by Karen Post, a.k.a. The Branding Diva®

 

It’s Worth Talking About Wednesday.

 

The hump day that shares the brilliant! and the bad (roadkill) ads from around the planet.

 

 

Where do you find those Sarah Palin glasses or the Obama flip flops?
Here is a cool resource that will tell you in a text massage on your phone, fast.

 

ChaCha is like having a smart friend you can call or text for answers on your cell phone anytime for free. ChaCha works with virtually every provider and allows people with any mobile phone device - from basic flip phones to advanced smart phones - to ask any question in conversational English and receive an accurate answer as a text message in just a few minutes.

 

 

What’s your question?

 

Simply text your question to 242242 (spells ‘ChaCha’) or call 1-800-2ChaCha (800-224-2242) from your mobile phone to ask any question.

 

This innovative service gets the bright light. Well done, easy Web site and got to love the name.

 

Have you seen any interesting campaigns worth talking about? Have you created one yourself? We want to hear from you.

 

About the author: Karen Post, a.k.a. The Branding Diva® is an international authority on branding, marketing, and entrepreneurial matters. She is has been featured as a business expert in print publications; on TV, radio, and on Web channels. Karen authored the best-selling book Brain Tattoos, Creating Unique Brands That Stick in your Customers’ Minds and she is co-founder and CEO of Oddpodz.com, an idea engine for creative professionals and business. Her work has benefited large and small organizations in the United States and around the world.

by Karen Post, a.k.a. The Branding Diva®

It’s Wild Wednesday.
The hump day that shares the brilliant! and the bad (roadkill) ads from around the planet.

Note to readers: We are changing our Wild About Ads Wednesday feature to Worth Talking About Wednesday: Campaigns worth talking about. The media mix today is so diverse, we thought why not include any campaign worth talking about? We’ll look at print, PR, online and alternative programs. If you’ve developed a campaign, send it in. We’ll give it our three cents and invite our members to give theirs.

Charter doesn’t have to be a bitch.
Company: Virgin Charter
Agency: Anthem Creative

Virgin flies high with their Virgin Charter Print Ad. Earlier this year Richard Branson’s Virgin company launched a new brand extension Virgin Charter service. Branson and his team have always been smart and diligent brand builders. In this latest effort, the full-page print ad speaks to the affluent traveler who needs premium air service around their schedule; it is on target. The company does not own or actually fly the aircraft. They serve as a marketing portal for many independent jet service carriers around the world.

The ad, which I spotted in American Express’s Platinum Departure Magazine, leverages the Virgin brand’s personality, high energy and confident. The ad is a great balance of sexy, wit and direct communication. The photography and copy are equally as crisp and assertive. And when the reader is driven to the Website, you absolutely get what this brand stands for.

Have you seen any interesting campaigns worth talking about? Have you created one yourself? We want to hear from you.

About the author: Karen Post, a.k.a. The Branding Diva® is an international authority on branding, marketing, and entrepreneurial matters. She is has been featured as a business expert in print publications; on TV, radio, and on Web channels. Karen authored the best-selling book Brain Tattoos, Creating Unique Brands That Stick in your Customers’ Minds and she is co-founder and CEO of Oddpodz.com, an idea engine for creative professionals and business. Her work has benefited large and small organizations in the United States and around the world.

by Karen Post, a.k.a. The Branding Diva®

It’s Ad Wednesday.
The hump day that shares the brilliant! and the bad (roadkill) ads from around the planet.

Senior brand speaks to all generations.
Company: AARP
Agency: GSD&M

What a difference a decade makes when you are thinking about a brand and who it’s for. When I was in my thirties, and you said AARP, I thought of grannies and old fart men with too much hair in their ears. Now when I see a copy at the doctor’s office, it’s got George Clooney on the cover. That man never gets old, how could that be?

The answer can go two ways.
1) AARP is broadening its reach with messaging to all generations, see campaign review.
2) I am getting older and will soon be in their demo. Yikes, I never that thought that would happen. But, like Einstein said, it’s all relative.

AARP is about is a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization that helps people 50+ have independence, choice and control in ways that are beneficial and affordable to them and society as a whole. OK, so why all these campaigns with young voices and future situations.

Is about being relevant to what’s important to your market.

The AARP Web site explains, our members care deeply about the world they are leaving for their children and grandchildren, and our new ads show that AARP is a multigenerational, diverse organization committed to championing the future of our members - and the future of every generation. The ads focus on our members’ five core needs: the need for health; the need for financial security; the need to contribute or give back to society; the need for community and to stay connected to family, friends and social networks; and the need to play and enjoy life.

Makes sense to me. I give this campaign a brilliant light. Good work. And, for me, it takes some of the sting away from the fact that I too will be a member one day.

If you are working on a project for the over 50 crowd, check out the AARP.com’s Web site, it’s full of studies and ideas to reach this 70 million plus senior market on and off-line.
Fact: Older Wiser Wired
More than 40 million U.S. adults over 50 are online. They bank, they buy, they search, they read, they contribute. ACNielsen reports that people over 65 spend nearly twice as much time on the Web (26 hours) as those under 18.

Have you seen any interesting born-again brands that have been around along time and suddenly and need a fresh look or maybe an obituary draft? We want to hear from you.

About the author: Karen Post, a.k.a. The Branding Diva® is an international authority on branding, marketing, and entrepreneurial matters. She is has been featured as a business expert in print publications; on TV, radio, and on Web channels. Karen authored the best-selling book Brain Tattoos, Creating Unique Brands That Stick in your Customers’ Minds and she is co-founder and CEO of Oddpodz.com, an idea engine for creative professionals and business. Her work has benefited large and small organizations in the United States and around the world.

by Karen Post, a.k.a. The Branding Diva®

It’s Ad Wednesday.
The hump day that shares the brilliant! and the bad (roadkill) ads from around the planet.

Kissing and licking body part take new stage.
Company: Peak Enterprises, Sarasota, Florida
Product: Tung Brush and Tung Gel, oral-care products.
Agency: Joel Warady Group

Brilliant campaign, but why not own tung.com?

I suppose body parts like anything else have their place and time in our brand-centric minds. Of our appendages, our tongue is getting some new attention in the personal hygiene category. This week’s ad does a tasteful job of evolving a tired product into a hip, relevant brand.

The story: Tom Oechslin began selling his tongue-cleaning brushes in 1999. Positioned primarily as a clinical product sold to dentists and hygienists under the name Dr. Weider’s Original tongue brush.

In 2001, Tom began pitching the brushes to Wal-Mart, but was rejected for several years. Finally, in 2005, after working with brand consultant Joel Warady Group to rebrand the product from the clinical market toward a younger, cooler retail buyer, the Tung Brush was given a trial in about 800 Wal-Mart stores.

“The process was not an overnight initiative,” explained Joel. It was a major shift in strategy and moving the client into a new and sometimes uncomfortable zone.

After touring retailers and convincing Tom (the super conservative, really born again person) that lots of people were buying flavored KY jelly, piercing lots of body parts, having fun and even buying jewelry studs from Walmart, the product was reborn, rebranded and now Tung products are sold in some 3,500 Wal-Mart stores, recently launched in Japan in over 7,000 stores. Since the rebrand sales are up 25%.

Is your brand category changed? Is it time for a facelift, repositioning, renaming, repackaging or all of them?

Have you seen any interesting born-again brands that have been around along time and suddenly and need a fresh look or maybe an obituary draft? We want to hear from you.

About the author: Karen Post, a.k.a. The Branding Diva® is an international authority on branding, marketing, and entrepreneurial matters. She is has been featured as a business expert in print publications; on TV, radio, and on Web channels. Karen authored the best-selling book Brain Tattoos, Creating Unique Brands That Stick in your Customers’ Minds and she is co-founder and CEO of Oddpodz.com, an idea engine for creative professionals and business. Her work has benefited large and small organizations in the United States and around the world.

by Karen Post, a.k.a. The Branding Diva®

It’s Ad Wednesday.
The hump day that shares the good, the bad (roadkill) and pretty awesome ads from around the planet.

Chin. Chin. Pretty awesome ad. Saving the planet, one glass at a time.
Makes me want to start drinking Vodka. 360 Vodka print ad and product positioning is well done. Combining eco and luxury, the beverage is distinct from the crowded pack of spirits.

The imagery is lush and sustainable. The language is thoughtful and earth-friendly. Their Web site Vodka360.com touts other green initiatives, an eco-glossary and eco- factoids.

Seen any other eco-lux ads to throw in this gallery of green? If so, send them in.

About the author: Karen Post, a.k.a. The Branding Diva® is an international authority on branding, marketing, and entrepreneurial matters. She is has been featured as a business expert in print publications; on TV, radio, and on Web channels. Karen authored the best-selling book Brain Tattoos, Creating Unique Brands That Stick in your Customers’ Minds and she is co-founder and CEO of Oddpodz.com, an idea engine for creative professionals and business. Her work has benefited large and small organizations in the United States and around the world.