Ralphie nails it . . .

I've always thought Ralph Nader was somewhat wonky, but this observation of his is a rather incisive summation of the Gopper psychopathy, IMHO. Thanks to Reader Supported News, for giving him the space, with a posting worthy of your contemplation, "Love, Corporate-Style".

Mitt Romney famously said during his most recent bid for the presidency: "Corporations are people, my friend." Perhaps nothing else better surmises the state of our country -- even the state of our culture -- than a prominent politician running for the presidency openly advancing such a flawed opinion. It is no secret that corporations now wield immense power in our elections, in our economy, and even in how we spend time with our friends and families. Corporate entities, in their massive, billion dollar efforts to advertise and "brand" themselves, not only want consumers to think of them as people, but even as "friends." If a corporation could hit the campaign trail itself, one could imagine it uttering the phrase: "Corporations are friends, my people."

BUT MOST IMPORTANT, is Ralph's call to the digital dugouts in the web-war for people's hearts and minds:

So let's conduct an experiment. The goal is to send a message to some of these giant corporations who are so obsessed with establishing themselves as your "friends" while taking advantage of our health, our workers, our electoral system, our government, our justice system and our economy. Take to the social media ramparts. Send out a tweet directed at the corporations you feel are the worst perpetrators of this snake-oily style of branding and question their worst offenses. Use the hashtag #corporatelove.

Don't forget Facebook. Go visit Nestlé or Monsanto and say hell-o.

This is silly (2) . . .

MERCEDES MARKETING: clever, sensitive. At least, that's what Dieter thinks. The Doktor made an appearance at the Consumer Electronics Show, to proclaim a revolution in new Mercedes sleds. Some in the audience were less than pleased, according to AUTOBLOG. Che with M-B Tri-Star?

Marketing 101 . . .

TRUTH IN ADVERTISING. Really. According to Matt Hardigree at JALOPNIK, "How a mom came up with the ‘Condoms prevent minivans’ bottle cap slogan":

Images of a Magic Hat Brewery bottle cap with the slogan "Condoms prevent minivans" have been floating around the Internet for a while so I decided to track down the story behind this insightful slogan. It turns out a mom came up with it!

Vermont's Magic Hat Brewery produces more of the #9 "not quite pale ale" fruit brew than any other beer. They describe it as an "ale whose mysterious and unusual palate swirl across your tongue and ask more questions than answers."

• • • 

It may be funny, but it's more than a joke. Magic Hat has partnered with safe sex advocacy groups in the past and even sells their own condoms with the message "Get tested, get a condom, get it on!"

Just do it safely so you don't end up with a minivan.

Aryan neck-biters . . .

THE ISRAELIS ARE NOT HAPPY, because some 7-11's in Taiwan were selling stuff with what appears to be Adolf Hitler as a vampire. Really. According to Cyriaque (great moniker) Lamar at io9, "Vampire Hitler banned from Taiwanese 7-Elevens". Apparently, Asians are not as conscious of the odious aspects of der Grösser Aryan as the Israelis would wish. A decade ago, according to Laurence Eyton at the Asia Times, ol' Adolf was even chosen for politicking:

That young people tend to be more liberal than their parents is probably a truism. That liberal-leaning political parties should therefore assiduously court the votes of young people is simply common sense. But Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has chosen a rather strange new icon in its campaign for the youth vote in legislative elections this December - Adolf Hitler. Cases of cross-cultural misunderstanding rarely come richer than this.

But as Cyriaque notes, it could be sillier, like a Bin Laden zombie movie, with the renowned actor, Lorem Ipsum, himself. Now, that's silly. Maybe they'll put out a fatwa on poor ol' Lorem, wherever he might be; Wiki isn't too sure, as the page http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lorem_Ipsum indicates.

Smith & Wesson's Pink Breast Cancer Awareness 9mm Pistol

Good. I was already getting bored with my Breast Cancer Awareness Pink Slice Toaster and my Breast Cancer Awareness Pink Inflatable Beer Pong Table.

.

As noted by PR Watch : "According to a 2008 report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, firearms are the second most common cause of violent deaths of women, accounting for 29.2% of all violent deaths among females in the U.S. in 2008."

What the Customer Wanted . . .

Salvation Shopping . . . .

In addition to the local television commercials mentioned here, today's discovery is captured below. Have your credit cards handy, as I know you'll leap at the chance to get your holiday shopping done early.



Since I've not been privy to local US TV in quite some time, this may not be a recently released marketing blitz. It is, however, the first time I've had the pleasure (?) of enjoying it.

"Taxi*!! Airport, please . . . . "


* That's actually an attempt at humour. There are no taxis within 25 miles of here.

(Cross-posted from Moved to Vancouver)

Russian Bank Strippers

ENGLISH RUSSIA has a report on new Russkie marketing methods:

During this recession and world economic crisis times one Russian bank has got a new not so usual vacancy opened. This vacancy is female stripper. What are they for in the monetary institution one can ask?
The answer is publicity. Some credit structures can hit any measures in order to avoid the bankrupcy, so the such publicity that can giv strippers is also worth of trying, so the idea appeared to hire strippers to dance in the windows to attract new customers to the bank and gain some free media coverage, both national and international.

Used to be that a toaster would work pretty well.

Soldier chic

Sears has signed a deal with the U.S. Army to launch the All American Army Brand's First Infantry Division clothing collection - "the first time the U.S. Army has officially licensed its marks and insignias."

The collection, slated to launch nationwide in October, will be made up of "authentic lifestyle reinterpretations".

The Army will also be test piloting an "Army Experience Center" in a mall in Philadelphia "to help visitors virtually experience aspects of Army life" and to build recruitment.

Well, hell, son, you're already wearing the uniform...

Still, you have to feel sorry for the poor "U.S. Army spokesperson" who was made to 'wear' this : "By incorporating the Army's timeless traditions with iconic styling and unparalleled standards for performance, fit and function, consumers can wear the pride they feel for our troops."

And may I suggest a pump to go with that, sir? No? How about a tour in Iraq?

Ryanair and their new pitch. NSFW

I will reiterate, this video is not safe for work.

Ryanair was holding a presser in Dusseldorf to celebrate their 3 millionth passenger when the chairman was asked about low trans-Atlantic fares. His description of Business Class caught everyone's attention.



Now, before you start to wonder how genuine this video really is, this is from Ryanair's website.

The challenge issued to Ryanair passengers isn't that difficult. The word Mr. de Carvalho is looking for is the same as it is in English... with a slight accent.

Yeah, the big question, courtesy of Cheryl: What do the female business class passengers get?

Branding catholocism - What Will They Think of Next ? ? ? ?

From today's Toronto Star:

Benedict the Brander muscles his message
The Pope's focus on Catholic fundamentals scares reformers but works miracles, marketers say

Catherine Mulroney Special to the Star July 14, 2007

Call him the Bill Gates of the Catholic Church.

Pope Benedict XVI, leader of more than 1 billion Roman Catholics worldwide, is no stranger to controversy. Last Tuesday, he reasserted the primacy of the Catholic Church, stating it is the one true church. This following his approval of the broader use of the Latin Mass, has set critics' tongues wagging and refocused attention on church politics and practise.

Benedict's edicts, issued just before his summer vacation, have naysayers expressing concerns about everything from the political correctness of claiming church supremacy to fears it will soon become impossible to attend mass in the vernacular.

But numbers tell a different tale regarding his appeal to a core population of Catholics. The Vatican's financial statements for 2006, Benedict's first full year as pope, show a huge leap in donations to the papal charity known as Peter's Pence, ($101 million U.S. in 2006 versus $64.4 million the year before) in 2006, and the numbers of faithful flocking to St. Peter's Square in Rome are soaring. While marketing is likely the last thing on the Pope's mind, experts in that worldly field say Benedict's actions serve very powerfully to brand the Catholic Church in the eyes of the world, bringing a muscular "take-it-or-leave-it" approach to church positioning.

"Benedict is very progressive about his brand," says Patrick McGovern, vice-president of Blade Creative Branding, a Toronto-based marketing agency, who gives the Pope credit for clearly expressing the values a core constituency holds dear. "If everybody is wishy-washy, (the institution) will wash away."

For many people, belonging to a church with a unique chain of command leading up to the papacy has great appeal and reassurance, McGovern argues. Windows has Bill Gates. The Catholic Church has Benedict."








I'm putting my money on Bill Gates.








At least he has better fashion sense . . . .

(Cross-Posted at Moving to Vancouver)