Launch PR

SA Launches d-CON's Online Video Series to Help Consumers Be Rodent Free!

SA and d-Con® have teamed up to launch a new series of how-to videos to help consumers address rodent problems in the home. With the approach of spring’s wet weather, d-CON® is making sure consumers are ready to treat rodent problems that occur with the change of seasons quickly and effectively.

The videos feature signs of mouse problems in different rooms, such as the kitchen and bedroom, to help consumers quickly and easily understand how to address the issue. Each video outlines methods of spotting and addressing a rodent problem, and are full of helpful tips and “Did You Know?” facts.

The videos are available on the d-CON® Web site and can also be seen on youtube.com. Plus, you just might see some SA stars making their first commercial debut ;)

Lucky Magazine Gets Personal with Shopping App for iPhone

Lucky’s ad pages may have decreased eleven percent in 2008, but it’s the new Lucky “At Your Service” iPhone application that will propel readers to the nearest retailer. The tool shows the current issue’s complete merchandise list and a Find It Near You feature which uses GPS or zip code searches to find local stores.

Yet Conde Nast, Lucky’s parent, hasn’t stopped there. With 20 to 200 representatives waiting at a free call center, the magazine is prepared to double-check availability and place products on hold as a customer service.

According to a NYTimes.com article by Stephanie Clifford, Lucky’s reps will even text shoppers confirmations such as, “Jessie in the second-floor salon shoe department at the downtown Nordstrom has set [those red pumps you’ve been daydreaming about] aside.”

As a publication with virtually nothing but advertisements, Lucky survives and thrives on its basic ability to sell designer goodies.

“From an advertising perspective, the advantage is clear,” Lucky publisher Gina Sanders said in reference to the application. “With this kind of service, it’s that much more insurance consumer will get into the store.”

Interesting how recent record-lows in retail sales have transformed what was previously one of the most impersonalized publications into that best friend with an ‘in’ at your favorite store.

Have you used Lucky’s iPhone application? Tell us your story. Did they really reserve that raincoat?

Oral Care Products: Overloading the Market and Your Mouth

The oral healthcare marketplace has grown exponentially in recent years. Whether it’s a whitening "booster" gel or a nightly brightening paste, companies are unleashing new and innovative products faster than ever to differentiate themselves from competitors.

But does innovation mean success?

A recent Ad Track article from USA Today – which provides the latest in news and stories from the advertising community – accentuates a few of the oral healthcare market’s newest "celebrities" including Crest Weekly Clean from Proctor & Gamble. This "intensive cleaning paste" targets individuals who want that "just-from-the-dentist, smooth, clean feeling" and is one of many oral health products trying to expand consumers’ oral care routines.

Other products include rinses that brighten teeth from Scope and Listerine, add-ons to regular toothpaste from Arm & Hammer and whitening pastes from Colgate.

These companies have been trying to stand out in the oral healthcare marketplace for years. Pinpointing this trend, Schneider Associates’ 2002 Most Memorable New Product Launch (MMNPL) Survey identified the exponential growth of America’s obsession with white teeth. Over the past six years, the MMNPL Survey has featured at least one innovative oral care product (with the exception of 2005 when Coke and Apple dominated the list). From Colgate’s Simply White to Crest’s Night Effects, from Listerine’s Quick Dissolving Whitening Strips to Crest’s Whitestrips Renewal, innovative oral care products try to cross the chasm and stand apart from their competitors.

According to the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD), tooth whitening is the most requested cosmetic dental procedure by patients of all ages. The AACD’s national survey has even illustrated that 74% of adults feel an unattractive smile can hurt a person’s chances for career success . No wonder marketers are trying to capture this market!

But dentists often warn these products – no matter how glamorous and innovative they seem – are not a quick fix or an overnight miracle. Misuse or overuse of whitening gel or rinse products can actually harm teeth. It all seems to go back to the saying: "Too much of a good thing can be a bad thing"--for you—and your teeth.

So how do you feel about the increasing pressure to use whitening products? Are they useful and an important part of your lifestyle? Will the proliferation of products confuse consumers? Are the good ol’ days of simple brushing and flossing long gone?

Hewlett Packard Counters Mac-Attack with TouchSmart 2 PC

HP has done it. They’ve launched a cutting-edge, innovative computer, with a creative campaign to back it up. The new HP TouchSmart 2 PC features a 22” HD touch screen monitor to give users a hands on experience. With its second TouchSmart release, HP hopes to command take a larger share of the PC market from Mac. So far, HP has developed a large online buzz with its commercials, tutorials and through blog hits. Everyone seems to be talking about the sleek design of the new PC, as well as the price, which is similar to the 20” iMac at $1,500.      

The large monitor, which can double as a television, is a full touch screen system that comes with a user friendly homepage. The touch screen can be used for every function on the computer, but a mouse is also available when doing more basic, everyday functions. The TouchSmart home page has two rows of “tiles,” which are similar to widgets on a Mac. The tiles help the user locate everything on their computer and tiles can be customized in different orders to be more user-friendly.

After watching a tutorial on YouTube, it’s clear the computer looks fun and is easy to use.

So, why will the TouchSmart 2 be more successful than the original? The TV ad campaign accompanying it is brilliant. I found three commercials, titled “Maestro,” “Experience” and “Fingerprints.” Each commercial points out a different ways to  use the touch screen capabilities of the computer.

These commercials are great because grab the viewers attention without losing the message they are trying to convey. “Maestro” is an exciting, eye-catching commercial that appeals to a wide range of audiences. The “Experience” commercial features a more modern rock song choice, and shows consumers using the computer for a variety of tasks. The “Fingerprints” ad is more fun than the other two, using animated characters rather than actual people. The taglines to the commercials include, “The computer as you’ve never felt it before” and “The computer is now a hands-on experience.”

The big question that fuels the success of the TouchSmart 2:  Are Mac users willing to make the switch to HP with Windows Vista as the operating system?

Could Schlitz Become America’s Beer, Again?

Now that Anheuser-Busch Cos. has been sold to a foreign brewer, is now the perfect time for another American-brewed beer to make its rise to the top? Will it be Coors? Miller? Not so fast—how about Schlitz? The beer that your parents loved is making a comeback, using the original recipe, packaging and state of mind. 

Schlitz, which is owned by Pabst Brewing Co, will be marketed toward its original drinkers, as well as the younger drinking crowd who want to taste the beer their grandparents enjoyed. What better time for Schlitz to jump back into the game with a nostalgia play.  If any generation can bring Schlitz back, it’s the same generation that re-popularized 80’s music and fashion—from Journey to leg warmers.

A few facts about Schlitz. It was America’s best-selling beer from 1902-1954 (minus 14 years for prohibition), before Anheuser-Busch Cos. took the crown from 1955-present. In 1893, Schlitz became known as “The Beer That Made Milwaukee Famous.” In 1912 Schlitz was the first to bottle beer in brown bottles to prevent light from spoiling the beer). 

“We believe that Schlitz is if not the, one of the most iconic brands of the 20th century,” said Kevin Kotecki, president of Pabst Brewing Co.  “And there's still a lot of people who have very positive, residual memories about their experience. For many of them it was the first beer they drank and we wanted to give it back to those consumers."

While many younger people have heard of Schlitz, it may be a stretch to proclaim Pabst as the most iconic brand of the 20th century. If it is truly what Kotecki claims, perhaps popularizing the brand again is possible. Of course a large marketing and advertising budget will need to be the capstone off this campaign. 

According to 2007 sales numbers, Pabst was the fourth highest grossing brewing company in the United States, behind Anheuser-Busch, Miller and Coors. But now that Anheuser-Busch has sold out, and Miller has merged with Coors, Pabst has a great opportunity to gain market share.

Maybe Schlitz can run a series of ads remembering the “good ol’ days.” Or, maybe they will have a campaign featuring a cliché tagline, such as “America’s Original Choice or America’s Best Choice.” There’s many ways to go, but what direction do you think they should choose? Do you think they can knock off their competitors?

Bikers Flock to Brew City for Harley Festival

The 105th Anniversary of Harley-Davidson was quite the party with over 100,000 motorcyclists roaring into Milwaukee to celebrate this important milestone.  One of the major activities was the launch of the 130,000 sq. ft. Harley-Davidson Museum (whose official opening was in mid-July).

Exhibits featured the history and culture of Harley-Davidson, displays showcasing 450 motorcycles, hundreds of thousands of biker artifacts, news reels of Harley’s being manufactured and ridden by soldiers on the battlefield during World War II, apparel, photographs and personal messages left by thousands of enthusiasts.

Standing in line for the Museum, we heard people talking from France, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, England, Israel, Egypt, Russia---Harley lovers from around the globe came to ride, revel and relax. 

The retail therapy that took place was incredible---millions of t-shirts were sold throughout the celebration. In fact, the Museum has its own line of clothing that is separate from the “traditional” Harley clothing line. From glittery 105th Anniversary t-shirts to the “torn” look, bikers opened their wallets to commemorate attending both the Museum and the 105th.

My husband, Ron Egalka, and four of his friends rode from Boston to Milwaukee and back (your launch reporter took the plane as a result of recent back surgery). Over 2,300 miles of highways, byways and city driving, all five Harley loyalists said they would do it again in a minute.  They arrived in one piece proudly sporting their 105th anniversary t-shirts and already talking about going to the 110th. 

It just goes to show—Harley-Davidson riders will go to the end of the earth for a party—and will even take in a Museum if it features motorcycles.

Bacardi Introduces Ready to Serve Mojitos

With the launch of its Classic Cocktail Mojito, Bacardi® seems to be one step ahead of the competition. This ready-to-serve cocktail made with Bacardi® Superior Rum, natural lime and mint flavors is the first authentic ready-to-serve mojito mix to hit the market, and capitalizes on two surging trends within the alcoholic beverages industry: pre-mixed, ready-to-serve cocktails and the rising popularity of the mojito.

Bacardi has focused its marketing strategy on making its name synonymous with the cocktail itself. You’ve probably seen (and perhaps danced to) “The Muddle,” a 60 second TV spot that features a club full of people dancing to the beat of the bartender, well, doing the muddle. When the bartender stops muddling the drink, the entire club stops dancing and the room becomes silent. You can even purchase the “Bacardi Mojito Ringtone” to dance to the song when it is not on television or playing on YouTube.

The Web site is also chock-full of material branding the mojito and Bacardi rum as one and the same. This includes Original Bacardi Mojito recipes using various flavors of Bacardi rum, a “how to make a mojito” video featuring world famous flair bartender Christian Delpech, and a store where you can purchase a Bacardi Muddler.

The new pre-mixed cocktail line by Bacardi’s competitor, Smirnoff, includes the Smirnoff Grand Cosmo and the Smirnoff Vodka Mojito.  The vodka giant is leaps and bounds behind Bacardi because of their inability to co-brand these classic bar-made concoctions with their brand name.  As testament of Barcardi’s great work associating the drink with the brand, type the word “mojito” into Google.  Of the over five million returned results jito occupies the second and third matches that the search engine lists, behind the mojito’s Wikipedia page.

Bacardi’s Classic Mojito comes in a sleek, mint-green bottle. While it lacks the fresh mint leaves and aesthetic appeal of a freshly-made mojito cocktail, Bacardi has done a great job focusing its efforts on the young, amateur bartenders, who are looking for a refreshing mojito without having to tip a server.

Do you think of “Bacardi” when you hear the word “mojito?”

Bud Light Lime: More Memorable than Miller Chill?

Last year, Miller Brewing Co introduced Miller Chill, which was not quite a top 10 Most Memorable product for 2007, but will the new Bud Light Lime have what it takes to achieve Most Memorable status?

Anheuser-Busch Cos. launched the new beverage in May, hoping for a successful summer 2008. Along with Miller Chill, BL Lime will look to compete with Corona, which is one of the more popular summer beers. Budweiser has not positioned itself as an “outdoor beer” before;  BL Lime is an obvious answer to this product void.

The Bud Light Lime Web site says, “Whether you are out in the hot sun, throwing a backyard bash or just in the mood for a change of pace, Bud Light Lime is sure to quench your thirst for something fresh, something new, something different. One sip and you’ll find the summer state of mind. It’s in ‘The Lime.’” This quotation makes it clear what they are trying to do with the new product launch.

To launch the new product, Anheuser-Busch Cos. did not stray from its traditional advertising schemes, as they promoted the beverage through a $35 million campaign that uses television, print and online media outlets. The Web site, www.budlightlime.com, features videos, ringtone downloads and the catchy slogan, “Summer. Not just a season but a taste.” Despite being a cliché summer tagline, the slogan works, as it directly pinpoints the idea of Bud Light Lime.

After reading several blogs comparing Bud Light Lime and Miller Chill, I came across an interesting poll, which asked readers to choose between BL Lime, Miller Chill, Corona with a lime, or none of them – the results had BL Lime winning at 56% (578 out of the 1030 total votes). The rest of the votes were Corona at 21%, Miller Chill with 13%, and None with 9%. If this poll can turn into sales for A-B, it will be a very special summer for the nation’s leading beer brewing co. 

So, is Bud Light Lime better than Miller Chill? You decide.

Gatorade launches Gatorade Tiger amid athlete's injuries

It is hard to argue against choosing Tiger Woods as a celebrity endorsement, after all he is the most dominant athlete in the world and he is loved by millions of people all over the world, including the media. But, despite his flawless reputation, 2008 might not have been the best year to launch Gatorade Tiger. Why, you ask? Simply put - his health.

This will be the first year when Tiger will miss multiple tournaments due to a knee injury, and this could hurt Gatorade Tiger’s chances to become a very successful new product. Seeing an injured Tiger is something sports fans have yet to see from golf’s version of Superman.

Gatorade Tiger does not have a chance to rebrand, as Tiger is the focal point, including being on the bottle and of course, in the name. Without Tiger appearing in the headlines after dramatic victories over starry-eyed challengers, will Gatorade Tiger achieve mass success. The brand was so close to receiving a huge lift after Tigers courageous win at the U.S. Open, but after his recent surgery, Woods will not have a chance to compete for Golf’s Grand Slam.

When a brand relies completely on the celebrity representing it, any type of issue affecting or surrounding the person can be injurious to the success of the brand. An example of this would be the Martha Stewart scandal. Stewart and her brand were achieving great things, and she was adored by millions, but all of this came crashing down after she was convicted of illegally trading stocks. Stewart has worked extremely hard to rebuild her empire and has not yet achieved her top of the mountain status. Clearly, Gatorade is not in the same situation, but Wood’s lack of media attention might have the same effect of declining sales on the brand.

Despite the injury, Gatorade Tiger launched with one of the most talked about commercials so far in 2008, where Tiger Woods drives a ball through outer space from the moon. Gatorade plans to continue the use of television advertising with the new product. Beginning in late April, visitors to http://www.gatorade.com/ can play virtual golf on the moon and enter an online sweepstakes to win one of two "out of this world" grand prizes.

But honestly, I would take my chances with an injured Tiger over other possibilities, such as Gatorade Mickelson, or Gatorade Vijay. What do you think? Will Tiger’s injury hinder Gatorade sales?

Honda to release the FCX Clarity, first hydrogen fuel cell car for consumers

Soon southern Californians will have yet another claim to fame.  The new Honda FCX Clarity will be available for lease later this summer. The FCX Clarity is the first hydrogen fuel cell car for consumers, but don’t count on getting your hands on one.  Honda will only be releasing 200 vehicles over the first three years. 

The Clarity, which emits nothing but water, runs on the hydrogen equivalent of 68 mpg for a total of 385 miles per fueling. The vehicle uses a lithium-ion battery and has the capacity to reach approximately 100 mph.

To coincide with the release of the car, Honda launched both print and television campaigns last year. The print ads feature a single letter from H-O-N-D-A, all made from a different substance representing the hydrogen qualities of the car.

The television campaign brings to life two different scenarios.  In the first commercial, “Mafia Men” shoot one another with water pistols, and in the second TV spot, a group of people are seen working together and solving problems.  At the end of the commercial, which is known as “Problem Playground,” this group of people builds a Honda FCX Clarity.  Do either of these ads sound familiar?

So how come only a limited number of vehicles will be released?  One major reason is that hydrogen fuel stations are scarce.  To help solve this problem, Honda has been working directly with Plug Power, Inc. since 2003, to bring hydrogen fuel stations to consumers' homes.  In 2007, Honda released the Home Energy Station IV, which helps consumers fuel their homes along with their cars.

I certainly hope John Mendel, executive vice president of American Honda, is right when he said that the release of this new car is “a monumental step closer to the day when fuel cell cars will be part of the mainstream."  With the growing demand for environmentally safe products, Honda has taken a large leap forward.

Although they are releasing only a limited number of vehicles, Honda will certainly raise the eyebrows of the competition, and I’m sure we can expect to see more vehicles running strictly on hydrogen in the future. Toyota has always been in fierce competition with Honda, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see a similar Toyota car in the next couple of years. 

Amen to eco-friendly driving!