How skillful advertisers can word-jack your brain

A study carried out by two marketing professors called I Imagine, I Experience, I Like: The False Experience Effect has found that “exposure to an imagery-evoking ad can result in an erroneous belief that an individual has experienced the advertised brand.”

Two groups of people were given a description of a brand of popcorn, one group’s was detailed, the other was succinct. Then, a selection of participants from the groups were given a sample of the popcorn to taste. When asked a week later, those who had read the full and elaborate description of the popcorn but hadn’t eaten any were just as likely to report that they’d tasted it as those who actually had. So a well-written, detailed description that evokes a person’s imagination about a product could make them crave foods they think they’ve tasted but actually haven’t.

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Chew On Volkswagen’s Edible Ad

To demonstrate the road-eating power of the new Golf R, Volkswagen created an edible ad. This edible page was made from glutinous rice flour, water, salt, propylene glycol, FD&C colour, glycerine and can actually be eaten. These print ads have been incorporated in the Auto Trader magazine and the copy reads: “Eat the road.”

7UP's retro drink has Apprentice tie-in

Using packaging designed by Celebrity Apprentice finalists Marlee Matlin and John Rich, 7UP has launched 7UP Retro. The drink is made with real sugar and its packaging harkens back to the 1970s and '80s. The drink will be available for a limited time only.

7Up said it will donate $50,000 to each of the Matlin's and Rich's charities.

 

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Packaging Innovation in the Beer Category

There's certainly something to be learned by viewing packaging outside the category. AdAge recently reviewed the latest in packaging news among brewers. The below highlights some  interesting innovations of late. Cheers!

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Cold Activation

Pioneered by Coors and Coors Light and later copied by Busch Light, special ink on bottles and cans turns a special color when the beer is sufficiently cold.
Why It Works: It's hard to argue with sales numbers: Coors Light continues to gain share pushing its "cold refreshment" message.
Why It Doesn't: As Breckenridge says, whatever happened to simply touching the can?

Vortex Bottles

Special Miller Lite bottles come with swirling grooves in the neck, meant to improve taste.
Why It Works: Supposedly unlocks flavors and aromas in the beer by aerating as it pours, building on Lite's longtime "taste" positioning.
Why It Doesn't: Some are calling it B.S., like beer aficionado website newyorkaleproject.com, which says "you're drinking straight out of the bottle, so you'd obviously miss any aroma."

Aluminum Pints/Bottles

Miller Lite pints have resealable screw caps. Not to be outdone, Bud Light this year introduced aluminum bottles (the caps are not resealable) including one with an NFL Draft theme.
Why It Works: Take a sip. Reseal. Take a sip. Reseal. You can't do that with cans or bottle caps.
Why It Doesn't: Ask Coors Light, which temporarily discontinued its pints, citing taste and supply issues.

Writable Bottles

"My Bud Light" cans let drinkers write messages using a key or coin.
Why It Works: Haven't you always wanted to hit on someone at a bar by writing on their bottle?
Why It Doesn't: Haven't you always wanted to get thrown out of a bar for hitting on someone by writing on their bottle?

Chalice Can

Anheuser-Busch's Stella Artois is out with a new 14.9 oz can that shows a picture of its iconic chalice on front.
Why It Works: While it's still a normal-shaped can, the chalice image emphasizes the brand's premium positioning.
Why It Doesn't: It's still just a can. If you want the glass, get it in the glass.

Tactile Cans

Heineken cans feature raised ink that it says adds texture, "creating the visual impression of condensation on the outside."
Why It Works: Think Braille for beer. If the lights go out, you can tell what brand you are drinking.
Why It Doesn't: The hell with fake condensation, give me the real thing.

Flavor-Lock Crowns

Special bottle caps on Budweiser meant to keep oxygen out of the beer, preserving fresh taste.
Why It Works: A collector's item? Some guy's trying to sell 100 of them on eBay for $7.
Why It Doesn't: Seven dollars divided by 100 is still only 7 cents a cap.

Canhole

Keystone Light emulates the "cornhole" game, with special cases where a hole can be cut out to toss in bags of beef jerky.
Why It Works: The tie-in with Jack Links plays off the below-premium brand's common-man appeal.
Why It Doesn't: Midwesterners might know what cornhole is, the rest of the country, perhaps not so much.

Home Draft

More from MillerCoors: 5.7 liters of draft beer that comes with its own CO2 regulation system, meant to fit in the fridge.
Why It Works: Enjoy the taste of draft beer from home. And it stays fresh for 30 days!
Why It Doesn't: Ever tried doing a keg stand inside your refrigerator?

Variety Packs

Just like it sounds, multiple beer styles in one pack. Especially popular with craft beers, which thrive on new taste experiences.
Why It Works: In the craft segment, variety pack sales grew 35% in the first four months of the year, according to SymphonyIRI.
Why It Doesn't: What are you, indecisive? Pick a style and stick to it.

Golfer's Ultimate 6-Pack

Limited-edition Michelob Ultra package comes with a sleeve of Bridgestone golf balls.
Why It Works: It's the perfect Father's Day gift.
Why It Doesn't: Isn't Dad worth at least a 12-pack?

Lipton - Hugh Jackman Lipton Ice Tea Safety Dance

Name of Company/Competitor: Lipton Tea

·         Name of Campaign/Spot: Hugh Jackman Lipton Iced Tea Safety Dance

·         Date Launched: 2.17/2011

·         Description: Hugh Jackman leads a dance in the streets.

·         Media Details: TV

Classic Bottles Reissued for Their 125th Birthday

Coca-Cola is re-issuing a set of classic bottles to celebrate its 125th anniversary. The bottles went on sale in a collector’s case in upmarket department store Selfridge’s on May 9. The collection is made up of four designs: the brand’s first glass bottle known as the Hutchinson, the Straight Sided, the Prototype and the iconic Coca-Cola contour bottle.

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Snapple and Bret Michaels Continue to Rock Consumers’ Taste Buds with Diet Snapple Trop-A-Rocka Tea

Snapple is constantly developing more delicious limited time drinks for consumers to enjoy, and with Diet Trop-A-Rocka, they hit a homerun! “Diet Snapple Trop-A-Rocka has been one of the best selling limited time offers in Snapple history,” says Regan Ebert, Vice President of Marketing for Snapple. The tea was first debuted during the Bret Michaels partnership while he appeared on Celebrity Apprentice. The tea blends healthy green tea and tasty black tea with pear, cinnamon and mango flavors, all while providing a low calories option. Due to high consumer demand and repeated Facebook discussions, Diet Snapple Trop-A-Rocka will now become a permanent part of the brand’s product offering. “Thanks to all of the support from the fans and Snapple, Trop-A-Rocka is going to keep on rocking harder than ever before,” says Bret Michaels. 

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Coca-Cola Transforms Crowded Highway into Movie Theater

To promote the new, smaller version of its signature beverage, Coca-Cola transformed a crowded highway into an outdoor theater in Bogotá, Colombia. A giant video screen showed a cycle of ‘Filminutes’ and invited people to tune their car radios to a local FM station so they could hear the audio. ‘Cinema ushers’ walked up and down the rows of cars offering mini bottles of Coke, popcorn, hot dogs, nachos and other popular concession goodies to those sitting in the traffic.

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#Winning on Twitter: the Top 10 Promoted Tweets

Marketers have been desperately searching for an effective way to monetize social media. Twitter is designed to charge for promoted tweets through "engagement", which is a retweet, response, click on a link, or user mark of 'favorite'. Advertisers don't pay if there is no response by the consumer, however, they are charged for the first retweet and the following retweets are free. Brands have been trying to discover how to use the platform effectively. Top marketers that gained consumer interaction ranged from a broad cross-section of auto, tech, fast-food, and media. Generally, promoted tweets garner 3-5% engagement. The winners of the Top 10 were able to secure around 52% engagement rate, or over 90 million people. Brands that have been effective with their messaging include VW, Conan, Old Spice, Google, Ford, Papa John's, XBox, and more.

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Happy Valentine's Day!! Show some love for your Valentine with a #HeartShapedPizza. Order at http://bit.ly/ff0Oc0 http://twitpic.com/3zl47p

‘Being Henry’: An Interactive Film By Range Rover

As media evolves to new heights, it is becoming more difficult to gain consumer attention. Interactive videos are now the new frontier of engaging the consumer while projecting a message. The Range Rover Evoque utilizes this method in their new film entitled Being Henry. The film is an Action/Love/Fantasy/Comedy/Adventure about the choices we make in life. Henry is used as a vessel for our own choices. With nine different story lines and 32 potential endings, the film has many different possibilities. We join Henry during a normal, mundane day that transforms into an escalating story of wild proportions. The film's theme of 'choices' embodies the wide variety of options available for the Range Rover Evoque. In the end, the viewer’s choices translate to their perfect type of Evoque.

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Budweiser Reinvents Soccer With PoolBall

Ogilvy Argentina addressed a problem, soccer fanaticism was not conducive to nightlife settings. Therefore, Ogilvy decided to transform the setting by introducing a new sport, 'Poolball'. This interactive game has the same rules as Pool, however, it uses soccer balls and feet instead of pool balls and cues. Poolball allows fans to combine their love of soccer and relaxing at a bar with a unique Budweiser twist. Watch the demonstration and see how this innovative experience became and instant success.  

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Coca-Cola adds 19 flavors to Freestyle machine for 125th anniversary

Coca-Cola's 125th anniversary celebration continues with the addition of a few new flavors into the Freestyle soft drink fountain. Coke is adding 19 flavors into the option menu, making a grand total of 125 flavors available. New flavors include 'gummy bear' (which is every flavor of Sprite mixed together) and something entitled 'Creamsicle'. These flavor additions are a fun way to celebrate the brand's success and offer fans unique beverage choices. The Freestyle machine is currently available in about 40 markets, however, Coca-Cola plans on having it in approximately 80 markets by the end of the year.

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Steaz Launches Zero Calorie Iced Tea with Stevia Extract

Steaz Iced Teaz is launching a new line of Zero Calorie Iced Teaz with naturally sweetened Truvia rebiana. Truvia rebiana is a natural sweetener that is a part of the stevia leaf. “Consumers throughout the U.S. and Europe are demanding more low or zero calorie natural product offerings, and Truvia rebiana is meeting that demand”, says Zanna McFerson, Assistant Vice President, Cargill Health & Nutrition and Director, Truvia Enterprise. These new Steaz Zero Calorie Iced Teaz will be released in flavors including Citrus, Half/Half, Peach Mango and Raspberry. Drinks will be made available at specialty and retail stores nationwide.

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Nestlé Waters North America agrees to buy Sweet Leaf Tea Co.

Sweet Leaf Tea Co., an Austin-based beverage brand, is being acquired by Nestlé Waters North America Inc. Both brands have been involved since March 2009 when Nestle Waters made an initial investment in Sweet Leaf Tea. While the acquisition is still in progress, Sweet Tea managing staff ensures that they will still be in control of the brand. This new combination will expand the company's beverage porfolio of bottled water to include iced teas, lemonades, and juice drinks.

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Classic lemonade joins Honest Tea's zero-calorie beverage line

Honest Tea is adding another zero-calorie beverage to its lineup. New zero-calorie, USDA-certified organic, caffeine-free classic lemonade is the first zero-calorie Honest Ade naturally sweetened with organic stevia, the company said. The new variety is the brand's second zero-calorie offering.

Honest Tea is positioning the new beverage as a summertime drink. The beverage is currently available in select locations but will expand distribution to the West and East Coasts later in the year.

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Machine flexibility for lightweight packaging strategies

Coca-Cola is aggressively pursuing lightweight packaging, including PET bottles, aluminum cans, and closures. Michael Lurker, the operations manager for the Baton Rouge Coca-Cola Bottling Company United, expresses the challenges with being the bottler for such a large company. One of the main challenges outlined is maintaining package integrity. Since PET bottles lose carbonation at a much faster rate than a can or glass bottle, there is a shorter shelf life that must be factored in. Coca-Cola frequently makes changes to packaging and this requires constant adjustments to quality specifications. 

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At 125 Years Old, Coke's Story Is Still Being Written

Coca-Cola’s category dominance has spurred many discussions among advertising periodicals. The company has ambitious goals; its 2020 Vision looks to double system revenue, or rather, to double servings to some 3 billion per day. According to Mr. Tripodi, CMO and Chief Commercial Officer of Coca-Cola, there will be a "big, powerful promotion" and "amplification of the brand as a media channel" to come later this year. The brand attributes its recent success to the way it has experimented and embraced new media channels in recent years. The Coca-Cola Facebook page is ranked as the most-popular consumer brand, with nearly 26 million likes. When a Coke fan page was flagged by Facebook in late 2008, the company engaged the page's owners, rather than playing hardball. In a stroke of social-media savvy, it flew the two fans to Atlanta and hashed out a plan for the page's future. At the time the page had about 3.3 million fans. Today it has nearly eight times that. Additional reasons to Coca-Cola’s success is its proliferation and acceptance abroad. This progressed in 2009 when Coke ditched "Coke Side of Life" for the more translatable "Open Happiness." The newer campaign touched nearly all of Coca-Cola's 206 markets in the first half of 2009.

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