McDonald's Continues to Push Added Value Breakfast Menu Items

You can always count on the Golden Arches to fight to remain number one in the fast food category. By now, we've all heard about Taco Bell's smart campaign strategy where they hired a bunch of real-life Ronald McDonald's to promote their new breakfast menu offerings.

McDonald's had its say, but now they're moving on to push their McCafe offering even further by offering breakfast customers a free small coffee for the next two weeks. This time, they've got their eye on market share from Starbucks coffee customers.

Let's see how this ends up making an impact on yet another steady revenue margin for the fast food giant.

Kit Kat Takes "Give Me a Break" to Another Level

Kit Kat is famous for its ability to snap off a piece of candy as you eat each piece but now they're taking it to another level. They have created a Lego concept candy product that let's you pull apart the pieces of chocolate to find hidden Lego pieces inside the bars of chocolate.

Once you eat the chocolate, you create whatever Lego masterpiece you dream up.

Taco Bell Enters Breakfast Market with Clever Twist

What do you do when you're a fast food Mexican chain breaking into an over saturated breakfast category? You go all Ronald McDonald on them!

OK, seriously, Taco Bell got it right when they decided to launch their new breakfast offering and advertise it with a clever twist. In order to build buzz, they found a bunch of real-life Ronald McDonald's and filmed commercials with them trying the new "A.M. Crunchwrap and Sausage Flatbread Melt."

Sounds like an opportunity for a great two-way battle campaign between McDonald's and Taco Bell.

Life Just Got Sweeter in NYC

Only in New York City could you find a "Cupcake ATM." Yes, it's true, if you're craving a pretty cupcake pastry, track down one of these calorie filled ATMs.

New York's first Cupcake ATM, can hold 760 cupcakes at a time in 20 different varieties, is located next to the Sprinkles Cupcakes bakery on the Upper East Side.

The cupcakes cost $4.25 each in flavors like red velvet, Cuban coffee, banana dark chocolate and cinnamon sugar. You can also get two special mini cupcakes designed for your dog for $5.

Pepsi Makes Bus Shelter a Sci-Fi Thriller

The Marketers at Pepsi are obviously having a blast!

They came up with this clever way to capture a "waiting" audience's attention by creating end of the world scenes in plain view.

Bus-shelter promotions are gaining momentum and it looks like Pepsi may win over more fans with this stunt.

Take a look.

Personalized Newscaster

Broadcast radio and newspapers around the globe have had a tough time trying to remain relevant and continue the levels of advertising revenue they've been used to for so many years.

Tribune has found a way to leverage technology to keep it's audience informed, but on their own terms. They've built an app that allows users to personalize their news choices, reach them while they're on the go and actually read the stories to them - on their own terms.

Not a bad idea, but we will see how this works for them. There's lots of clutter in the media space fighting for our attention.

Wearable Technology - It's Here!

The world of technology is developing at lightening speed. Android Wearable Technology is opening new opportunities for developers to enable us to incorporate technology into the items we wear everyday.

Take a look at this video.

Pizza Gone High Tech

Build Your Own Computer Generated Pizza

That's right. Pizza Hut unveiled a new Concept Table that allows you assemble your pizza one ingredient at a time all via technology.

You no longer have to go through your waiter to place your order, you can do it all on your own. Once you're done placing your order, you can play games while you wait.

Not sure if I want to go high tech with my pizza experience but glad it's an option.

Arm Pit of America - Really Dove?

New Jersey Billboard Backfires on Dove

Unilever's Dove marketers thought they were doing a good thing by "creating an opportunity" for New Jersey to redefine its reputation for being the "Armpit of America."

While Unilever executives thought the ad was clever, New Jersey residents thought the ad was the pits - literally. 

That's How They Roll...The Bourbon Life

Woodstock Bourbon is allowing the folks in its hometown, Woodstock Kentucky to clearly illustrate, "how they roll."

The ad, while pretty funny, gets the point across that good, barrel-aged, bourbon should be rolled on a consistent basis. Although a bit exaggerated, what better way to illustrate this tradition than by having real, authentic Kentucky folks integrated into the way the product comes to life.

Ikea Does Big Things with Small Spaces

Ikea continues to demonstrate they get it. They really get it.

They've come up with a clever ad that reinforces their entire business model - making the most of small spaces.

German ad agency "Thjnk" and "Production Studio I" teamed up to create Ikea's RGB Billboard, which makes the most of limited space. It's all in German, so look at the sub titles.

Pretty clever. Check it out!

Coke Says...Don't Like It, Love It!

Life that is...

After two clever commercials that send a message of "Anti Social Media," well, sort of, Coke is challenging us to live life and essentially stay away from Social Media!

Last week I posted Coke's video that provided a human "dog collar" solution for staying off Social Media. This week, it's all about not settling for "liking" your life but loving it.

I think the ads are clever, but if you're going to go down the road of living life authentically, I'm not sure that includes having a Coke!. Just saying.

Can't wait to see what they've planned for next week.

Great Song and Singing Cats - That's Advertising!

Every now and then we need an ad that really isn't an ad. Does that make sense?

The British mobile network has the most fun-loving advertising slogan around: "We all need silly stuff." And Wieden + Kennedy in London makes the most of that promisingly vague positioning. 

Now, it's time for the singing cat.

Check out the video and when you're done, you can upload your own picture and start in your own music video.

Work Space Evolution

As the Ad World pushes to become more collaborative, work spaces continue to shed big offices for management and siloed cubes for other team members.

The Barbarian Group has created probably one of the coolest spaces and a desk is at the center of it all.

The "Superdesk," as they call it, is a 4,400 square foot desk that is literally shared by everyone in the company.

Take a look at how it all came together for them. It's all about Collaboration!

Coke's On a Mission to Save the World from Social Media Overload

Coke is using the one thing they want to keep us from to spread the message that we all could use a bit more time away from Social Media and our mobile devices.

They've come up with this clever ad that highlights a fake product (for now) called the "Social Media Guard." It's a human-sized, Coke-red, dog collar that keeps you from checking your phone every few seconds. But of course you can still drink a Coke!

Great concept and catchy. I predict they will start selling the "Social Media Guard" soon.

 

I'm All for Inspiration

Thanks to Lacoste We Can "Live Beautifully"

With the hectic lives we lead today, who doesn't need a bit more inspiration. Lacoste launched their tumblr site today, which intertwines their ultra preppy clothing with lifestyle moments to match.

I think it's awesome!

Check it out!

 http://lacoste.tumblr.com/

Is Big Brother Tracking Your Every Move? Literally?

Not sure if you can call it "Big Brother" but Nike+ FuelBand is providing its users with a year in review of sorts, but for fitness.

The FuelBand gives you a snapshot of your year, hopefully filled with personal activity, I said hopefully!

But if you find you're not quite where you want to be, they give you the ability to use your chart for inspiration to get you moving again.

LOVE! This Ad!

Click here and you'll see why. Happy Valentine's Day!

Energy Efficient Bulbs Never Looked Better

Ikea found a clever way to bring an eco-friendly commodity - energy-efficient LED lightbulbs to life. After watching the spot, you actually feel inspired to fill your home with these bulbs of the future.
Ikea created the video to build awareness around their plans to sell only energy-efficient bulbs by 2016. Sustainability is all the rage and Ikea will be a leader in the space.

Check it out!

The One Hour Agency

Instant Ideas or Strategic Way to Work?

"One Hour Agency" in Sweden promises to give their clients great ideas in just one hour. The brainchild of interactive art directors Ben Langeveld and Ingmar Larsen want just 60 minutes of your time. "You give us one hour. We generate quality ideas," they say.

They believe 60 minutes is plenty of time to "build relationships by showing how you work, who you are and what you can do."

OHA has a handy pie-chart that breaks down the first hour: 10 minutes each for greetings, evaluation and presentation, and 30 minutes for ideation. That's pretty packed. 

 http://www.onehouragency.com