Hmmm. Reading about city and municipal branding, and which brand is better, is totally normative. What is a great city to one is a bad city to others. So we were fascinated to read how city brands were rated by the Saffron European City Brand Barometer. The survey looked atMORE HERE
The BBC is airing a documentary on brands as part of their In Business series. It will be broadcast on Radio 4 in the UK in three weeks beginning 25 September and will be on the BBC World Service in October. In Business is hosted by Peter Day. His onlineMORE HERE
Discussion topic this morning on talk radio. What song should Sarah Palin have as her “intro” before she addresses the RNC? Radio talk shows are buzzing, and bringing back an old name. Revlon’s Enjoli. Actually, the commercial is based on the old Peggy Lee song, herself a good friend ofMORE HERE
Clorox is truly one of the wonder brands. Since its introduction in 1913 in Oakland, California, Clorox has become an essential part of the American household. The Clorox website history claims (and we believe it) that eight out of 10 households have Clorox bleach in their houses (and we would guessMORE HERE
How far can you extend a brand? REALLY far. What if we told you that a broke artist’s cartoon about a steamboat captain could turn into a shipping line? You would never believe us. But that’s what happened. Here, the Disney Wonder (or is it Magic) heading out of PortMORE HERE
It’s back to school time. And what better to look at education brands. Here, a reading kit from Science Research Associates. This was a company, once owned by IBM, would turn students into budding scientists to beat the Soviets in the Space Race. The company introduced the SRA Reading LaboratoryMORE HERE
Brands last for decades. Here, the Sanitary Hid-a-Way Container, made by the Bay Foundry and Machine company of Tampa. It’s buried in the ground at the Jamaica Royale resort on Siesta Key in Sarasota, Florida. It dates from at least the late 1950s or early 1960s, when the modern-style resortMORE HERE
A cigarette machine? Yes, they do exist. But they are not common, and are only allowed in places where minors don’t go. We won’t tell you the resort where this one is, just to keep this museum exhibit safe for posterity and busybody bureaucrats. For longer features, visit us atMORE HERE
This Mr. Zip is on a post office box on Lincoln Road Mall in Miami. We hadn’t realized he had disappeared until we saw him again. Perhaps he has won his battle for Americans to use the five-digit Zip Code. Was he ever enlisted in the battle for the “plusMORE HERE
So dang much! Here, a pharmacy on the main drag in Bar Harbour, Maine. This was a regular sign across the United States on every main street. Brands like Rexall (and Cardinal) allowed local pharmacists to run their own shows, but be linked up with a national brand. The RexallMORE HERE