Brand Noise

NYC Gets Drive-ins This Summer

“Drive-ins have been disappearing for decades, declining to about 400 today from a peak of more than 4,000 in 1958, largely because of rising property prices and changing movie-going habits. After today, there will be 30 or so scattered across New York State, two in Connecticut, and just one, the Delsea in Vineland, in all of New Jersey, the state where drive-ins were born in 1933.” —The New York Times
                   
                    DRV-IN, a pop-up drive-in at 139 Norfolk that ends this week, will partner this summer with area parking lots, car rental companies, and car manufacturers to produce a spectacular series that will bring back the drive-in: Cars Under the Stars.                    

                   

HyperLink My World, Please

The Green Holiday catalog from Barney's arrived in the mail yesterday filled with everything from Lanvin shopper bags to organic Levi's. But no sign of what color that fabulous lipstick is on the cover...
In my perfect little world even the Barney's billboard at Mulry Square would have a teeny Semapedia tag that would give me all the info I need--provided all colors were perfectly matched.

Woman Attempts to Reunite Long-Lost Pairs (of gloves)

Jennifer Gooch, who is pursuing her master of fine arts degree at Carnegie Mellon University, started onecoldhand.com in an effort to reunite dropped gloves with their mates -- and in the process spread some goodwill.

One of her first ones was a moist, lambskin glove that someone had propped up on a ledge on campus. In its place, she left a small rectangular sticker. A drawing of a black glove is scrawled on it and says, "Missing a glove? onecoldhand.com."

Gooch, originally from Dallas, photographs each glove and puts the picture and information on her Web site, where people can report found gloves and request stickers.

She's working with two women in New York to start a similar effort there, and is talking with local businesses about creating glove dropboxes where people can leave their fabric finds.

Branded Hybrid Vehicles, Local Beacons of Sustainability

NYC Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg joined Coca-Cola Enterprises (CCE) executives to announce that the company is undertaking energy saving measures here in New York, including introducing the first five hybrid-electric delivery trucks, which will operate out of the company's distribution center in the Bronx.

"Sustainable business practices will save businesses and government money in the long run,” said Mayor Bloomberg. "Although clearly a major international brand, there are important local implications resulting from this decision."

In June, Mayor Bloomberg joined officials from Hertz Rental Cars to announce that they would convert a major portion of their New York based fleet to hybrid.

In May, Mayor Bloomberg announced that the City's yellow-taxi fleet would be required to meet stringent emission standards that currently are only reachable by converting to hybrid taxis.

New York is a Passion City

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg unveiled the city’s first global advertising campaign yesterday in Times Square. The campaign, which carries the theme “This is New York City,” includes a television ad that will be the first to promote the city to potential visitors who live overseas.

Historically, NYC & Company received most of its funds from hotel operators and other companies in the travel and tourism industries. The agency organized promotions but had never created a comprehensive campaign on a par with New York State’s long-running “I Love New York” ads.

I guess I fall in line with the typical New Yorker. When I hear “I Love New York,” I think C-I-T-Y. But that’s me.  Yeah, yeah, back then the campaign showed all the images from Upstate to Long Island…

“This is New York” doesn’t do it. Authentic New Yorkers (those without their foot out the door to the suburbs) aren’t compelled to explain the city they live in. Either you get it or you don’t. That’s the essence of New York. New York is a passion city. You either love it or you hate it. Accept it.

Daniel Doctoroff, the deputy mayor for economic development, recounted the difficulty that the writer E. B. White had in defining the city in his 1949 essay “Here is New York.” I like that.

Read the story on the campaign in the NY Times.

HQ for Lactose

"Lactose Tolerance is a grass-roots movement committed to promoting the rights of flavored-milk lovers across this great land." We found the Headquarters for the Lactose Tolerance campaign at the corner of 11th Street and Broadway. The campaign eminates from Nesquick, who developed milk flavorings in the late 1940s.

This is not the first dairy-related pop-up in the available retail space surrounding Union Square. During the summer, Ben & Jerry's set up a salon where passersby could get free samples of their new Cherry Garcia, Chunky Monkey and Chocolate Fudge Brownie milkshakes. Team scenarioDNA was there.

Billboards, A Catalyst for Community Issues

The definition of outdoor has changed dramatically as the industry has developed new outdoor media formats in response to the needs of advertisers. Today, outdoor means billboards; but it also means street furniture and transit advertising, as well as other alternative formats.

Placing the old billboard in context, however, is what’s got us paying attention. According to the Outdoor Advertising Association, “In Chicago, southbound on the Kennedy, just south of North Avenue, there’s a big new blue banner that says ‘St. Joseph says construction takes patience.’”

"The hope is that the humor piques their interest, and it might even bring them into the church," said Fr. Anthony Bus CR, pastor, St. Stanislaus Kostka parish.

Meanwhile, the City of Santa Clarita, CA, is taking its fight against the multinational corporate giant Cemex Mining Company to the streets -- in the form of a billboard campaign. An 80-foot billboard located on SR 14 at Sand Canyon in the City of Santa Clarita, features a photo of traffic backed up for miles and is worded: "Think Traffic is Bad Now... Just Wait," along with the phrase: Cemex Mega Mining, with a red line through the words.

Nothing like timing.

In Ann Arbor, MI, a campaign is in the works to stop construction of luxury boxes atop Michigan Stadium, aka The Big House. This past June, Save the Big House founder John Pollack petitioned the University for information on the project through a Freedom of Information Act request.

Pollack’s been kicking around a few ideas for a strategic billboard directing fans to SavetheBigHouse.com. According to the site, “Private luxury boxes represent the very antithesis of tradition, dividing Michigan fans by income and undermining the unity, excitement and camaraderie that Michigan fans of all ages and backgrounds share as they experience the game together.”

Both Athletic Director Bill Martin and University President Mary Sue Coleman support the proposal for luxury boxes, as discussed in a Michigan Daily article.

In contrast to Pollack’s planned billboard, at a recent meeting Coleman highlighted the renovation's webpage, which is currently accessible from the University's gateway site.

The page includes a podcast interview with Martin, during which he answers common questions about the renovations.

It’s like the old rock, paper, scissors game. Who will win? Billboard covers pod cast?

Go Blue!

Guerilla Goes Bourgeios

As big brands adopt the street-theater stunts once reserved for startups, it may mean the end of the surprise effect that made them work.

Londoners cruising for a parking space one day in 2004 got a surprise when they turned onto Belvedere Road—one spot was taken up by a Volkswagen Polo Twist carved out of ice.

The car, conceived by ad agency DDB London, melted to the ground in about 12 hours, but lives on as a brief case-study in a new book, Guerrilla Advertising. The authors, Gavin Lucas and Michael Dorrian, present the best examples of guerrilla tactics in international campaigns by major brands, nonprofits, and individuals. The book documents how big brands are increasingly seeking spectacular new ways of grabbing consumers' attention, as traditional forms of advertising seem to be losing eyeballs.

"This work is very transient. It's like a rainbow. You see it, or you blink, and it's gone," says Lucas of the ads presented in the book. "By using this type of guerrilla ad, companies are trying to engage with people in a way that surprises them. But if people see it again, it doesn't have the same impact."

Read the whole Business Week article.

Branding the Subway Experience

Brands are weighing in on improving the Subway experience in NYC.  A trial run starts today on a new way to move through the turnstiles using your Citi credit cards and Citibank Debit Mastercard.  If successful this could be a great way to associate the brand with making a core urban touchpoint easier to navigate.  Citibank also sponsors the Bryant Park ice rink in the winter months.  Making people happy in the city is great branding.  Let's hope the new system works.

Billboard Ad in Netherlands Deemed Controversial

Speaking to GamesIndustry.biz, Sony Computer Entertainment has defended itself against accusations of racism over a controversial advert for the new 'Ceramic white' PSP.

The advert, which has appeared on billboards in the Netherlands, shows a white woman gripping a black woman by the jaw and features the slogan: "PlayStation Portable White is coming." Many websites and forum posters have protested that the advert is racist and are campaigning for its removal.

A Sony spokesperson has responded by stating that the ad does not have a racist message and that is part of a wider marketing campaign, telling GamesIndustry.biz: "The marketing campaign for the launch of the White PSP in the Benelux focuses on the contrast between the Black PSP model and the new Ceramic white PSP model."