brandflakesforbreakfast

Friday, July 18, 2008

this dude will not be at roger's picnic

Roger's Wireless is putting on a big music festival that they call Roger's Picnic. And they want to let everyone know what kind of cool bands are playing there. And motivate the audience to check out the Roger's Picnic website.

So M30 in Toronto created a campaign that promotes the festival by showing you what kind of bands WON'T be there. Who won't be there? This totally metal dude. Or Bomb Bay. Or Roulette.

What a cool way to build curiosity, and drive traffic to the site. Nicely done.

Labels: ads, music, pop culture, youthmarketing

posted by darryl ohrt @ 9:13 AM 3 comments

Thursday, July 17, 2008

nike dunks based on the color of your neighborhood

This cool application for Nike lets you take a snapshot with your cell phone, and then create a custom pair of Nike Dunks based on the color scheme in your photo.

So awesome, you could be rockin' a new pair every week. Or for every favorite scene in your life. Like urban camo. This is a great idea that could be applied to a multitude of situations and brands. From Three Minds.

Labels: fashion, mobile, pop culture, technology, youthmarketing

posted by darryl ohrt @ 5:26 AM 0 comments

Wednesday, July 02, 2008

you can't get a girl this hot

But maybe almost as hot. Hot girl illustrates the level of hottness above. She's the high mark, and you're not even reaching her left hand. But she's going to teach you how. It's apparently as easy as brushing your teeth. And wearing Converse sneakers.

Converse has launched an all out campaign of hotness and other stuff. Because everyone loves hot girls. And sweet Chuck Taylors. Makes me want these just a little more today.

Labels: ads, fashion, youthmarketing

posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:53 AM 2 comments

world of warcraft: so yesterday

World of Warcraft, the world's most popular MMORPG is about to lose its number one status to Habbo.

Habbo boasts 9.5 million active monthly users, compared to World of Warcraft’s most recently reported 10 million subscribers. Habbo says they'll pass WOW in the next 30 days. That's a lot of kids that won't see their backyards this summer.

We're not players in Habbo yet, but love the fact that they have a tiki area. We don't ask for much. Just tiki mugs and torches.

Labels: gaming, mmorpg, trends, youthmarketing

posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:25 AM 0 comments

Thursday, June 19, 2008

daddy! ryan's choking on the legos again.

At first, you'll think this can't be true. Kellogg's could not produce a candy that looks very much like a small toy from the real world. But they did.

I've seen corporate environments that refuse to let a good idea escape the boardroom - but how did 47 committees at Kellogg's approve this instead?

Why stop here? Here's some fun ideas for new Kellogg's products:

+ Juice in bottles that look like bleach!
+ Soda that looks just like auto anti-freeze! Or blue "windshield wiper" flavor!
+ All new razor blade chewing gum!
+ New handgun candy dispensers! Just pull the trigger for full flavor!

Mmmmm. Tasty.

Labels: productdesign, youthmarketing, yummyfood

posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:37 AM 6 comments

Monday, June 02, 2008

are buses hot again?

A few of us recently drove to New Hampshire for a couple of meetings. We passed a handful of Bolt Buses, and were intrigued with their branding. Cooler looking than your average buses. Now people are talking about it.

This is a mode of transport that has largely been ignored by great branding, unique service, and for the most part, just left by the wayside.

Bolt Bus has taken a super cool approach to busing. They sport cool graphics. They're cheap. They're only available in select routes. THEY HAVE WIFI ON BOARD. Let me say it again. THEY HAVE WIFI ON BOARD. Something that trains and most planes are still scratching their heads on.

I'm loving the concept. Build a powerful brand, offer a unique service, and have fun. Go Bolt, go.

Labels: branding, youthmarketing

posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:51 AM 1 comments

Thursday, May 22, 2008

turn hate into love

Producers of video game On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness are using a very bad review of the game to promote the release.

Snakes on a game? Awesome.

Labels: ads, gaming, youthmarketing

posted by darryl ohrt @ 8:12 AM 0 comments

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

wacky packs celebrates 35 years

Wacky Packs is celebrating their 35th anniversary! To commemorate this very special time in history, the Topps Company has released a Wacky Packs coffee table book. Or kitchen table book.

Wacky Packs were the ultimate slap in the face to all things branding, and a celebration of irreverence for a generation of Mad Magazine readers.

The clip above is a cornball teevee show that details what a Wacky Pack is, for those of you that were born yesterday. From Kristin Gorski.

Labels: branding, pop culture, youthmarketing, yummyfood

posted by darryl ohrt @ 8:05 AM 2 comments

Monday, May 12, 2008

meet the next big agency

This weekend, I attended the CT Innovation Expo, a pretty cool program that the state sponsors for high school students. The event took place at the CT Convention Center, and featured some of the brightest students from across the state. Lots of future coder geeks, gaming geeks, engineers and....creatives.

It was pretty cool to meet the crew from Woodland Regional High School, who have created their own high school ad agency. Called AMP, they provide agency services for any school event.

You probably remember the handmade, lame-o flyers that your friends made for the high school dance. AMP creates, prints, and distributes cool flyers. They'll create MySpace pages. And they'll get the word out, for the events they promote.

What an awesome idea. For the event planners that hire them (who better to target teens, than TEENS?), and for the students. These future creative superstars are getting a real-deal look at what it's like to work with a client, while building their pre-college portfolios.

Kids weren't this smart, when I was in high school. Nice job.

Labels: adindustry, education, youthmarketing

posted by darryl ohrt @ 8:14 AM 1 comments

Thursday, May 01, 2008

how to handle sex ed

How do you produce sex ed, without being stupid, still be relevant, and be entertaining in a cool way, not a "this is ridiculous" way?

Take Care Down There has done exactly that. Send the link to your teen. They've successfully covered the major topics in just enough detail, to answer any of those questions. Or to set straight some misconceptions.

And, you may learn something too! I learned a few new names for condoms. (Boner bucket. That's a good one.) From AdRants.

Labels: nonprofit, youthmarketing

posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:49 AM 0 comments

Friday, April 18, 2008

unexpected licensing that makes sense

Two licensing deals this week caught our attention, and are great examples of brands coming together to produce greatness.

Levis is partnering with snowboard apparel company 686. Snowboard culture and 686 brand awareness bring much needed cool factor to Levis. 686 gets a unique product line, and credit for helping to reinvent Levis in a new category. Win-win.

Burton is partnering with Playboy. They've done this before, just not at this level. Their new fall line has some pretty sexy boards that are sure to get attention. And melt snow. Burton makes Playboy relevant, in a world where magazines no longer matter. Playboy bunnies look super hot on boards. Win-win, again.

What brand could you partner with, to create unexpected success?

Labels: branding, fashion, pop culture, sports marketing, youthmarketing

posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:28 AM 0 comments

Thursday, April 17, 2008

those are some mighty sweet slacks

This is either a great idea or licensing gone too far. Apparel with over the top Kellogg's cereal brand licensing.

I never would have thought that kids would trick their cars out in tribute to brands either, but they do. So maybe somewhere, there are people who will really, really dig Froot Loop pants. Or a Honey Smacks hoodie. I might like them if they came in the skinny fit, instead of the sooper baggy style. (Toucan Sam and I go way back, so that's me.)

Thanks David's sister!

Labels: branding, fashion, trends, youthmarketing

posted by darryl ohrt @ 8:13 AM 0 comments

giant shoes bring together east coast and west coast. all is well.

Part art project, part street-team, part promotional stunt. This Adidas promo rocks. (Stupid Flash site won't let you link directly. Click on "superstar.")

Two giant (no really - GIANT) adidas shoes get painted by street artists. One on the west coast (the left shoe), one on the east coast (the right shoe). They meet in Venice Beach, and live happily ever after.

Only one thing leaves me uncomfortable. Why does the east coast shoe have to travel to California? Was the left shoe too lazy to meet halfway? Couldn't the giant shoe meet-up take place in Chicago? Over deep-dish pizza?

From mmcgreevy, via Twitter.

Labels: fashion, outdoor, sports marketing, streetart, streetteams, stunts, youthmarketing

posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:38 AM 0 comments

Monday, April 14, 2008

montana: not the best place to get your meth anymore

I always thought that Montana was filled with beautiful mountains, trees and bears. Turns out, that until recently, it was also filled with Meth addicts. That is, until the Montana Meth Project launched their campaign a couple of years ago. Meth use is down substantially.

Thanks to their really disturbing print ads, tv spots and a campaign that has you reaching for anti-bacterial gel, the campaign says that meth use has declined 45% and adult Meth use has declined 72%. That's an ad campaign that's done something great. Which means that we can think of Montana for trees and mountains and bears again. Nice work.

Labels: ads, nonprofit, youthmarketing

posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:18 AM 0 comments

Tuesday, April 08, 2008

blow energy drink. cheap shot at a quick buck.

The latest ridiculous energy product aimed at capturing tween dollars is Blow, a product made to look exactly like cocaine. The white caffeine powder comes in resealable white vials, so that kids can put "blow" into their drinks.

The cheap promotional site features strippers and poorly designed gear sure to turn the average 14 year old onto the product. They can even by it in bulk, and become neighborhood dealers of...blow.

Sure to get loads of free publicity on the local news, featuring protesting parents. I'd love to know what they paid for the rights to use the Cult's song WildFlower on their site. Or if they paid. I know some pretty large brands who don't have that kind of licensing budget. ;)

Thanks Suzy!

Labels: branding, productdesign, youthmarketing

posted by darryl ohrt @ 8:30 AM 4 comments

Monday, March 24, 2008

vbs tv really rocks

If you haven't checked out VBS.tv yet, you should kill some otherwise productive time today. Led by Creative Director Spike Jonze, they've really built a wonderful dashboard of content, and some awesome films. I got hooked on the North Korea episodes this weekend. Once you start watching, you won't stop. Thanks Devon!

Labels: film, inspiration, video, youthmarketing

posted by darryl ohrt @ 8:25 AM 1 comments

Tuesday, March 04, 2008

packaging saves the day

The special edition of Grand Theft Auto comes with some pretty sweet packaging that even includes a GTA safety deposit box.

And the new NineInchNails release is available in special packaging, too. You can download the release for free - or spend more dough on NIN goodies. This gives a real reason for fans to spend money on something they can't download or trade for free. Sweet packaging. The $300 version even comes packed with a Trent Reznor autograph. Cool.

Who says package design for content is dead??

Labels: design, gaming, music, package design, youthmarketing

posted by darryl ohrt @ 8:22 AM 0 comments

Thursday, February 28, 2008

why you should start a social network

Chris Brogan points out the massive opportunity sitting in front of you. A social network that helps your audience connect. Not for every audience - and this shouldn't be done on a whim, without some longer term planning, but as Chris indicates, a social network can work anywhere that you have a population of like-minded people.

Think about that for a second, as it applies to your universe. What do your customers have in common? What could they learn from or share with each other? Chris goes on to give you relevant examples of opportunities that haven't been realized (yet) in some other industries. You could create a conduit of connectivity that doesn't yet exist in your industry.

Basic marketing also comes to play here, too. A new social network won't likely be successful if there's already a winning network providing value to the same audience. The Walmart debacle of a few years ago comes to mind, where their agency actually convinced them they could replicate MySpace. Check out the cheezy actor-teens they thought would pass as the real thing, above. Uh-huh.

For some, this is a fantastic opportunity. But beware of bandwagons. Plan. Strategize. Be genuine. And work with an agency that participates in the sphere you're about to enter.

Labels: retail, social media, trends, web2.0, youthmarketing

posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:34 AM 0 comments

Friday, February 22, 2008

what the kids are drinking today

I've got to get to the store today, and get me some Bot. I don't even care how many calories. Or if it's made from the blood of gypsies. I'm just sold by the awesomely delicious spot. I hope it mixes with vodka. From Adfreak.

Labels: ads, beverage, youthmarketing, yummyfood

posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:34 AM 0 comments

obay: finally a drug to control those unruly teens

Check out the mysterious ad campaign popping up in Ontario. The ads feature a fake pharmaceutical titled "Obay" that will help parents control their kids.

Some originally attributed the work to a re-branding of "Obey" by street artist Shepard Fairey, but The Torontoist figures that it's the work of Colleges Ontario.

Can't wait to see the payoff. I hope there's a significant online effort. Kind of surprised there isn't a campaign site, already. They should be handing out bottles of Obay at events, too.

Labels: ads, youthmarketing

posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:18 AM 0 comments

Friday, February 15, 2008

Hillary Clinton Endorses Obama �

This is a fantastic ad. And it's being passed around the interweb like mad. Because it's relevant. And communicates the brand message. Wonderful concept.

Labels: ads, politics, youthmarketing

posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:12 AM 0 comments

Thursday, February 14, 2008

condoms for your v-day pleasure

Designer Yves Behar had made the the coolest NYC condoms. Playing off of the NY Transit graphics, the wrapper designs rock. (I'll keep the train riding comments to myself.)

You can get them for free, starting today, as a part of the NYC "Get Some" promotion.

Labels: newyork, nonprofit, youthmarketing

posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:25 AM 0 comments

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

marketers: ruining all the fun

Do you completely ignore all of your Facebook notifications, and then delete them 25 at a time? You're not alone.

BusinessWeek reports on how marketers are mucking up a good thing by annoying the crap out of you with notifications and applications and stuff that doesn't add to your experience.

While the trend is real - I'm not convinced of the BusinessWeek conclusion - that people are leaving social apps, and finding new things. They point to the decline in MySpace usage as proof. Ummm....decline in MySpace usage?? Yeah, and people don't wear acid washed jeans anymore, either.

Crowds aren't going to continue migrating to the next new thing, just because of ads. Because the ad agencies will follow. When I am finally in control of the world, two things will happen:

1. Social sites will listen to their users, and create tools that make it easier to ignore, delete and remove the annoying crap. Facebook is already making some strides in this area. I predict more in the future. New social apps should have this built in.

2. Marketers will need to create content that has value. For real. And stop force feeding friend notifications and spamming.

So, see you on Facebook. And Seesmic. And Twitter. And Ning. And....

From Wilson Cleveland, via Facebook.

Labels: facebook, myspace, social media, trends, web2.0, youthmarketing

posted by darryl ohrt @ 8:03 AM 2 comments

Friday, February 08, 2008

the gap: desperately trying to be cool again.

The Gap has just launched a new campaign titled The Sound of Color. The campaign showcases artists performing songs about color. And videos, too! Woop-de-doo.

Of course, they've also launched a campaign site. A campaign site about sound, WITHOUT SOUND. They're attempting to build anticipation, with a launch date of February 15. Yep. I'm soooo excited by the blandness of this site, that I'm actually going to mark my calendar to check back and hear the fashionlicious sounds that will grace my ears on the 15th. Uh-huh.

What's especially hilarious to me is the comparison of expenditure versus effect. I can only imagine the fat budget with a big agency, that's being used to launch this mega color soundless sound campaign.

And then look at what Urban Outfiiters is doing. Probably produced in-house, or with a small agency. For a dime on the Gap dollar. And immediately socially engaging.

Hello? Gap? Can you hear that? It's the sound of more stores closing.

Labels: branding, fashion, retail, social media, youthmarketing

posted by darryl ohrt @ 8:05 AM 2 comments

urban outfitters launches flickr pool

Urban Outfitters is rocking pretty well with this social media thing. They launched a killer blog some time ago. And now, they've launched a Flickr photo pool. This is a photo sharing pool, open to the public, where users can upload and view photos relating to Urban Outfitters. Like people wearing cool gear.

What a fantabulous idea. Let your customers show how they use the products they buy from you. Let potential customers look at other users, for fashion ideas and trends. Photos like the sweet shot from GrannieShawna (above), sporting the most awesome plaid hoodie.

I want that hoodie. They've created desire, without having to send direct mail, without an e-newsletter, or any advertising at all. Their fans did it for them. Sweet.

Labels: fashion, photography, retail, social media, youthmarketing

posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:22 AM 0 comments

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

shepard fairey endorses obama

Wow. I won't take political sides on BrandFlakes - but take a look at the brand power here. Legendary artist Shepard Fairey has created a series of prints of Obama. And completely endorsed him. This is interesting.

+ It's rare for a brand like Obey to take specific political sides. Certainly commonplace to take a stand against the status quo, against the war, etc. But for a brand or artist of Shepard's notoriety to endorse a particular candidate, this early in the game is unique. Creating a line of 'products' centered around the candidate is unheard of, I believe.

+ Posters of Obama. Can you remember a candidate that has carried the brand/star power worthy of posters that people would want to hang in their homes? Not since Kennedy, in my opinion.

Say what you want about candidates - but Obama has unbelievable brand power. Brand Managers, watch and learn. Found on Notcot.

Labels: art, politics, streetart, youthmarketing

posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:45 AM 3 comments

Friday, January 25, 2008

gamers: leave us alone...

Psychologist Cooper Lawrence went on a Fox News program, and ranted about the “full digital nudity and sex” featured in the Mass Effect video game, for the Xbox 360. Turns out that there isn’t any full digital nudity and sex in the game.

Sounds like Cooper didn't actually play the video game she was denouncing - or at least check her facts beforehand. And gamers went wild. Her book soon saw more than 500 one star reviews on Amazon. It got so out of hand, that Amazon had to intervene. Gamer's revenge. Sweet.

Labels: gaming, tv, youthmarketing

posted by darryl ohrt @ 6:44 AM 4 comments

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

breakthrough study reveals: duh.

What's worse - the people that fund these studies, or the blogs like BrandFlakes that perpetuate them?

A new study finds that teens think that social sites and entertainment on the internet are more exciting than news.

Here's some other treats of knowledge, that I've learned over countless hours of research. Hopefully my posting of this information will save valuable research dollars in the future:

+ Most adults would choose a chocolate bar over lima beans, if given the choice.
+ The majority of teens find pop music more enjoyable than classical music.
+ Teen girls find the smell of perfumes and body sprays more attractive than the scent of vomit.
+ The majority of adults who hold jobs usually wear shoes to the workplace.

This data should make for some powerful PPT pie charts, in your next presentation.

Labels: trends, youthmarketing

posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:26 AM 0 comments

Monday, January 21, 2008

kids today: they don't know google.

So kids today have had the internet since the day they were born. Marketers hear this, and make a bunch of assumptions. They're not all correct. A new UK study shows that kids aren't great searchers (maybe because they don't have the life experience to give them the right search terms), for instance.

What did the study find of interest? Ars Technica finds three things we tend to agree with:

Kids like to cut-and-paste. Look at the explosion of mashups parodies and collaborative works generated by the internet generation. This isn't a new form of lazy - it's a new way of looking at content.

They prefer visual information over text. Duh. I'd say that the majority of humans fall into this category.

They multitask all the time. This is a great point that marketers need to understand. People write off tv as if it doesn't exist anymore. It does - it's just that it's no longer the primary media. Every teen has the tv on in the background, as they're cruising the internet. And internet sites can't expect to get all of the attention either. They're competing with multiple browser tabs, online gaming, IM and other online fun-generators.

Check out the study for yourself, and use it for some interesting factoids in your next PowerPoint presentation.

Labels: trends, youthmarketing

posted by darryl ohrt @ 8:47 AM 1 comments

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

barbershops: the next cool retail

Rudy's is reinventing the barber shop. And they've really done it well. Cool website, space to die for, and people you want to hang with.

Unlike other cool-oriented retail brands that put up the same space from city to city, Rudy's attempts to "become the social hub" of the neighborhood they're in. (Ummm...isn't that what barbershops used to be? Back in the Andy Griffith days?)

If it's Hip has a nice overview of the whole Rudy's experience, and even points to a great feature they had in Metropolis, too. Check them both out.

When we were on tour this summer, we got to visit the coolest barber in Dallas, Texas. (More pics here). Locals referred to him as the rockabilly barber. He was awesome - and we had a blast drinking beer, looking at vintage Playboy mags, and watching Rob get his haircut.

I'm convinced this is a concept that could work on a local, even suburban basis too. Just like coffee shops. You can find a cool, local coffee shop in just about every market in the US. So why not barbershops? Can't wait for the Rudy's near me.

Labels: fashion, pop culture, retail, trends, youthmarketing

posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:41 AM 1 comments

Monday, January 14, 2008

pimples you can put on your friend's picture

Clearasil in Germany is running a really fun and icky promotion. They've produced ads with special stickers that allow the reader to place pimples on any picture in the magazine. Or anywhere else, for that matter.

When other readers see the pimple, they can re-use the sticker (gross), and see details about Clearasil on the back side of the sticker. Oh, how I could use a giant box of those pimply stickers.

Labels: ads, streetart, streetteams, youthmarketing

posted by darryl ohrt @ 8:11 AM 1 comments

Friday, January 11, 2008

burton: sabotage stupidity

Burton.com has a really fun promotion going on.

There are still four resorts in North America that don't allow snowboarding. Burton's giving $5K to the person or crew that submits the best video of their experience snowboarding at one of these resorts. They'll give away a total of $20K.

Awesome idea. Sure, everyone's jumping on the user-generated bandwagon, but this contest has some originality to it. It reignites the rebel brand image of snowboarding, and positions Burton as a leader in the movement.

I know just the person at our agency who could make this happen....hmmmm. Originally noticed on the Denver Egotist.

Labels: branding, sports marketing, youthmarketing

posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:47 AM 4 comments

Wednesday, January 09, 2008

screw architectural digest. punk houses kick ass.

File this one under "wish I thought of it." Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth fame teams up with photographer Abby Banks to put together a book that profiles houses with punk rock style. Can you say TV show? Hello, HGTV?

Labels: design, photography, pop culture, youthmarketing

posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:14 AM 1 comments

Monday, January 07, 2008

we love good sneakers

I'm as sick of 2007 best of lists as you are. Now that I think of it, I'm even sicker of them than you are...but I couldn't resist a link to Sneaker Freaker's best sneakers of 2007. A wonderous collection of beautious foot covers. Nike is clearly still hotter than ever - and what's up Puma?? From Cool Hunting.

Labels: fashion, pop culture, youthmarketing

posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:20 AM 0 comments

Friday, January 04, 2008

people need a tribe

This is AWESOME. Exactitudes is a 13-year collaboration between photographer Ari Versluis and stylist Ellie Uyttenbroek. It's a stunning reflection of how groups of people around the world express their individuality...by dressing alike. I've always referred to this phenomenon as tribes. People tend to dress like other people in their tribe - even if their goal is to be different.

Our industry is famous for this - how many creative people do you know who frequently dress in black (me, today) and/or who wear the black-rimmed glasses that have become our uniform? Put that person at Walmart, and he stands out. But at the Art Director's Club awards, he blends right in.

I've observed this on so many levels, within all age groups and interests. From punk rockers to the cycling community. From teens to grandpas. And it has everything to do with early adoption, branding and pop culture trends. And it's especially fun to see trends cross from one tribe to another. For me, this is the joy I get in watching people at a mall, an airport or city street.

Hooray to Ari and Ellie for so beautifuly documenting this cultural phenomenon!

Found on Josh Spear.

Labels: fashion, marketing, photography, pop culture, trends, youthmarketing

posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:49 AM 0 comments

Thursday, December 20, 2007

lots of fun data for your powerpoint

Yesterday, the geeks at PEW released a new study titled Teens and Social Media. Stuff like:

64% of online teenagers ages 12 to 17 engaging in at least one type of content creation;
Some 35% of all teen girls blog;
20% of boys blog;
54% of wired girls post photos online compared with 40% of online boys;
Teen boys are nearly twice as likely as online girls (19% vs. 10%) to have posted a video online.

Awesome. Can't wait to see these facts crammed into bullets in a PPT presentation. Found it first at Mashable.

Labels: social media, sports marketing, strategy, trends, youthmarketing

posted by darryl ohrt @ 8:11 AM 1 comments