. As for “New Coke” that was more of a formulary change that scared people. It was the mid-eighties. Things were good. Timing was bad for Coke. The resolution to the fiasco led to the introduction of “Coca-Cola Classic” which in-turn helped their market share.

Q: How much of this sort of thing is “enough”
Swanson: Well, we think it’s really a trend that’s going to continue. The largest consumer market is the baby-boomers and brands will continue to target their brands towards them. Turning back to tune-in to this group is a marketing strategy that works.

Q: Is the success of this really more about authenticity, or is it that we just get bored by the new?
Swanson: It’s about authenticity and proving brand heritage. These are the brands that have been there with you through the good times and bad and will continue to be there for you. There’s a market for “new” but classic, nostalgic, and throwbacks will always have an appeal to ageing consumers – of any generation. Even the Gen-Y consumers are finding 8-bit technology as retro cool.

Q: Some favorite revivals that they have not worked on? Do you recall some brands
that were once personal favorites, but are now forgotten?
Swanson: Ivory Soap, Tang, Bonnie Bell, Kaboodle, Aqua Net, Sun-In (hair lightener) and Hungry Man TV Dinners.

About Swanson and Toniq: Swanson founded Toniq (www.Toniq.com) in 1999 after leading several design firms to world-class status with her emotions-based, visual approach to brand strategy development. At Toniq, she continues to evolve her strategic expertise by seeking new ways to connect with consumers. Toniq has used this process successfully for leading consumer packaged goods product development, retail and on-line brands, including: Target, Unilever, Lycos, Kraft Foods, Gillette, Ralph Lauren, Saks Fifth Avenue, Pepsi, Con Agra, and Nestle Purina to create or redefine brand personalities and visual positioning recommendations for new products and established brands.

Here, the famous song with Hillside Singers in a late 1970s commercial for Coca-Cola. Below is the original.

And below is Lorri Hafer, who was the original lead, along with the Shaw Brothers, who performed the music. Interestingly, introducing the video is Herb Oscar Anderson, WABC morning man and father of Dynasty

But we saw a press release a few weeks ago from  the Center for Science in the Public Interest that got us thinking a bit. CPSI is still on its crusade for natural ingredients and food colorings, rather than artificial. The most recent release said that some of our tastiest treats, including Starbursts and Skittles, are made with better (i.e. real) ingredients in the U.K. Writes CPSI:

The greater government oversight and public concern across the Atlantic results in McDonald’s Strawberry Sundae in Britain being colored with strawberries, but in the United States with Red dye 40. Likewise, the British version of Fanta orange soda gets its bright color from pumpkin and carrot extract, but in the United States the color comes from Red 40 and Yellow 6. Starburst Chews and Skittles, both Mars products, contain synthetic dyes in the United States, but not in Britain.

Fortunately, says CSPI, many natural colorings are available to replace dyes. Beet juice, beta-carotene, blueberry juice concentrate, carrot juice, grape skin extract, paprika, purple sweet potato or corn, red cabbage, and turmeric are some of the substances that provide a vivid spectrum of colors. However, CSPI warns that “natural” does not always mean safe. Carmine and cochineal—colorings obtained from a bright red insect—can cause rare, but severe, anaphylactic reactions. Annatto, too, can cause allergic reactions.

“Food Dyes: Rainbow of Risks” was written by Sarah Kobylewski, a Ph.D. candidate in the Molecular Toxicology Program at the University of California, Los Angeles, and Michael F. Jacobson, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest. Jacobson is author of Eater’s Digest: The Consumer’s Factbook of Food Additives (Doubleday, 1972).

This brings up the issue of ingredients. Not only are food products different in different places, they change from year to year, and evolve.

We happened upon an interesting fact regarding the old Barton’s Chocolate of New York. Seems back in 1974, it was resisting the trend to fake ingredients. Back in the 1970s, our friends at Monsanto Flavor had a whole catalog system of fake flavors, all on the governments Generally Recognized as Safe list. The fake flavors were not only fake, but included thickeners, so they would mimic the real flavors in cooking. Some candy companies resisted, some didn’t. But the ultimate effect was a giant bit of confusion for customers who were getting products that tasted worse because the ingredients were cheaper.

Do any of our readers know of other products that are better in foreign lands than ours?

Part of the reason I love brands is because I studied them at the Irvington Country Store.

When I was 15, in 1979, my father bought a country store in Irvington, Virginia on the Northern Neck. It was a cool country store, and he did the right things with it, including bringing in deli sandwiches AND continuing to sell stuff like Chap-et, Hav-a-Hank and Ronson Lighter flints by the giant NCR cash register. It was all very King of the Hill, made hip because it was in the cute little Virginia town of Irvington, and folks like Roger Mudd occasionally dropped in.

But the coolest thing for me is I got to order the drinks and the candy. My scheme was this. If it was a cool brand, I wanted to try it. If it sold and it wasn’t cool, that didn’t matter either. Certainly, it was too late for Wacky Packs, but you can bet I had every cool bubble gum series there was. The candy and cigarette wholesaler was T.W. Bonner in Kilmarnock; they had a rep that came by fairly regularly to stock us up. I was most happy that one time, he got us a new rack from Adams/Warner-Lambert, which made Dentyne, Certs, Trident and Bubble Yum, essentially all the American Chickle brands.

But we are here to talk about soft drinks. I do digress.

I did favor some brands more than others, particularly in the soft drinks. For instance, I was a big fan of A&W; it was not sold through a beverage distributor, and I think it had to come in from a route guy wholesaler. I wish I could remember his name, but he wore white, polyester short sleeved shirts, had a Skil pocket protector, and most certainly did a bit with the Grecian and buzzcut. He was not bothered when I ordered 11 cases. It was an honest mistake. I ordered one case; my dad said, hey they sold well the last time, why don’t you order two. So I ordered a second, not by writing the number two but by putting a hatch mark next to the one. Ergo, we had 11 cases of A&W. I was also a big fan of Dr. Brown’s Black Cherry Soda. That came from the gourmet wholesaler, I think. Only later (like today!) did I learn that the can was designed by Herb Lubalin.

The best thing that I got to to was to push the Coca-Cola products. Other than Coke, the brand I felt was most interesting was Mello Yello. Not sure why, because it was, pure and simple, a ripoff of Mountain Dew. But that was OK with me, as Mountain Dew was something I only wanted to drink in the Blue Ridge or Appalachians. I didn’t want it in more urbane quarters.

So now, happy day 2010, and some nice intern with Coca-Cola doing social media named Lauren J. Coppage sends me a press release about retro Mello Yello, and them bringing back the old packaging. (Idea: Note to companies. Quit being cheap, and hire an intern this summer who can send some queries to bloggers.)

But back to Mello Yello:

Since the summers of disco, tie dye and 1970s cool, Mello Yello has offered a delicious citrus flavor to chill any hot summer day. Starting this summer, Mello Yello is rocking that same smooth taste in a remixed version of the original package design. “Mello Yello‟s fans are passionate about its citrus flavor,” said Sabrina Tandon, Mello Yello’s senior manager of smooth.

“We want to thank those fans by making the brand more available and taking it back to its roots with a look that truly captures the original, easy-going smooth of the ’70s.” While Mello Yello has been widely available in the Midwest and Southeast United States, it is now spreading the “Mello” state of mind to more areas of the country. Mello Yello fans can expect to find the brand in new places like Philadelphia and the Northwest as early as this summer.

The new look, created by New York-based design agency Stag & Hare, features the original playful tilt of the green and orange logo, but now with the pair of double “L”s strolling off the edge of the can. Bubbles of citrus flavor and stylized fruit images float in the signature yellow background behind the Mello Yello logo.

Not too bad of a redesign. It just makes me feel old. And appreciative of the time with my father. Any dad who lets you order the candy and soft drinks wins the prize, eh? I’ll need to tell him that again this Father’s Day.

The highest price for a Warhol is Green Car Crash, at $70 million. That’s considerably more than a minor brand would sell for, but Warhol usually painted the major brands, mostly.

Warhol, of course, knew and loved American brand names as a representation of American culture, and featured them in that seminal show, The American Supermarket.

Warhol’s most favorite brands, including Campbell’s, have never been for sale, and the company has a market cap in the billions. Ditto with Coca-Cola, which figured in another work. He picked well.

One brand that might fit is Brillo. Church & Dwight purchased a portfolio of brands that included Brillo for $30 million from Dial. This brand portfolio included Parsons Ammonia, Bo-Peep Ammonia and Cameo Metal Polish, though we guess Brillo was the prize. Brillo boxes have sold for considerably less, and many had questionable provenance. Perhaps there are others out there.

A related thought popped up, which related to Warhol’s curatorial eye. Namely, what were the brands associated with Warhol and how are they doing? Warhol obviously had an eye for what was valuable brand-wise, in culture, and a list of those brands might be instructive.

Brands Recommended or Associated with Andy Warhol

1. Halston: He was, of course a friend of Warhol. “He is the first All-American fashion designer. He never copeis Paris. He just gives the American womoan what she wants.” Yves St. Laurent was also part of the Warhol scene.
2. Ultrasuede: Warhol cites it as a favorite of Halston.
3. Other brands mentioned include Mobil and Armstrong Tire
4. Levi’s. Warhol wore 501s.
5. Various grocery brands including Kellogg’s Corn Flakes, Mott’s, Hunt’s Tomato Catsup, Heinz Tomato Ketchup
6. Vidal Sassoon. He did an ad for them.
7. Braniff: It was the airline that had exteriors by artists like Calder and Halston.
8. Amtrak’s Metroliner: Warhol would ride it to D.C.
9. McDonald’s. In America, Warhol wrote that if the “guests are really chic we send Robyn the receptionist across the street to McDonald’s for Big Macs and Filet-o-Fishes.
10. Holiday Inn: Warhol preferred to stay in Holiday Inns, particularly the Holiday Inn Mid-Town in Richmond.
11. An image from the book Candies from a candy stand that include Beechies, Care-free gum, Goldenberg’s Chews, $100,000 bar, Whoppers, Pom Poms, Dots and Charleston Chews,
12. Warhol mentions a number of soft drinks that you can choose from as Americans. There are all the usual brands, and then there are forgotten brands including Like, C&C Cola and Orelia.
13. Tab: Warhol’s favorite drink was Tab. He writes: “Nancy Reagan drinks tab. Gloria Vanderbilt drinks Tab, Jackie Onassis drinks Tab, Katharine Hepburn drinks Tab, and just think, you can drink Tab too. Tab is Tab and no matter how rich you are, you can’t get a better one than the one the homesless womoan ont eh corner is drinking. All the Tabs are just hte same. And all the Tabs are good.”
14. Breck: Warhol mentions seeing Jayne Mansfield buying Breck hairspray in a pharmacy.
15. Bergdorf Goodman: A shot of an exterior of the store.
16. Polaroid. Warhol carried an SX-70 camera.
17. Mr. Peanut. A photo of two Mr. Peanut’s was in America, photographed in Plains, Georgia.
18. Yves St. Laurent.

Gone brands

1. Warhol would often go shopping at May’s, which was on Union Square.
2. Pan Am: Glenn O’ Brien once asked Warhol what his favorite airline was. It was Pan Am, though when he asked, it was his favorite, as it had stopped flying overseas. It is now purely a licensing play.
3. Warhol traded paintings for appliances at Best Products, a now shuttered discounter based in Richmond.

We would love readers to add other brands that they find associated with Warhol. Please add below:

BrandlandUSA: What opportunities are companies missing in the licensing of brands?
Canalichio: The biggest opportunity in my opinion is that there are so many companies out there with great products or services that don’t even have a clue about what brand licensing is, or if they have heard of it, they don’t have the faintest idea how to get started licensing.

My company’s mission is to help companies harness the power of brand licensing. We do this by offering training modules from our web site brandlicensingexpert.com, workshops and hands-on consulting. Our Brand Licensing 101 module is scheduled to launch January 2010. We also are wrapping up a two-day workshop which will immerse business professionals on the basics of brand licensing. The workshop offers lots of examples of good and bad brand licensing and provides a terrific case study for practical hands-on experience.

BrandlandUSA: What brand do you think is most underutilized in licensing and how could the company better take advantage of it?
Canalichio: Wow! That’s a tough one. There are so many terrific brands out there that have not fully harnessed the power of brand licensing. When I was at Newell Rubbermaid, there was a concerted effort to utilize licensing as a means to extend the company’s portfolio of brands. Some of the brands Newell Rubbermaid owns include Rubbermaid, Graco, Calphalon, Sharpie and Waterman.

While all of these can benefit more through licensing, I would say Sharpie and Waterman have the biggest opportunity to use licensing to extend into other categories. Both Sharpie and Waterman mean so much more to their consumers than just being a writing instrument or a way to communicate.

BrandlandUSA: I believe that many companies miss out on licensing opportunities because they see the licensing in revenue terms, and not exposure. Do you agree?
Canalichio: Absolutely! So many companies fixate on the bottom line benefits and ignore the real value that comes when the brand connects with the consumer through new and unique categories of products. Let’s take my Waterman example above. Right now, Waterman makes a line of high end writing instruments. Given their price point, the total number of Waterman pens in the marketplace is relatively small. Since many people only use a Waterman pen for special occasions the brand is limited in the number of times per day that it interacts with its consumers.

If Waterman were to launch a line of luxury items such as I mentioned above, then the brand would begin to interact with consumers through each new product category. Think about the number of times someone looks at their watch each day. Every one of those times would create a unique occasion to connect with the Waterman brand. Of course, more product categories also means more shelf space and more retail outlets.

BrandlandUSA: You are a former Navy pilot and Naval Academy grad. Is the U.S. Navy utilizing all the opportunities it could for licensing?
Canalichio: The US Navy is another one of those brands that evokes deep and lasting emotions. I have been impressed with the way the Navy has transformed its motto from the old “join the Navy and see the world” to a brand that represents excellence, strength, service and technology. I get goose bumps every time I see the US Navy ads showing their sailors standing at attention on the deck of an aircraft carrier as it makes it way over the high seas. It makes me proud to have served and I am deeply grateful that our military is staffed by all volunteers.

For these reasons, I believe the U.S. Navy could use licensing to expand the brand into many new categories. I’m sure the Navy has thousands of artifacts, models, pictures and paintings dating back to the days of John Paul Jones. How about offering those up to be licensed?

BrandlandUSA: How much is the average licensing deal these days?
Canalichio: In my experience the average licensing deals have been trending smaller in deal size over the past decade. There will always be those multi-million dollar deals that attract all the media attention. However, I believe licensors are getting smarter and licensees are getting more specialized. This means licensors are marrying the deal size to match the strengths and capabilities of the licensee. In the past licensors would grant a licensee an entire region (the United States) and multiple channels (mass, department stores, specialty, etc) in a particular category. Moreover, that category typically was broadly defined.

Now licensors are saying to the licensees, “Your strengths are limited to the Southeast United States and specifically in the club channel. That’s where we will grant you rights to license our brand.” In addition, licensors are defining the category more precisely. As an example, a licensee today may have the product category defined as “tee shirts made from organic materials”. All this translates into smaller deals in terms of guaranteed royalty revenue, but many more of them.

BrandlandUSA: What was your favorite licensing project?
Canalichio: My favorite licensing project and one I am most proud of was a project I managed when I worked for Coca-Cola. In the late 1990s, Coke was a sponsor of a number of NASCAR drivers including Dale Earnhardt. Dale for the first time was going to race against his son, Dale Jr. in a Winston Cup race at the Coca-Cola 500 in Tokyo. To commemorate the event Coke decided to put Dale in a Coca-Cola red racing car (as NASCAR fans know, Dale always drove a black car) and Dale Jr. in a black Polar Bear racing car. We lined up a series of licensees and developed a tight line of products including die cast, drinkware and apparel including jackets, tees and caps. The merchandise created was perfect for the event and fans were clamoring for it. In the span of about 2 months we sold almost $30 million of merchandise. This turned out to be one of the most successful licensed programs of its kind every created. Needless to say, there was value created for all constituents – NASCAR, Dale and Dale Jr., Coca-Cola, the licensees, the retailers and most importantly the fans. I would bet almost every fan who bought that Coca-Cola Dale Earnhardt/Earnhardt Jr. merchandise still have it today. If they ever consider selling it, I am sure it would fetch a much greater price off  than what they paid for it.

BrandlandUSA: Being from Atlanta, have you been to the World of Coke lately?

Canalichio: Actually I went to the new World of Coke with my wife and her cousin, Elizabeth about a year and half ago. Coke has done an amazing job transforming the World of Coca-Cola concept from an old “museum like” experience to a full-blown attraction. The World of Coca-Cola connects consumers in a fun and informative way with the brand. How many brands can create an attraction to themselves and get people to pay an entrance fee? By the way, the four of us had a blast interacting with the Polar Bear, watching the different movies and sampling the kaleidoscope of beverages from all around the world. Of course, we topped it off with some great shopping in their Everything Coca-Cola store.

Find out more at www.brandlicensingexpert.com.

After 12 years, more than 1,000 home run celebrations and countless family ballpark memories, the 42-foot-tall Coca-Cola Contour bottle standing high above left field will be retired from Coca-Cola Sky Field at Turner Field on July 2. A new one will replace it, but the old one will be missed.

America is only as good as its goofy but great ideas like this, and Coke is encouraging fans to come out before July 2 to take a photo of themselves with the bottle.

The bottle is made up of over 11,000 pieces of Atlanta Braves baseball equipment including 6,680 baseballs, 290 bats and 86 gloves. We’d be a bit angry about the destruction of the bottle if it wasn’t being replaced.

It reminds us of the Japanese temple the Ise Shrine, which is rebuilt every 20 years, so it remains forever new, but forever old.

W. J. Stokes will be remembered for one thing, one saying that is now, sadly, missing from the top of the sign. The writing simply said:

W.J. Stokes. Don’t hate, communicate.

Sadly, I could not get the actual images of the slogan, but BrandlandUSA readers will have to take my word for it and look hard at the close up of the faded sign pictured here.

Anyone who drove through as a child would read the sign, which said, again and again:

W.J. Stokes, don’t hate, communicate.

In my youth I never went to W.J. Stokes, though I think my high school classmate Kellam did. I am sure some other white folks did. But no matter. We got the message. It was:

W.J. Stokes. Don’t hate, communicate.  

Why was this sign so powerful? It was evidence of how a local man could “brand” himself and his enterprise before we knew of ideas like branding. He used his name and a simple philosophy of business. Today’s branding is simply having a “good name.”

We all knew that W.J. Stokes was African-American, and any one who drove through Gloucester was able to hear about his message, and think about his restaurant. The message takes on a powerful connotation as we can only imagine how hard it was to present the place as un-threatening in its time. So the message was a message to the community. We gather here at night, in peace, and mean no trouble. We wonder how many times W. J. Stokes had to say “we mean no trouble” before he put “Don’t Hate Communicate” up on the sign.

Most Southern counties had a place like W.J. Stokes, a successful restaurant run by an African American, and built without handouts or SBA loans. Their owners were very often leaders in the community. Even white folks have a hard time starting a restaurant; I can only think of how hard it would be to run a restaurant in a Segregation-era Southern county. In Lancaster County, we had Crosby’s. Mr. Crosby sold fried chicken by the roadside. It was made unique because a juicy friend chicken breast was served in slices of white bread.

Now that’s branding. What a great message for today’s Gloucester County Economic Development office.

Folks like Stokes left us this message, and this wonderful roadside building. I hope Gloucester can somehow keep alive this little piece of its identity, if only to show the community that during and after the Segregation era, the black community was vibrant, peaceful and entrepreneurial.

If any readers can help us out with the story of Stokes, and the W.J. Stokes Tavern, please help! Virginia history waits.

• Pittsburgh Steeler Troy Polamalu takes on the starring role in “Mean Troy,” a new Coke Zero ad that puts an unexpected twist on the iconic Coca-Cola “Mean Joe Greene” commercial. It will be the first Coke Zero ad ever to air during the Super Bowl telecast. In the 30-second spot, Polamalu reprises the part made famous by Pittsburgh Steelers legend “Mean” Joe Greene. “The Coca-Cola ‘Mean Joe Greene’ ad is one of the most famous commercials of all time, so I was blown away when they asked me to be in this new spot,” said Polamalu.
• Heineken USA, as part of their new marketing platform “Give Yourself a Good Name,” will air a new Heineken television ad featuring John Turturro in 27 top markets during the Super Bowl XLIII broadcast. The campaign showcases subtle ways in which consumers decide to “give themselves a good name” through their actions, their words and their choices.
• Seattle seafood restaurant  Ivar’s Seafood Restaurants (Ivar’s Acres of Clam, Ivar’s Salmon House and Ivar’s Mukilteo Landing) will run a half-second, regional television spot during the big game. This is the shortest known television spot to ever air in any market, apparently. It will feature a flash of iconic imagery and a brief voice over. Terry Heckler, principal of Ivar’s advertising agency of record, Heckler Associates, encouraged the idea. The agency contacted Seattle’s NBC affiliate, KING-TV, requesting the highly unusual :005 spot and made quick work of production and placement. Following airing, Ivar’s will place the ad on www.ivars.net and link to a page on its website for the replay.
• Monster.com, the online career and recruitment resource of Monster Worldwide Inc. (NYSE: MWW) will launch a unique promotion during Super Bowl XLIII in an effort to identify, recognize and reward one of football’s biggest fans. Monster and the NFL have teamed to create the Department of Fandemonium and Monster will launch a national contest providing fans the chance to apply to be the first ever Director of Fandemonium. The Director of Fandemonium will serve as goodwill ambassador for Monster and the NFL at several marquee events during the 2009 NFL season and also will receive a $100,000 signing bonus, courtesy of Monster.
• First Toy Story, and now the Super Bowl? Hasbro, Inc. (NYSE: HAS) characters Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head will appear in a Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations commercial which will air during Super Bowl XLIII. Titled “Taters” and slated to air between the first and second quarters of the game, the 30-second commercial depicts the iconic couple enjoying a scenic drive which is interrupted by an unexpected turn of events. “MR. AND MRS. POTATO HEAD are two of our most iconic characters and we are thrilled to share them with one of the year’s largest television audiences on Super Bowl Sunday,” said John Frascotti, global chief marketing officer, Hasbro. “MR. AND MRS. POTATO HEAD were perfectly cast as the loveable stars for our ‘Taters’ spot.” said John Baratta, president, Replacement Tire Sales U.S. and Canada Consumer Tire Sales Division.
• Spartanburg, South Carolina-based Denny’s (NASDAQ:DENN) will run their first ever Super Bowl ad, developed and produced by San Francisco based Goodby, Silverstein & Partners. It takes a humorous shot at its competitors’ “candy breakfasts.” The spot is part of the next evolution of Denny’s “Real Breakfast” campaign which touts their famous Grand Slam through scenarios in which “Cowboys” and “Thugs” are served pancake breakfasts drowning in sugary whipped cream, jelly beans and other assorted candy. “We know there is stiff competition out there,” notes Mark Chmiel, Chief Marketing Officer, Denny’s. “So we are highlighting our points of differentiation…..real, serious breakfast that tastes great.
• E*TRADE FINANCIAL Corp. (NASDAQ: ETFC) will feature its “Talking Baby” during Super Bowl XLIII. The “Talking Baby” ad campaign, which premiered during Super Bowl XLII, generated lots of attention. “History repeatedly has shown that those who continue to make smart marketing investments when economic times are uncertain are best positioned for success when the economy rebounds,” said Nicholas A. Utton, Chief Marketing Officer, E*TRADE FINANCIAL Corp.
• Go Daddy, the internet domain company, received network approval for TWO GoDaddy-esque naughty commercials weeks in advance of the Super Bowl; viewers have picked one to air online. Historically, censors have rejected Go Daddy’s risqué ads.
• DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc. (NYSE:DWA) and PepsiCo’s SoBe Lifewater joined together with Intel Corporation and NBC to create the ‘Monstrous’ 3D event for Super Bowl XLIII. This first-ever all 3D Super Bowl commercial will mark the debut of DreamWorks 3D movie trailer for its upcoming feature film, Monsters vs. Aliens, which hits theaters in the U.S. on March 27th. In addition, the timeslot will feature a 60-second SoBe Lifewater commercial marking the return of the SoBe lizards.

Top 10 Xmas Brand Traditions

NORTH POLE – Candy companies have TOTALLY figured it out, as have TV networks and music producers.

Long ago, the networks figured out that if you have a good Christmas special, you can run it each year; the more times people see it, the more they want to see it. Thus Charlie Brown Christmas ranks in the top 10 each year.

So if you are a consumer goods company, you need to produce some items just for the holiday. They give you free advertising, forever.

You do this for a number of reasons, and not so much to make money, though I am sure most do. Companies do this to brand themselves during holiday time.

Here, an M&M tree light; the strand has long since died but the plastic M&M light covers live on, year after year. And once it becomes a tradition, it never dies.

Anyone who is getting out the ornaments knows that once a Christmas promotional ornament gets in the box for a couple of years in a row, you NEVER want to throw it out, even if it is a crappy old thing.

This is the main reason it was such a mistake for General Electric to get out of the business of making Christmas lights. Yes, the products were low margin but you need to have your BRAND be a part of Christmas.

Below, a list of the top 10 holiday brand traditions, in a sort of order:

1. USPS Holiday Christmas Card Stamps
2. Life Savers Sweet Storybook
3. Hess Christmas Trucks
4. Folger’s “Peter Comes Home” Commercial (hope they run it this year but we haven’t seen it)
5. M&M Ornaments
6. Coca-Cola Christmas Ads and promotional products
7. Hallmark yearly collectible ornaments
8. Lexus Christmas Sale
9. Lego Advent Calendar
10. Pillsbury Holiday Cookies

One of our favorite fan sites relating to a bad decision is Bovril. In 2004, Unilever removed beef from the product and made it a yeast-derived vegetable product akin to Vegemite. While it happened during the mad cow scare and was understandable, Unilever’s reaction was wrong. Customers got upset; they realized that there might be something political.

The correct action whenever a product is threatened is not to kill off the old product and replace it with a new one. Fan Graeme Andrew Stickings put the idea up on his website, consumers rallied, and soon Bovril was back. I quote the Bring Back Bovril site:

“I was not opposed in principal to a veggie Bovril, I just wanted a beef version back. Anyhue, I have my pot of British Beefy Bovril, so all is right with the world.

All is right with the world. That is the phrase that consumers think when a product they love returns. This feeling of goodwill not only extends to consumers, it goes right to the company that made the mistake. Macy’s needs to heed this lesson; folks are still angry about Marshall Field’s, but if they admit the mistake, consumer love (and maybe, dare we suggest stockholder confidence… ???) will flow back to the once-beloved company.

Here, is a list of a few brands that have responded to consumer pressure. We invite readers to add to the list. We hope to add Marshall Field’s to the list.

• Wispa candy bar
• Nabisco Crown Pilot Crackers
• Coca-Cola
• Save Twinings Earl Grey. This is a fascinating website. There is a discrepancy about Twinings, and whether the Earl Grey formula was changed in the U.S. market.
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