Re-branding London & New York

What's in a name?

Well if London is to be believed then not much, as the landmark will remain the same. For those confused, I am referring to the change in name of London's 'Big Ben' to 'Elizabeth Tower'. Is it so easy to re-name an icon of a city, especially since the tower had been constructed in 1859? Majority of the populace don't seem to agree and with good reason. A city's icon is its symbol, by changing the name, its history is being affected.
Sure 'Elizabeth Tower' is a noble undertaking for a well respected Monarch, and 'Big Ben' may not make much sense but is it wise? Perhaps this is a decision which needs more thought than a simple show of hands in the Parliament.

For more information London's Big Ben to be renamed Elizabeth Tower

Removing the Heart from NY

The classic I <3 NY campaign has been one of the most timeless success stories of all time. It has often been confused as a promotion for New York city rather than NY State, so to freshen things up, the state decided to relaunch the campaign except asking people to replace the heart with things they love about NY. 
What an amazing idea! It's fresh and completely relies on user generated content (UGC). It is just dis-heartening to see the <3 removed.
It would have been a great idea, perhaps if not tampering with the existing campaign which is after a classic. Ref: I (Blank) New York: Iconic Campaign Gives Its Heart Away

McDonalds photo shoot: Honesty in Advertising?

Is honesty the best policy when it comes to advertising?

McDonalds' tested that question when it decided to answer one of their fans questions (and I'm sure this is not the first time they have been asked that) of 'Why does my food look different in real life than in advertisements?'
Rather than simply stating it is due to the wonders of photography and photoshop, McDonalds went quite creative with a video which demonstrated the entire process.

What were people's reactions?
Well on a personal level I found it to be quite a bold and striking move. A fascinating watch, the video depicts the whole process not forgetting to mention that all the ingredients used were the same as in the actual burger.
Most companies are secretive and hush - hush but McDonalds through this video embraces what social is about through its complete transparency, plus why hide something clearly everyone knows, that an advert is only an ad after all. See the complete McDonalds ad below:

Although this brings to mind the question, if its not ethical for models to be photoshopped, is it ethical for advertisements to enhance products for their sale? Or should they come with a disclaimer as well?

See Asia like the Asians... do you find this ad racist?

This Ad by Multipass Travel  Agency in the Ukraine has stirred up a debate on it being racist. 
I personally am not a fan of the creative or the execution...what do you think?

Shoes Shoes Shoes, A Cinderella story

What do women like? Shoes Shoes Shoes ... and guys.

'Shoes Shoes Shoes' is also the name of a Malaysian independent shoe retailer who combined both these likes into one of the most clever campaigns seen.

The concept: What if you could get a guy according to your taste in shoes, while simultaneously getting a discount on shoes?? too good to be true? or so I thought but perhaps having a live man on display in the storefront would convince the disbelievers otherwise.
The video below describes the whole campaign.

What I like about 'Shoes Shoes Shoes' the most, besides their amazing name which would do wonders on SEM, is their ability to identify a need of their customers and promptly come up with a solution that adds value to the brand, increases engagement & sales, all while satisfying their needs and the needs of men who are now presented with more opportunities to date.

If you were to meet your future husband after he got you a pair of shoes wouldn't you want to shop there forever?

Virgin ... can it do no wrong?

There are brand extensions and then are Virgin extensions, who have now applied the brand to a range of water purifiers... sure the name fits but can the Virgin brand be applied to everything from telecommunications, travel (even space), fitness, entertainment and still survive?
Most companies by now would have diversified into a family of brand names each according to a set category but Virgin, and I have sung their praises before, have managed to successfully apply the same brand across a wide variety of products.
While water purifiers may seem a bit random at best, I truly believe that Virgin deserve to be included in the list of best of global brands due to their sheer ability of adapting their brand from just a name to a lifestyle choice and maintaining its image through what may come.

Pepsi vs. Coca Cola ... the battle rages on

What better way to get consumers to try your product than the classic taste test?

Of course I never expected that this would be take place between age old rivals Pepsi & Coca Cola. In the day of multi-million dollar advertising, and superbowl commercials, it is still humbling to see that the most effective way of converting people is through the modest yet effective product sampling.

In fact this method has been so productive in 1976 that it will be resurrected this year to reach out to more than  1.5 million Canadian consumers with the Pepsi Ultimate Taste Challenge (ref: The Pepsi Taste Challenge)

I wonder what will Coca Cola will have to say to that?

Of Kittens & Firemen

What do women like?

Kittens & Firemen seems to be the obvious answer, or at least that's what Sauza Tequila are going for with their Axe effect ad.

Using a combination of adorable sexiness, this ad hopes to appeal to women, and while sure it's cute to see, but does it really sell tequila?

It does not reflect very well, that Sauza believe that their target audience will react by just displaying what they believe all women like, maybe after a few shots first....altho I may be biased to admit I might just toss my fictional cat up a tree :-)