Edwin Heathcote, writing in the Jan. 15, 2011 Financial Times on old British eateries, said: The more everything becomes the same, the more ubiquitous branding begins to grate, the more everything looks like it belongs in a mall – the more Britian’s few surviving “caffs” represent a refuge.’ Heathcote wasMORE HERE
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 fatherMORE HERE
Frankly, there are some old brands that probably should not return, for safety’s sake. From the era of Disco Duck, the Ktel Bottle Cutter. Not only did it involve glass and candles and sanding sharp edges, but you could do it with wine bottles! That being said, the Ktel brandMORE HERE
There are many great ads, and it is hard to characterize a best. Very often a “best” tells as much about the person as the ad. Nevertheless, there are some ad campaigns that transcend all time. Such are the Valleydale pigs ads. PETA is perhaps the only group that mightMORE HERE
A few notes of items in the news, or on my desk: The new Big G Kids Cereals ads from General Mills are talking nutrition. Smart stuff. Still cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs. And the leprechaun and Cocoa bird are in the SAME commercial. Postum Update: A reader contacted BrandlandUSA. TheirMORE HERE
GLENVIEW, Ill. – A TV advertising favorite is going back to advertising, at least in one region in the U.S. To help remind consumers that Shake ‘N Bake is still around, this December Shake ‘N Bake is marketing to local consumers with ads in 17 Boston-area shopping malls. The adsMORE HERE
Need to feel better when you travel? The name synonymous with seasickness was Mothersill’s, first registered as a trademark in 1926. Made by the Mothersill Remedy Company of Montreal and New York, it was first Mothersill’s Seasick Remedy. Somehow, the brand’s marketing did not translate to the jet era, andMORE HERE
NEW YORK – Jake Holmes perhaps has had as much influence on American music as any other singer songwriter, but unless you are a devotee of early 1970s rock or advertising, you probably don’t know his name. But you certainly know his music, which includes Gillette’s “Best a Man CanMORE HERE
Advertisers and agencies get so obsessed with technology in advertising that we forget that there is still effective analog advertising. One such concept is Sarasota’s I Pedal Ads, a bicycle-powered billboard. In most areas, zoning and sign restrictions have become so severe that there are fewer and fewer ways toMORE HERE
Two name changes-or more correctly, modifications-have received attention in the media and branding worlds recently. Pizza Hut has announced that its boxes and select locations will carry the name “The Hut,” and RadioShack plans to unveil new creative for “The Shack,” its shorter, catchier moniker. These name shortenings are proofMORE HERE