Off-road right on track

On November 3rd, 2007 a massive hailstorm erupted over Bogota. Within minutes, the capital of Colombia was flodded with more than four feet of water and ice. It was brought to a complete standstill.

An almost complete standstill. Some things were still moving:



In a felicious example of reverse cross-media, Chevrolet used existing news footage for a beautifully simple spot. Normally, I am not a fan of in-you-face product benefits, but this ad for me shows that the letter U actually deserves its place in SUV. Sure enough, there isn't a rainstorm every day, but there isn't a rocky desert to drive through or a jagged mountain to pass every day, either.

Want Great PR? Win an Award!

With everyone going green and with Earth Day just around the corner, how about some solid organic public relations? Congrats to Guthrie designer Jean Nouvel for receiving architecture's Pritzker Prize and some serious bragging rights. Nothing like getting some national attention to compliment local advertising efforts. Now if only he would give a shout out to Yaybia in his acceptance speech...

VitaminWater + Sex and the City: The <3 Continues

Over here at Yaybia, we SEO with the best of them. Googling phrases we've blogged about to see where we show up in the rankings is pretty much a daily occurrence. So imagine my surprise when I typed in "vitamin water sex and the city" this afternoon and saw not just Yaybia (#6, woohoo!) but a new sponsored microsite from VitaminWater's domain.

I was initially ecstatic as the classic blank and magenta loaded and I was greeted with the four familiar faces I've been missing since 2004. But once I started clicking around, disappointment set in. The all-Flash site offers a chance to enter to win tickets to the Sex and the City movie premiere in New York. A "friends with benefits" section is currently listed as Coming Soon. Other links took me to wallpaper and movie photo galleries, the trailer, the VitaminWater MySpace page, and the official SATC movie site. Yawn! Where's the exclusive content? Where's the "forward to a friend" advergame? What's the sense in going live with this site if the presumably most important section, "friends with benefits," isn't even up yet?

Maybe VitaminWater realized that anyone who Googled that particular search string was getting directed to the comments of just a few smart bloggers and thought they'd better start directing that traffic to themselves. We'll stay tuned.

the wiki-guards

The wonderful thing about web 2.0 is supposed to be the two-way dialog. Brands are supposed to let their guard down, be transparent, and be ready to take any kind of feedback that they get online...right? Wrong, if you are a political candidate (and the discussion of branding political candidates is a totally other can of worms that I'll open at another time).

Take this, for example: Jonathan Schilling, a name you've never heard of, yet he spends about 15 hours per week editing Hilary Clinton's Wikipedia page. Why? To make sure that the image of a walrus that replaced her picture doesn't stay up there. Basically, he monitors Hillary Clinton as we know her...online.

So if political candidates are a brand, and we are taught to let brands take what they are given online, then what does this mean? Is this a problem, or would it be a complete disaster if her wiki page was just left to the wolves? Where are the lines here people!?

Google Turns Out the Lights for Earth Hour. Will You?

Earth Day may not be until April 22, but Google is raising awareness of Earth Hour today with their "lights out" homepage.  Google explains its move:

We believe in doing our part to help combat climate change, and found the Earth Hour initiative to be a timely, important event.  Further, we think the "lights out" ideas individual-centered nature is something that millions of people worldwide can participate in.  In short, we really like it. So we did something about it.

Cities around the world are getting involved in Earth Hour, Minneapolis included.  Tonight for an hour the skyline will be dark and non-essential city lights will be turned off.  In contrast to this MetBlog entry about Earth Hour not doing any good, I think it's an important reminder for people that making little changes will add up to a big difference.  If nothing else, it's a clear sign that "going green" is going mainstream.

Power! Thirst! Quencher!

I can't read the copy on this Japanese Vitamin Water, but it's nevertheless pretty funny. I am hoping for Carrot Coke and Dr Sweet Pepper so I can sip my salad. Hooray for liquid veggies! 

Package vs. product

Usually fine print doesn't make me smile. Usually I don't even read it. But as a college student, I get frequent occasions to study the fine print on packages of macaroni-and-cheese and pizza, as I wait for them to be micro-waved or baked. And they never fail to amuse me. The two little words next to the deliciously looking food: Serving suggestion.

Who seriously expects the actual snack to look like the herb-decorated and air-brushed shot of it on the package? And who, on the other hand, would go through the trouble of nicely arranging an instant meal on a plate with various nuts and spices around it?

A German project compared 100 food packages and photos with the actual product. The creators prepared the groceries according to the instructions, took pictures of them and, well, ate them. The time period and order in which they did so, is not specified and some of the stuff doesn't exactly look tasty. Maybe they could have spared themselves a lot of trouble and stomach aches, if they had only read the fine print. In that case, that would have been much less entertaining, though.

coolest. billboard. ever.

I found this NYtimes article about how SunChips is green. 75% of their plants power is coming from solar energy -- that is awesome.

I just really love creative OOH. It never gets old to me. And this is a perfect example of SIMPLE.

Ebay Campaign: Don't just shop - win!

Hello and welcome at yaybia, may I help you? Are you looking for something specific? Some real shrunken heads from Ecuador? Just follow me. Right over here. You can get 26 for just under 25 Dollars. A true gem for every living room. Anything else? What? Sure, we have Doritos that look like the pope's hat. Just over here in the divine aisle next to the moldy white Virgin Mary bread. Both sells for just 29,009 Dollars combined. Apropos: We have some fresh virginity today. Aged for 18 years, directly from Britain - so make sure to get it as long as we have it. Usually it doesn't last very long. And please pay attention to our special offer. Today we have the meaning of life for just 3,26 Dollars. Oh, no I am sorry we can't send that to your aunt in Sweden. This particular item only ships within the US. Thanks for shopping with us today and come back soon.

There are some things money can't buy, but there is nothing that can't be sold on the world's largest marketplace. No matter if you want to get rid of your favorite UFO detector kit or if you need to sell your antique vampire slaughter box, ebay will connect you to the significant somebody who just happened to look for exactly that. Just take a few pictures of your treasure, describe it nicely, wait for a week and your money and mail it out. It's a true win-win situation.

But what if the true winner was actually ebay? What if ebay itself bought all the crazy stuff so they can circulate a catchy press release about the wonderfully weird stuff that is sold on the world wide web. What if all the blogger buzz about the online selling spree was actually built on false premises? What if some smart people in the Marketing department realized that a genie in a bottle will attract more attention than all the vintage clothing in the world? What if there was no ominous Online Casino? What if it's all a gigantic circular conspiracy?

Sure enough, ebay would have to put all that junk somewhere. They can't just throw it away without risking that somebody might find the rotten piece of cheese bread, the virginity or the meaning of life in their corporate trash can. The very plausible answer is of course that ebay is renting old abandoned army bunkers in Swiss mountains to hide all their confidential purchases. Operation Undercover. Its no secret how secretive the Swiss are.

So next time you think about bidding on that empty KFC bucket (including crumbs), an orange dot or a little much needed talent - think again! Ebay might snatch it away from you to tuck it away underneath some snowy slopes. If you still don't believe in the scheme, read ebay backwards and insert y after the a and switch the e for ia. Penny dropped? Then save it for your next ebay auction.

Brand Relationships vs. Life Relationships

I made an offhand comment today that really seemed more "on hand" after I thought about it. I saw a guy with a VitaminWater and I jokingly said, "My future husband..." but maybe that's not such a humorous comment..

How do brand relationships impact real life relationships?

If you eat, sleep and breathe (probably bleed) Mac and Apple products, would you ever even consider dating the PC guy? Hmm, no. If you've been driving a Chevy your entire life and your wife says, "Hey honey, time to get a Ford Windstar," are you really going to succumb to suburban soccer moms? We didn't think so either.

Brand relationships are often referred to as just a common preference. I like Coke and you like Pepsi. But if you stop and think how many Ford vs. Chevy, Mac vs. PC, Domino's vs. Pizza Hut arguments you've heard, even ridiculous things like Tide vs. Gain and Roundy's vs. Market Pantry, brand preferences aren't just opinions. Brands that embody human characteristics and attitudes are easier to form attachments and relationships with. It's kind of like backing up your best friend, or defending your boyfriend's strange quirks - you stand by the brands that you have an emotional connection with. After all, the latest AdAge even quotes a professor as saying, "Brands are almost human in representation in people's minds." If a Bud Light weirdo is making cracks at your Miller Lite, you take it personally. You will take time out of your life to defend a brand. A beer brand! But it's true. We like our friends, we like our brands, but more importantly, we like friends that like our brands.

Brand relationships aren't always apparent at first sight, but then again, neither is love.

Jameson Irish Whiskey: Out of Home Done Right

I love nothing more than when creative and media teams work closely together. When transit ads act differently than print, I'm impressed--and even moreso when they're locally relevant. One of the biggest factors for whether someone pays attention to an ad is personal relevance, and for a national brand, taking a local approach often enhances that factor. Take these transit ads around campus:




They're conscious of the fact that they're bus ads in Minnesota without screaming, "HEY! I'M AN ADVERTISEMENT! ISN'T IT COOL THAT I KNOW I'M AN ADVERTISEMENT?" Instead, they're relating the product and the message to its surroundings. Very cool in my book, and the sign of creatives who think strategically about media and media planners who think creatively.

And I'm not gonna lie: On a college campus, a bus stop might just be the moment of receptivity for a whiskey ad...

Anti-climate? Anticlimax!

There are two ways to truly successful irony. The first one is exaggeration. Subtlety is for sissies, real pros push it. Include every available stereotype and as much blunt generalization as you possibly can. Use obvious visuals and straightforward language and one to explain the other. A single extreme example is not gonna do it, one cheesy comment doesn't get your point across - remember to take it to the limit. And then one step further.

The second key to savvy sarcasm is of course to tell your audience that they have just been punked. Don't take a risk, don't let your irony pass unnoticed. Not everybody is as smart as you are, some folks just need a bit of support so make sure you draw the conclusions for them. Ensure everybody knows what a witty wag you are by telling them what a witty wag you are.

See, its really easy. After all, its irony, not rocket science.



PS: In case you didn't notice: This was ironic. The video. The viral site.
And the above paragraph. Just to make sure...

Now go and turn of your PC (or Mac for that matter) and every single one of your 50 light switches and save the earth. Cause thats pretty damn serious.

VitaminWater - Sex and the City : The Re-Domination

Our girls are back! The lovely ladies of Sex and the City have teamed up with VitaminWater to Rescue parched fans before the debut of their first full-length film. We mentioned earlier that the XXX label was graced with the presence of clever NYC inspired copy and now we're here to examine the latest VitaminWater partnership and SATC movie promotion.

I was purchasing my weekly 10 for $10 VitaminWater supply when I noticed the same skyline graphic on the Rescue label that appears on the XXX bottles. The only change is the lack of sparkling stars...I guess this is the daytime edition. The missing stars doesn't mean the copy doesn't shine. Check it:

is it just us, or does life never cease to amaze you? your best friend was dumped via text message, your sister wants you to wear a lime-green bridesmaid dress (with taffeta ruffles, of course), and your paparazzi friend posted all those scandalous pictures online…looks like you need to be rescued. well, this bottle is packed with vitamin c and egcg to help keep you from stumbling down the runway of life. and with our girls carrie, samantha, charlotte, and miranda making their debut on the big screen, we thought this might help with some of their “big” problems (because brunch time discussions don’t always cut it). so drink up and don’t worry about the photos…they were pictures of your “twin sister,” right?

VitaminWater has never done a label takeover partnership before Sex and the City, let alone done one twice. Is this going to be a successful continuation of the brilliant co-branding and marketing partnership? Will this diminish the value of the first promotion? Will anyone notice? Or do we just drink too much VitaminWater?

Vitamins + Marketing = All You Need: Vitamin Water and Sex and the City

VitaminWater has exploded into the lives of thirsty trend setters nationwide, its success fueled largely by the clever label copy. Each of the 12 flavors has its own quirky story related to the concoction of vitamins and deliciousness packed into each bottle. Kelly Clarkson and Fifty have already their own exclusive flavors. Do we taste fantastic branding and cross promotions? I think we do. Since its introduction in 2004, VitaminWater has only pursued partnerships with personalities...but out of nowhere, the label of our favored XXX and its powerful antioxidants has transformed into a co-branding effort to promote the Sex and the City movie hitting theaters this May. Check it:

just like our girl carrie would wonder...are healthy relationships and healthy diets really that different? sometimes you can't help but fall for the bad boy or at least agree to sample the dessert tray, but does either ever have a healthy outcome? is it possible to have both - the excitement of the naughty with the benefits of the nice? well, we'll leave the relationship advice to carrie, samantha, charlotte and miranda, but we can help with some insight into healthy lifestyles. and with the ladies of sex and the city back looking for the next "big" thing, we thought we'd add even a little more xxx to the silver screen - as in triple antioxidants from acai, blueberries, and pomegranate. so think of them as a love triangle without all the drama.

All VitaminWater's current marketing and partnerships target image-concerned teens and young adults, so their consumer base is exactly who SATC wants to reach. And what better way to flaunt your movie's sure-to-be clever, quotable dialogue than with a sneak preview in this witty copy? So thanks, Glaceau, for intelligent partnerships and long copy that makes us smile. Some might call it selling out; we call it smart integration into all aspects of a consumer's life.

Erin Lamberty

For all things Erin, check out erin.extendr.com. 

Libby Issendorf

After growing up on a farm in North Dakota, Libby Issendorf moved to Minneapolis to attend the University of Minnesota. She discovered her passion for brands and media as a member of her school’s first-place National Student Advertising Competition team. After graduation in 2008, she began her career in the Campbell Mithun media department working on national brands like General Mills and Land O Lakes. She is a member of the Ypulse Youth Advisory Board and the brains behind their Twitter feed and YouTube channel. On Yaybia, Libby discusses social media, branding, online/mobile strategy, and media strategy--along with the occasional nipple. She loves impromptu bar nights, playing sports, consuming gratuitous amounts of pop culture, the Minnesota Twins, being really geeky with her iPhone, and driving to see her boyfriend, who lives too far away.

More Libby link love

Monika Frech

Like her fellow yaybies, Monika Frech is from the Midwest. The Midwest of Europe in her case. Born and raised in the South of Germany, she moved to Berlin to attend one of the capital’s universities and many of its bars. Her passion for advertising was fueled through internships in strategic communication and her participation in various student competitions. At one point she figured that more schools would look good on her and moved to Florence, Italy and later to Minneapolis. During her exchange year at the University of Minnesota, she joined Chariot as the team’s copywriter. Back in Berlin, Monika is currently finishing up the equivalent of a master’s degree in all sorts of social sciences. To add another school to her collection, she recently started a program in design thinking and creative innovation. On Yaybia, she presents the best and the worst of Germany’s advertising and pop culture and her thoughts on it.

Jeanine Lilke

Jeanine hails from the nation's capital of trumpeter swans, Monticello, Minnesota. She is currently a senior at the University of Minnesota majoring in marketing and advertising. Her advertising passion is behavioral planning and she brings this obsession to the U of M's National Student Advertising Competition as a co-president. Currently, she works as a teaching assistant to pay the bills, but is looking for her next ad gig. Blogging on Yaybia allows Jeanine to geek out with her fellow pop culture lovers. She enjoys hanging out in her all male household, watching Gopher hockey, water sports at the cabin and consuming way too many marshmallows.

Danielle Ouellette

Originally from Madison, Wisconsin, Danielle moved to Minneapolis to attend the University of Minnesota. She majors in Advertising at the School of Journalism and Mass Communication and is a co-president of Chariot, the U of M’s National Student Advertising Competition team. It was here that her passion for the advertising industry flourished. Currently Danielle is an account management intern for Hunt Adkins, a small agency in the heart of downtown Minneapolis. On Yaybia, Danielle shares her thoughts on brands, advertising and social media. Her free time activities include: social media geek-ery, Tuesday night scrabble, festive outings, happy hour shenanigans and baking cupcakes for anyone who will eat them.

Jacey Berg

Raised in the southern suburb of Rosemount, Jacey Berg headed to the University of Minnesota and graduated with a degree in Advertising, a passion that was fueled by her participation in the National Student Advertising Competition. Shortly after graduation, Jacey interned at the interactive advertising agency space150 in their media department, which then turned into a full time position as an Assistant Media Planner. There she works on implementing and monitoring display campaign for a wide variety of clients. Jacey uses Yaybia to talk about whatever tickles her fancy in the ad world: brands, social media, fails and wins, unique ideas, cultural relevancy etc. When not at work, Jacey spends her time on Google Reader, watching the Soup with Joel McHale, playing with her kitty, consuming Disney culture/trivia/multimedia, spending time with her friends, and bar-hopping with the best of them.

Alicia Houselog

Alicia Houselog hails from Monticello, Minnesota. (No worries- she's not radioactive... we think.) She is a recent graduate from the University of Minnesota in Strategic Communication, where she founded the UMN Student One Club. She was also Creative Director for Chariot, the U of M's National Student Advertising Competition team. YAYBIA! is an outlet where Alicia can critique creative executions and explore new facets of social media. In her free time she sings karaoke, plays and/or watches sports (GO TWINS!) and frequents happy hour establishments. Alicia is also currently on a quest to watch every film on a list of "movies to see before you die."

Susan Garcia

Hailing from a small town in Wisconsin, Susan Garcia is a senior at the University of Minnesota's School of Journalism and Mass Communication with a major in public relations. Susan is a public relations leader in the National Student Advertising Competition team for the year 2008-09. As an intern in the consumer marketing practice at Padilla Speer Beardsley, Susan is learning about the ins and outs of a public relations agency, and enjoys implementing social media into her work as well as her personal life. On Yaybia, Susan has brought her views on the public relations industry as well as branding and social media. Susan enjoys chaotic nights with her friends, sharing on Google Reader, is a cheese-head Packer fan, and a music fanatic who would love nothing more than to spend every night of her life at a music concert.

Carina Enbody

Carina Enbody comes all the way from the home state of popular white rappers and failing auto companies.  Narrowly escaping any related professions, she is working as an Interactive Producer at Fallon Worldwide.  Her love of all things media began at East Lansing High School while editing the yearbook, and flourished as a member of the first-place winning National Student Advertising Competition.  Feeling like a day job just wasn't enough to keep her on the same busy schedule as college did, she started her own social media consulting company, ENBODY LLC, to teach Digital Immigrants how to use social media.   She loves both of her jobs, wishes she had a dog, really likes her apartment, longs to attend more sporting events (but the TV does well), and enjoys driving her minivan named Bernard.