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24 Feb 2012 21:48

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Tech: Microsoft appears to be killing off longtime product lines in Windows 8

  • Zune This death was kinda obvious for a while, but now the Zune appears to have zero presence in the upcoming version of Windows. Seriously, they lost their biggest fan like four years ago — the writing has long been on the wall.
  • Live More surprising is the fading away of the Live brand, which anchors many of their online messaging services; “Microsoft Account” will replace Windows Live ID. The company appears to be trying to simplify their brand naming. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

17 Jan 2012 20:48

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Culture: Marketing experts: Paula Deen’s diabetes switch-up a weird branding choice

  • I think it’s completely gross that Paula Deen made $$$ pushing food that makes you sick and will now make $$$ pushing the medication for it.
  • Twitter user @BradWalsh • Discussing TV chef Paula Deen’s decision to announce that she suffers from diabetes — and at the same time using the opportunity to play spokeswoman for a major diabetes drug company, Novo Nordisk AS. Branding experts think this is an poor way to handle the issue. “It’s a big change to expect consumers to buy into,” said Allen Adamson, managing director of branding firm Landor New York. We’re with the branding dude. It’s as if she’s trying to reboot herself because she’s in a corner. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

24 Feb 2011 01:58

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Culture: Daft Punk Coke bottles: Because hey, Tron is old news now

  • Because, let’s face it, the one thing that the world needed was Daft Punk’s motif all over a couple of Coke bottles, right? Awesome, yes, but we’re not even sure if Moby would’ve gone for a sellout opportunity this calculatedly commercial. Good work, French guys. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

08 Oct 2010 22:26

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Biz: To our friends in marketing and rebranding: Great work this week

  • Earlier this week: Gap The Gap, an ultra-iconic, ultra-basic brand of basic clothing, decided to redo its logo to look like every other logo on the Internet. People hate it. The company tries to crowdsource a new logo. People complain about that too.
  • Today: MySpace Apparently looking to up the ante, MySpace takes a cue from AOL and redesigns their logo in such a way that it can use secondary art. Too bad they took out the word “space” and replaced it with a madlib. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

01 Aug 2010 11:02

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Biz: BP station owners in the U.S. really want “Amoco” branding back

  • Poor Amoco. A decade ago, BP decided to ditch the old workhorse brand and replace it with BP’s sun-looking thingy, which seemed like a good idea back then, but now that the oil spill has dragged BP’s brand through the mud for a solid three months, gas station owners want to switch back. Because, let’s face it – BP station owners are on the front lines of this mess. They have to deal with the pissed-off consumers and lower sales caused by the oil spil. BP might as well make it easier on them. (Photo by theogeo on Flickr) source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

01 Jul 2010 10:13

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Culture: Old Spice: From lamest brand ever to coolest brand ever?

  • Whoever thought up these ads is a genius. The second ad in this well-regarded series, a hit on YouTube and TV alike, presents Isaiah Mustafa as the most confident man ever, pretty much owning his surroundings. It’s been a slow climb, but the deodorant company has truly come into its own with its advertising. Here’s how they evolved:

  • Old Spice, circa 1957 As you can tell here, the brand was square in a way that sort of defined it since. In a way, its advertising paved the way for its current ironic manliness, with taglines like, “Never did a dollar bring you so much!”

  • old spice, circa 1990WHOA – did you see that captain pick up some other dude’s lady? This is the kind of clip we’re talking about – totally from a different era, one which didn’t feel hip even in 1990. (Here’s another example.)

  • Old spice, circa 2007This commercial paved the way for the Old Spice we know and love today. Bruce Campbell doesn’t even have to say the name of the product. We know exactly what he’s talking about. We think.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

11 Jun 2010 01:05

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Biz: “The Other White Meat” not doin’ it for pork anymore (Bonus: Pork porn!)

  • The above photo is linked to the “Media Photo Collections” page on TheOtherWhiteMeat.com, the pork industry’s site promoting their product of choice. There are literally hundreds of photos of pork – slathered, simmered, covered in marinade, begging to be eaten. It’s literally the most pornographic non-porn site we’ve ever run across. If only their slogan had the same effect. But at the National Pork Expo in Des Moines, Iowa (really), the industry is concerned that the slogan no longer has teeth, and it needs a new one. May we recommend “not recommended by PETA”? Seems like it’d be effective, right? source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

10 Jun 2010 11:08

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Biz: “Chevy” goodbye: General Motors wants Chevrolet to break from past

  • Back in the day, Chevy and Chevrolet were one in the same. But that’s going to change soon. General Motors has started asking staffers to refer to Chevrolet by its full name. Why? They want to keep a consistent message. “Why is this consistency so important?,” a memo, released Tuesday, asks. “The more consistent a brand becomes, the more prominent and recognizable it is with the consumer.” But, uh, Chevy is already one of the most recognizable brands in the world. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

14 May 2010 12:07

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Biz: Seattle’s Best pre-fabs its way into being “the coffee of the poeple”

  • Starbucks owns this brand. That’s all you need to know. The company has owned this coffee offshoot for about seven years, and now plans to market it as if it’s the Old Navy to their Gap. To that, we say, “Caribou Coffee.” source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

01 Apr 2010 23:45

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Biz: Dunkin’ Donuts (faux-)redesigns, reminds people of their mascot roots

It’s way too convincing for an April Fool’s joke. In this reimagining,t hey lost the donut-shaped type, and added back Dunkie, a ’50s-and-’60s icon. Awesome. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 3 Comments • Permalink
 
 
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