Faenza, Italy

Some graffiti artists are too literal.

You will be missed

Pizza Hut Partners with Marlboro?

Well, not exactly but these window clings at my local Pizza Hut could have fooled me.

Don't you think this...


Looks a tad too much like this...?


Maybe this is part of the rumored "The Hut" re-branding initiative. I wonder if "Tobacco Hut" was ever an option :)

Nike knows how to be relevant

I recently took a trip to Italy and was fortunate enough to be there during two major sporting events. The first was the Giro d'Italia, a major 3 week cycling grand tour of Italy. I was fortunate enough to ride some of the same stages (I was cycling across the country) as well as meet Lance Armstrong, watch the final stage in Rome, and the awards ceremony, which saw Russian, Denis Menchov take the overall general classification win. That dude is amazing.

The other sporting event I was in Italy for was the UEFA Champions League final between Barcelona and Manchester United. I wasn't able to attend the game but I was able to see some of the aftermath. Arriving in Rome's Termini train station the morning after the game I found a Nike store that was already outfitted in a giant window display featuring a photo of the Barcelona team celebrating their victory and the line "Great Men Made Rome Great."
This window display had so many good things going for it. It was timely (the image was of an event that took place not more than 12 hours before) and the message was relevant to both the consumers and the location. Plus, it was in the Termini train station, one major transit hub in Europe.

That was another thing I learned from this trip. I have always read about and seen photos of brands who dominate an entire transit station, but being from the United States, I had no real perspective on just how massive an impact that could have since the biggest stations I am used to are ones like New York's Grand Central station or L.A.'s Union Station. In Europe, the big transit stations are like train stations and giant shopping malls all rolled into one with 24 hour foot traffic. Transit station domination in a major European hub is a serious undertaking and one that is sure to get noticed.

What Has The Recession Brought?

Here are a few things I have seen more of recently since the recession really set in. You be the judge of whether there is a causal relationship between the economy and these events.

Here is the list:

• Brands battling it out mono y mono style (ie: KFC Grilled Chicken Vs. El Pollo Loco)
• Brands I work for going on Oprah
• Swine flu
• Long hours at the office
• Horsepower
• Old shoes
• Twitter blowing up
• Bad haircuts
• Thai food
• Refrigerated bananas
• Obscene emoticons (obscenicons)
  
• Free gas
• Sun burns
• Pyramid schemes
  

So what do you think? Which ones are coincidence and which ones are direct results of the recession? What has changed in your world because of the economic funk?

"Meet the Volkswagens" Facebook App

Meet the Volkswagens is a new Facebook app developed by Crispin+Porter and VW which purports to match users with the right car model based on data from their Facebook profiles. After you install the application, it churns through information like your date of birth, photos, likes, and educational history. It then spits out two matches.

It probably doesn't match perfectly for everyone, but for my tastes it was dead-on. Because I am "fashionable and cargo-conscious" (it would have also been correct in saying that I enjoy "driving fast and hugging corners") it chose for me either a 4-door GTI or a Tiguan. I wouldn't mind having either car and have heavily considered both in the past...especially if I could get that Tiguan in a diesel.

This move may not work for every brand, but for V-Dub customers, this seems like a very relevant app. Ad Freak (5/5/09)

Girl Skateboards Partners with Product(RED)

A couple of years ago I was looking into getting one of the brands I work for involved with product(RED). At the time it seemed nearly impossible as only the top brands of the world were involved and (RED) even said that they were not considering any new brands because they were already so booked up. That is some serious power behind a cause to be so exclusive.

Because of my past experience, I have serious respect for any brand that can release a limited edition product with (RED). One of the latest to join the ranks of brands like American Express, Apple, Converse, Windows and Starbucks is Girl Skateboards. They have joined forces again for 2009 to create a limited edition series of skate decks. Graphics are designed by art director Andy Jenkins who is stoked on the product because partnering with (RED) creates a really easy way for the company to contribute without changing who they are at their core. Wanting to give youth an easy way to help a good cause, Mike Carroll said "Hopefully with these boards we will be able to create some awareness and give other skaters the opportunity to contribute."