How Do You Do Alot?

Keds Starts Campaign to Introduce Its Brand to a New Generation by Tanzina Vega

Keds is launching a new national campaign aimed toward millenials called "How Do You Do?" Keds intends on repositiong the brand as an iconic brand to 20 somethings. They intend on doing this through a pimped out campaign that involves a cross-country tour of college campuses in a 32-foot shoebox on wheels.

Check out promo video for campaign:

The campaign involves a massive amount of elaborative ideas, local artists and designers, creativity and most of all, lots of shoes and spending money. According to the article, Keds only spent $450,000 from January to September 2009 on advertising. During the same period the following year, they spent $1.68 million.

Since the campaign incorporates SO MUCH, read the link above for more info. What do you think - campaign overload or simply an elaborate and unique campaign for a shoes company that has been around since 1916.

AdFreak's 30 Freakiest Ads of 2010

The article speaks for itself: Click here to view them all

I don't want that with my data plan, thanks.

Going with the theme of psychos, and the fact that the new movie The Roommate came out last weekend, I thought I'd blog about Virgin Mobile's new commercials...scary, creepy commercials.

AdFreak's article included the new commercials for Virgin Mobile's Android phone with unlimited messaging, email, web, & data. I don't know if going in the route of first date turns into creepy, stalker chick will help with sales. Creative tactic, considering that with all of this technology, we can easily "creep" on others on our phones rather than just on computers. The scary music in these commercials doesn't really help me feel assured if I were to get a new data plan with a phone company like Virgin Mobile. I understand that many young people who are paying their way through college also have to pay for other necessities like cell phones. Companies like Virgin Mobile make it easy for them with pre-paid plans, some of which are adding more features to their plans since a lot of us are using smart phones (i.e. Crackberry, iPhone, Android, HTC etc).

Read more here: Virgin Mobile perfect for crazy stalker types

Here is another short from Virgin Mobile's Android commercials...

Science World Makeout

Turning Tuberculosis into a Tourist Attraction

The article from Adweek was about a contest for the re-marketing of the Republic of Zambia, which is located in South Africa. According to Klara, the impoverished country is struggling in the tourism industry and is asking marketers for a new tagline, and if possible (slash for brownie points), a new logo. I didn't know countries had logos but sure, go ahead.

http://www.adweek.com/aw/content_display/creative/news/e3i85fa38674a18dea1da6f5c5cdec45b0f

I can understand how difficult it is for a country like Zambia, where high crime, underage marriage, and Tuberculosis is prevalent, to improve and increase it's appeal to tourists hoping to travel abroad to Africa. In fact, tourism is one of the sources of income for Zambia, aside from agriculture and coal-mining.

I have always said how much I want to travel to Africa; South Africa to be exact. From what I see on Travel special, I just can't help but visualize a beautiful place and want to vacation there. But what these travel specials and promotional commercials are not showing is the corruption, police brutality, and high disease rate the country comes with. On the bright side, at least they have Victoria Falls (one of the Seven Wonders of the World).

The contest is as follows: Entrants are allowed three submissions each for a new tourist tagline. The winner receives $30,000 and a 15-day trip for two to the country of Zambia. $30,000 may not seem much to us, especially if you're a college student and that is how much it roughly costs for one year at a state school or private institution but the average Zambian annual income is $295. I wonder if it's possible to live on that little for the average American. It probably is if they still live with their parents and they have everything handed to them...including the salt on the other side of the dinner table.

"It Begins"

Verizon's commercial for the iPhone 4G coming February 11th. The telecommunications company wanted to thank its many subscribers for sticking with them and being patient while others switched to AT&T. It's not often that a company thanks it's customers.



Patience is a virtue.