Indian Larry's Wild Ride:Larry Desmedt died as he lived. So identified with his brand was Indian Larry, early reports of his death were unable to confirm his real name.
Posted by
abnu on Tuesday, August 31, 2004 @ 10:29 AM
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The Grand Old Party at the Garden: The GOP Convention is on all week at Madison Square Garden in the Big Apple. But, what the heck is a GOP? It's an acronym to describe the Republican Party.
It morphed from Gallant Old Party soon after the Civil War to Grand Old Party, which is what GOP means today. Newspaper headline writers loved the label -- GOP in a headline is much shorter than Republicans -- and that helped entrench the handle.
And thank goodness for Convention Bloggers, or we might never find out what political slang terms really mean. Michael Crowley, a professional journalist blogging for the The New Republic's Republican Convention Blog, sourced this at a meeting of the Iowa GOP Delegation.
Soon after Hagel spoke, the acting state Republican chair--an African-American man in a white cowboy hat named Leon Mosley--urged his delegates, "Let's remember what's paramount in our life: God ... This is the GOP: God's Official Party."
Who knew?
Posted by
abnu on Monday, August 30, 2004 @ 7:52 AM
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Looking Back at the Greek Olympics:Athens2004 comes to a close today with the marathon. In these historic Greek games, the men's marathon will trace the legendary route that was run by Pheidippides in 490 BC to announce the Athenian victory at the battle of Marathon.
From start to finish, these games in Greece have reminded the world of the heritage of the Olympics. The name for the Olympiad was taken from the site of ancient games at Olympia, Greece, where every four years for twelve centuries men competed in the nude.
Apparently, men go faster, score higher and look stronger if they don't have hairy backs. Thank the gods for Razorba.
Posted by
abnu on Sunday, August 29, 2004 @ 10:14 AM
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Operation Big Phish: Attorney General John Ashcroft announced that 53 people have been convicted in "Operation WebSnare" as a result of crimes ranging from credit card fraud to e-mail identity theft schemes known as "phishing." Ths is more than just law enforcement in the normal course of the activities of the Department of Justice.
"This is a series of cases that is designed to signal that we do not believe the Internet to be off base for law enforcement," Attorney General John Ashcroft said at a news conference.
The Attorney General estimates that identity theft alone costs U.S. businesses over $50 billion each year. "When you have $50 billion worth of damage being done to the economy of the United States of America, then it deserves some of our attention," Ashcroft said Thursday.
While it's comforting for the public to know that the Internet is not off base for law enforcement, and that the Department of Justice is giving identity theft some of their attention, hearing of a law enforcement operation with this "brand name" won't be good news for Websnare, which develops internet portals and intranet networks—unless they want to get into the Internet security business!
Posted by
abnu on Friday, August 27, 2004 @ 8:11 AM
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This is a project of NEC Corporation "to nurture a virtual tree collaboratively, and at the same time contribute to the actual environment" by planting trees on Kangaroo Island when visitors to the website add words to the Ecotonoha tree.
Our goal is more than just to grow a virtual tree. From June 14 to December 27, 2004 the growing of Ecotonoha will directly affect NEC's tree-planting activities on Kangaroo Island, Australia in 2004 [2005?], with the purpose of reducing the amount of CO2 in the environment. For every 100 signatures on Ecotonoha, NEC will plant another tree in addition to those planted during the Kangaroo Island project. For the year 2004 project, 60,997 entries were received, resulting in a total of 609 planted trees.
Ecotonoha is a coined word that consists of "eco" from ecology and "kotonoha" which means "word" in Japanese, according to FAQ on NEC's website.
Posted by
abnu on Thursday, August 26, 2004 @ 9:31 AM
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Famous Last Words: Al Dvorin, the announcer who coined the legendary phrase "Elvis has left the building" died this week in a car crash on his way home from an Elvis convention in California.
The memorable catchphrase became the standard concert-closing line for Elvis after Dvorin quelled the crowd at an early '70s performance where Elvis would not be returning to the stage for another encore—announcing in his imitable style, "Ladies and gentlemen. Elvis has left the bullding. Thank you and goodnight."
According to news reports of his death, he was never paid a penny for thinking up this memorable line, and was bitter about that. I guess that's why we never heard from him, here.
Posted by
abnu on Wednesday, August 25, 2004 @ 7:42 AM
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Nunc est bibendum! How the slogan "Now is the time to drink!" is associated with the Michelin Man® is an ironic bit of historical advertising trivia. But, it's also interesting to look at slogans concerning drinking and driving in modern advertising.
The American Beverage Institute sets up the finer points of its campaign slogan.
Over the course of two decades, America's restaurants and tavern owners have worked hand in hand with safety advocates to reduce the very real problem of drunk driving. Responsible adults now know that if they cannot drive safely—for any reason—they should not get behind the wheel.
But some anti-alcohol activists are seeking increasingly harsh restrictions on social drinkers. This can be evidenced in the transition from the common sense "Don't drive drunk" message to the similar-sounding but entirely different "Don't drink and drive" slogan.
The American Beverage Institute is correcting this prohibitive message with a more appropriate message: Drink Responsibly. Drive Responsibly. This message recognizes the millions of Americans who responsibly consume adult beverages at a restaurant, a tavern, or a friend's house before safely driving home—and encourages everyone to drink responsibly and drive responsibly.
Who are the "neo-prohibitionists" and "anti-alcohol activists" whose "Don't Drink and Drive" slogan is evidence they are seeking harsh restrictions on social drinkers?
Molson Inc., North America's oldest beer company, which last month announced a merger with Adolph Coors Company to form the fifth largest brewery in the world, launched a million dollar national campaign in 1989 that promotes the responsible use of, and attitude towards, alcohol and drinking. For Molson, "Don't Drink and Drive" is more than a corporate slogan—it's corporate responsibility—part of an initiative that goes beyond advertising and marketing, to a "take-action" program called TAXIGUY . 1-888-TAXIGUY was formed in 1998 through the partnership of TAXIGUY Inc. and Molson Canada, which has made it the cornerstone of the brewing company's "Don't Drink and Drive" awareness efforts.
TAXIGUY was the brainchild of Justin Raymond, who also developed the SMART CALL program, "a revolutionary alcohol-liability risk management program built for licensed establishments that want to protect their business, patrons and community by mitigating the risk of a drinking and driving incidence originating from their establishment."
Now, isn't that more responsible than the American Beverage Institute's approach to drinking and driving—responsible consumption—which amounts to parsing slogans?
Posted by
abnu on Tuesday, August 24, 2004 @ 7:10 AM
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No ifs ands or butts: Descriptive names really work for some products.
Pharmacist George Boudreaux opened his Louisiana drugstore in 1978 and soon began whipping up an old fashioned elixir that magically cured lots of irritated baby bottoms—and people discovered it also worked wonders on itches, scrapes and cuts. Local doctors started sending people to George for his miracle cream—they just didn't know what to call it. One doctor recalls laughing, "I'd send them over to see George and say, 'He's got a really good butt paste.'"
"It's not just for diaper rash anymore!" according to the company website. As well as soothing incontinent rashes and rectal itching, it's been shown to be effective for chapped lips--which can be caused by excessive ass-kissing.
Posted by
abnu on Monday, August 23, 2004 @ 9:31 AM
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In another story, "2004 seconds of pleasure" was the title of a four-page "erotic tale of Olympic fantasy" featured in a special edition of Greek Playboy.
"Harder, deeper, longer," was how the magazine paraphrased the Olympic motto "faster, higher, stronger" in an Olympics special featuring photos of naked models throwing the discus, distance running or holding up Olympic symbols such as the five rings and the torch.
This all prompted an indignant protest from the Athens organisers, who added that "'2004' is a dominant part of our name and trademark and is inextricably linked with our company and the Olympic Games." Who knew those asshats had the copyright on 2004? I guess Athoc won't like the title of this post either.
Posted by
abnu on Friday, August 20, 2004 @ 10:50 AM
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The Paws of Refreshment: Sasha the bear is on the cover of this book on the history of Hamm's beer advertising. And, in 2000, St. Paul's Pioneer Press named Hamm's Beer Bear as a runner-up on its list of "150 Influential Minnesotans of the Past 150 Years."
So, when he learned he wasn't on the short list of mascots for Advertising Week's favorite advertising icons poll, he did what most ad men do when they're overlooked and unappreciated. He went on a bender. Well, not exactly.
But, in a classic case of life imitating advertising, a black bear did go on a binge at a campsite in the US state of Washington this week--guzzling down some 36 cans of beer--apparently showing a preference for a premium brand, according to a BBC article.
"This is a new one on me," Sgt Heinck said in an Associated Press report. "I've known them to get into cans, but nothing like this. And it definitely had a preference."
One of our news sources, The Bentinel, was right on top of the celebrity endorsement angle in this story, and were the first to report that Hamm's signed the bear-guzzling bear as their new mascot.
Posted by
abnu on Thursday, August 19, 2004 @ 1:23 PM
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Brandster: It's a naming and branding monster; like everyone wants to create the next napster. It's raining catster and dogster. And, what started out as a casual friendster has spread faster than an std-ster.
Posted by
abnu on Wednesday, August 18, 2004 @ 11:39 AM
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A diamond is forever. (DeBeers)
A mind is a terrible thing to waste. (United Negro College Fund)
Be all you can be. (U.S. Army)
Can you hear me now? (Verizon)
Don''t leave home without it. (American Express)
Fly the friendly skies. (United Airlines)
Friends don't let friends drive drunk. (U.S. Dept. of Transportation)
Got Milk? (California Milk Processor Board)
It takes a lickin', but it keeps on tickin'. (Timex)
Just do it. (Nike)
Let your fingers do the walking. (Yellow Pages)
Look Mom, no cavities! (Crest)
Melts in your mouth, not in your hands. (M&M's)
Reach out and touch someone. (AT&T)
Sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don't. (Almond Joy/Mounds)
Tastes great, less filling. (Miller)
The ultimate driving machine. (BMW)
Think Different (Apple)
Time to make the doughnuts. (Dunkin Donuts)
Wassup?! (Budweiser)
We bring good things to life. (General Electric)
We try harder. (Avis)
When you care enough to send the very best. (Hallmark Cards)
Where's the beef? (Wendy's)
You deserve a break today! (McDonalds)
You've come a long way baby. (Virginia Slims)
California Raisins®
Mr. Clean®
Coppertone Girl®
Tony the Tiger®
Charlie the Tuna®
Jolly Green Giant®
Energizer Bunny®
Pillsbury Doughboy®
Keebler Elves®
Trix Rabbit®
AFLAC Duck®
McGruff Crime Dog®
Ronald McDonald®
Speedy Alka-Seltzer®
Michelin Man®
Morton Salt Girl®
Juan Valdez®
Smokey Bear®
Miss Chiquita®
Mr. Peanut®
Seat Belt Dummies®
Kool-Aid Pitcher®
M & M Characters®
Merrill-Lynch Bull®
Wise Owl®
Master Lock®
So, you think you know your stuff? Do you know which of those famous icons is over 100 years old and is named Bibendum?
Posted by
abnu on Monday, August 16, 2004 @ 5:45 PM
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Heinz Housewives: Exactly one year to the day Wordlab reported that Heinz might be considering replacing its award-winning slogan, the company announced a new twist on "Beanz Meanz Heinz."
Borrowing that spelling, the company is going to re-label their baked beans for the first time in its 135 year history, changing the "s" in "beans" to "z" (zed in the UK). For several generations of British bean-eaters, the new "Heinz Baked Beanz" labels are expected to trigger memories of the famous slogan.
It was dreamed up in a London pub by ad-man Maurice Drake in 1967, who recalled: “Research came in saying 1,750,000 housewives bought Heinz baked beans every day.
“We wanted to use that information and were searching for something to grab people. It had to be simple, but we were hitting a brick wall, so I took my team to the pub.
“I was just scribbling on my pad when it dawned on me that you could end 'beans' with a 'z', just as Heinz did. Then it just came to me - 'Beanz Meanz Heinz'.”
The slogan was married to a melody - loosely based on the nursery rhyme Boys And Girls Come Out To Play – to create the unforgettable jingle:
‘A million housewives every day/Pick up a can of beans and say/Beanz Meanz Heinz’.
In 2000, Drake’s catchphrase was unanimously voted best advertising slogan of all time by an expert panel from the UK’s advertising industry, the Advertising Slogan Hall Of Fame.
It became so synonymous with Heinz that the company took the then unheard-of step of running an advert which didn’t even mention the brand name - it simply showed a plate of baked beans with the announcement: 'You know what Beanz Meanz'.
The baked bean has come a long way since Henry J Heinz proudly planted his first vegetable allotment in the garden of his home in a tiny village outside Pittsburgh in the US in 1854 at the tender age of 10.
And the name Heinz, too, has come a long way, baby. Teresa Heinz Kerry, who is affluent in several languages, is making the name a household word in a very different world--when women have more on their minds than just what's for dinner.
Posted by
abnu on Sunday, August 15, 2004 @ 5:02 AM
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Duck Tape & Covers:Quantum Sleeper is a high-level security system designed for maximum protection in various hostile environments.
Good night, sleep tight,
Wake up bright
In the morning light
To do what's right
With all your might.
Posted by
abnu on Tuesday, August 10, 2004 @ 2:29 PM
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Where did they get that name? Here's an interesting list of company name etymologies. Unfamiliar stories behind the formation of famous company names include these:
eBay - Pierre Omidyar, who had created the Auction Web trading website, had formed a web consulting concern called Echo Bay Technology Group. "Echo Bay" didn't refer to the town in Nevada, the nature area close to Lake Mead, or any real place. "It just sounded cool," Omidyar reportedly said. When he tried to register EchoBay.com, though, he found that Echo Bay Mines, a gold mining company, had gotten it first. So, Omidyar registered what (at the time) he thought was the second best name: eBay.com
Hotmail - Founder Jack Smith got the idea of accessing e-mail via the web from a computer anywhere in the world. When Sabeer Bhatia came up with the business plan for the mail service, he tried all kinds of names ending in 'mail' and finally settled for hotmail as it included the letters "html" - the markup language used to write web pages. It was initially referred to as HoTMaiL with selective upper casing. (If you click on Hotmail's 'mail' tab, you will still find "HoTMaiL" in the URL.)
McDonald's - from the name of the brothers Dick McDonald and Mac McDonald, who founded the first McDonald's restaurant in 1940.
Posted by
abnu on Friday, August 06, 2004 @ 8:56 AM
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Tempus Fugit: Evan Williams, who co-founded and CEO'ed Pyra Labs, the creators of Blogger, in 1999, before going to Google (with Blogger) in 2003, first linked to Wordlab from his personal blog, Evhead, on January 30, 2000.
WordLab (via /usr/bin/girl): "the Last Word for unique and inspiring words, names, titles, coinages, puns, phrases, slogans and slang....From the ridiculous to the sublime." Beobabble! Also good for possible band name generation -- how 'bout "Ass Radish"?
Time flies.
Posted by
abnu on Thursday, August 05, 2004 @ 9:41 PM
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KitKat Breaks With Tradition: One of the most popular candy bars, KitKat originated in England in 1935, when it was known as Rowntree's Chocolate Crisp.
In 1937 the name was changed to KitKat, a name believed to be from London's famous KitKat Club. (The only paintings that could fit inside the club's rooms with very low ceilings were called "kats" which were wide but not very high.)
The slogan "Have a Break - Have a KitKat" was introduced in 1957. This famous slogan will disappear next month when a new catchphrase "Make the most of your break" is introduced. According to news reports, Nestlé Rowntree said market research showed that while most people knew the slogan, it had little effect in convincing them to buy the product. Food & Drink Europe has an interesting analysis, comparing recent slogan changes by Mars, and discussing competitive pressure from Cadbury.
Posted by
abnu on Wednesday, August 04, 2004 @ 8:50 AM
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The Statue of Liberty Mutual: With heightened risk awareness in New York City, the Statue of Liberty re-opened to the public today, after years of renovations for safety and security following the terrorist attacks of 9/11. And no, the naming rights to "Liberty Enlightening the World" (its actual title) haven't been sold to an insurance company to fund the renovations.
It's perhaps not such a far-fetched idea, since Longacre Square was renamed Times Square after the New York Times Building erected there in 1904. A hundred years later, that would be the New York Times Square, and there'd be fees involved.
In April 2003, Mayor Bloomberg appointed Joseph Perello, the Chief Marketing Officer for the City of New York to lead a new office, the New York City Marketing Development Corporation. A team of talented sales and marketing professionals - now serving the City - have created the City of New York's first office for licensing, corporate sponsorship, brand management, media management, advertising and marketing. Its mission is to manage New York City's intellectual properties and marketing resources to generate revenue, support City agencies and promote New York City for the growth of jobs and tourism. Snapple is New York City's first marketing partner and their agreement as the exclusive vendor of Iced Tea, Chocolate Drink, and water will provide $126 million to the City over the next five years.
Now, the New York Times reports that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority is considering selling naming rights to New York City subway stations, bus lines, bridges and tunnels to fill budget gaps of $1 Billion in the next year. Big dollars, but not everyone is convinced that it's worth it to live where the public space is a branded environment. One editorial on the subject puts it this way:
The fact is branding, naming or whatever you want to call this trend, is a cloak hiding the failure to adequately fund infrastructure. We don't like gimmicks paying for transit -- we think transit, sewer or any other public service is just that, public. The infrastructure costs ought to be paid for by taxpayers or users.
Even if the public could swallow its civic pride to get the sponsorship revenue, would it be a smart idea for a corporation to put its name on a subway station--in New York City, of all places--or would that be a branding disaster just waiting to happen?
Posted by
abnu on Tuesday, August 03, 2004 @ 3:11 PM
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