Cookie or Cream? The OREO Separator. (video)

What is up with everyone wanting to dissect and separate classic candies and cookies? We recently blipped about a Skittles sorter and now this?

An OREO is known as a cookie sandwich with a creamy frosting in the middle. But for years, the debate has been, more cream or less cream? There's the Double Stuff with double the cream. Cones and pie crusts which are pretty much just the cookie. A physicist and "copywriter" from Portland based Weiden Kennedy has developed the OSM, OREO Separator Machine. 

This video appears on the front page of the OREO website. Is there a current fascination to create Rube Goldberg-esque machines and play with our snacks? Or is this a clever marketing scheme from W&K? 

(Here's a little background from More About Advertising: Wieden+Kennedy beat agency of record DraftFCB to the task of making Oreo’s Super Bowl ad and it always seemed rather odd that brand owner Mondelez (officially at least) stuck to the story that Oreo would then return to DraftFCB for business as usual. Then The Martin Agency appeared from left field, tasked with creative duties in the US.)

Year Of The Snake Takes Its Bite At Retail

February 10, 2013 marks the beginning of the Chinese Year Of The Snake. This year is especially significant since it is considered the year of the "Black Snake", a rare breed to rear its head.  With all the hype around this year of the black snake, many marketers and brands have begun retailing what they hope will be significant, keepsake, and even indulgent items for 2013. Here's a look at few of the more interesting products we have found. 

Gold Bar With Snake Embellishment

Luxury goods makers incorporate snake motifs into their products to win more Chinese buyers. 

(China Daily)

Vacheron Constatin, The Legend Of Chinese Zodia - Year Of The Snake Timepiece 

Luxury Swiss watchmaker has created two versions, 18-carat rose gold or platinum on a 40 mm diameter hull, and sits on a Mississippi alligator strap.

 The timepieces are available as a limited edition with only 12 examples of each model, all featuring ’2013′ engraved on the back. Watches can only be purchased in Vacheron Constantin boutiques, with prices upon request.

(VC and Elite Daily)

Bulgari Serpenti Collection

A new collection designed for 2013, the Serpenti is a luxury collection of jewelry and timepieces. Coincidence or strategically planned?

(Bulgari)

DARTZ, The Black Snake 

If you haven't heard of DARTZ Motorz Company, don't worry. You're not so out of the loop that you missed another new car brand. DARTZ is a Latvia-based luxury tank manufacturer. The Black Snake, the company’s first non-armored vehicle, is based on the Mercedes GL 63 AMG and is geared only at the Chinese market. It is a high performance, all-wheel drive offerings all the usual garnishings including a diamond-encrusted hood ornament. No price has been named, but it’s expected to cost well over $1,000,000.

(Forbes)

Bentley by DARTZ

Again by DARTZ, Dartz is bringing out the Bentley Continental GT it first revealed in 2010. 

The luxury ride may look white, but it is actually sporting a snake skin print vinyl wrap.

Moleskine and Shanghai Tang

Year of the snake notebooks. 

(Shanghai Tang)

Davidoff Year Of The Snake 2013 Limited Ed Cigars

Davidoff has created a unique box set for the Year of the Snake. They have configured the design of the snake into a figure eight and each box consists of 8 cigars. The number 8 is a very auspicious number to the Chinese. 

(cigar inspector)

Starbucks Gift Card

Even Starbucks has released a gift card for the Chinese New Year - in the US. The card even comes in a special red envelope - a Chinese tradition is to give money to those younger than you in special, lucky red envelopes. 

(Starbucks)

Nike Year Of The Snake 

In celebration of 2013 as the Year of the Snake on the Chinese lunar calendar, Nike introduces a Nike Basketball and Nike Sportswear collection of Chinese zodiac footwear inspired by Kobe Bryant and the Year of the Snake respectively.

(Nike)

Estee Lauder Year Of The Snake

Limited edition, snake skin enameled Year of the Snake powder compact. 

(Estee Lauder)

Vans Old Skool "Year Of The Snake" 

Keeping the popular vintage model, the upper sees a slight edit as the branding, tongue and heel receive a faux snakeskin rework. The Old Skool ”Year Of the Snake” is both stylish and ceremonial, adding celebratory flare to the directional skate brand. Available in five colorways — ranging from yellow, turquoise, navy, red and purple.

(HB)

Build-A-Bear Workshop

Yes, even Build-A-Bear workshop is now offering a Build-A-Snake for 2013. (It's out of stock online already!)

(BAB)

Godiva Year Of The Snake Chocolate

GODIVA's limited edition milk & white ganache blend is infused with black and smoked tea in dark chocolate. Its delightfully embossed with a snake in celebration of the Lunar New Year. Only sold at select L.A. GODIVA boutiques in Costa Mesa, Brea, and Arcadia.

Really? Only in LA? Ugh! 

(Godiva)

 Peninsula Hotel

Yes, even hotels are offering special Chinese New Year's packages. 

The Peninsula Hotels is attracting affluent travelers to its properties in Asia-Pacific for the Chinese New Year holiday with hotel décor, culinary events and packages.

The brand’s properties in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Tokyo, Beijing, Bangkok and Manila are each providing guests with a unique display and activities to help them celebrate the holiday Feb. 10. 

(Luxury Daily) 

So you can see, the Chinese New Year is a pretty big deal not only to the Chinese but also to brands and marketers. It's a way to capture the attention of the Chinese on 12 year rotating cycle of animals associated to each one of us. Luxury marketers seem to love this opportunity since it is limited to 12 months, the Chinese are very superstitious and the new year and zodiac animal is a significant aspect of the culture, and the Chinese are spending! But you can see the wide range of brands that take part in this marketing strategy. Out with the dragon and in with the snake! 

Move Over Jay-Z, Beyoncé Has a New Partner, Pepsi

Pepsi Expands Beyonce Super Bowl Deal Into Full-Blown Partnership

From the Pepsi Super Bowl to now a cool $50 million partnership, Beyoncé has gone beyond the limits with one brand, her brand, Pepsi. Not only is she the face of Pepsi, they will be an active part of Brand Beyoncé - providing marketing support for her new album as well as underwriting Beyoncé's personal creative projects that cross-promote Pepsi for the duration of the partnership.. 

The partnership has been brewing since her first solo album in 2003. 

"The Beyonce partnership is the lead example of how Pepsi is pioneering a new way for brands to engage with musical artists, moving from sponsor to partner," PepsiCo stated about the expanded deal. "This creates a creative and commercial collaboration that serves both artist and brand."

(via BrandChannel)

EyeSee, Smart Mannequin Gleans Consumer Insights (video)

Part mannequin, part robot, total surveillance, total in-store retail analyst. EyeSee can be used for surveillance, but it is more about gleaning shopper insights - eyeing who the customers are through facial recognition technology - telling gender, age and ethnicity, tracking traffic patterns, and to be able to take this data to create new revenue streams.

 “A clothier introduced a children’s line after the dummy showed that kids made up more than half its mid-afternoon traffic, the company says,” Bloomberg reports. “Another store found that a third of visitors using one of its doors after 4 p.m. were Asian, prompting it to place Chinese-speaking staff by that entrance.”

(Almax, BrandChannel)

It's Official, Barbie Is Running For President

Barbie is taking on the political spotlight with her B Party at the Glam-paign Headquarters. She's got the look, the brains, and the funding of Mattel, and the support of Barbie fans nation-wide and even The White House Project. (and this is not a Palin spoof!)

 

As with everything, Mattel is following the throwback trend and bringing Barbie back. But they have timed it with the election and positioned to re-ignite Barbie as a strong, independant woman with politcal prowess. So who will be voting for...Barbie? For more on Barbie's glam-pain, check out the B Party. 

Kotex Uses Pinterest in Unique Way...Good or Bad?

Do you think this is where Pinterest is headed? Marketers lurking into the boards of target consumers and using them as a platform for viral marketing projects? Honestly, you can find out a lot about a pinner from what they pin to their Pinterest. It is a visual pinboard of their lives, dreams and wishes. So how marketers are using this information may actually ruin the experience for true pinners, like myself. Should we start filtering and editing what we pin knowing that companies are using us as market research? This is a huge topic up for debate. My suggestion to Pinterest is start Pinterest company pages, like facebook. And give pinners the option to hide their boards from companies. Anyway...See what Kotex did. What do you think? 

BTW, when I searched Kotex on Pinterest, I didn't see any of the recipients posts about their gift boxes, just a bunch of news about the marketing program. This is what I see...yep, you are seeing correctly, there are images of moldy Kotex too. So in a way, it's also a platform for consumers to tell other pinners what they love, hate and are shocked from what they find from companies. 

FutureProofing: #2 In A Series

What Is Branding? (video)

This video was produced in 2011 by the MSc Brand Leadership team at Norwich Business School, University of East Anglia. It's a great showcase of the history of branding and the impact branding has on a manufacture, company, organization and, yes, even you. Really well done.