Rory Finlay: Building Brands People Want to Talk About

Rory Finlay, Beam Global's CMO, was part of an Economist Marketing Forum discussing word of mouth and new models of marketing. To find out more watch the video below:



It's great to see our vision of Building Brands People Want to Talk About being talked about. It's like meta talkability.

Hennessy 44

From Hennessy's press release:

"In recognition of one of the most defining moments in American history, Hennessy is introducing a limited edition bottle honoring the inauguration of the 44th President of the United States. In honor of this momentous occasion and furthering Hennessy’s long standing commitment with the urban community, a percentage of proceeds from the Hennessy 44 Limited Edition bottle will be donated to the Thurgood Marshall College Fund to help cultivate a new generation of leaders."

The Hennessy 44 Limited Edition bottle will feature a redesigned label, black capsule, and a special 44 seal featuring the date of the inauguration. Only 180,000 (750ml) uniquely numbered collector’s item bottles have been produced and will be available for sale in Washington DC, Maryland, Illinois, Metro New York, and Georgia from January 12th, 2009.

During the inauguration weekend Hennessy will join the celebrations at the Thurgood Marshall College Fund reception, the Radio One Inauguration Gala, the NNPA Gala, and the Hip Hop Summit Action Network Inaugural Ball. Celebrities will be invited to autograph commemorative bottles for a later auction to create additional funds for scholarships through the Thurgood Marshall College Fund.

The limited edition bottles will be individually numbered and will be line priced with Hennessy V.S. For more information on Hennessy V.S Limited Edition Inauguration Bottles and the Thurgood Marshall College fund, please visit www.hennessy.com or www.thurgoodmarshallfund.org. "



And here are my thoughts - great idea to tie in with the biggest story for a long time. It links to success and the urban community. Piggybacking is always an easy way to gain publicity.

It has undoubtedly been picked up and talked about very widely. Just google Hennessy 44 and you are flooded with hits.

But... the reaction hasn't been entirely positive.

Some comments on Jump the Turnstyle:

"Uggh- I can’t read the small copy, but it looks to be all worded in such a way where where Obama’s name is not mentioned specifically , therefore it doesn’t have to be licensed- big time crapitalism"

From New York Mag...

""Hennessy’s roots in the urban community"

When will companies just come out and say "the black [or African-American] community" instead of using "urban" as a code word?

Also, does a Digital Underground shout-out fifteen years ago really count as "roots"?"

....

"Disgusting stuff.

Dewars for the win."

....

"The idea that a smooth customer like BHO would ever drink Hennessy is beyond ridiculous. The only way I can imagine that happening is if for some strange reason Michelle left him and, crazed with grief, he drank everything else in the bar and Hennessy was all that was left. THEN, maybe. Otherwise, no."

....

"Obama needs to get some Laphroaig Quarter Cask or Lagavulin as his presidential drink of choice. If you can't smoke in the White House you might as well drink something that tastes like smoke."

....

"Obama strikes me as having subtle, complex tastes. No cloying, easy Hennessy for him. I suspect his brandy is Germain-Robin - and it's American, so it's patriotic to drink."

....

From One Plus Infinity:

"The president-elect isn’t much of a drinker, but if anything’s going to drive you to the liquor cabinet, it’s being the leader of the free world. He might want to find a different brand, though: North Korea’s Kim Jong Il is said to be a huge Hennessy fan."

It's interesting that they never mention Barrack Obama in the copy. The reference to 44 is far more subtle and no doubt avoids a few lawsuits and usage costs.

You can buy your very limited edition of 180,000 commemorative Hennessy 44 on ebay here.

Negativity and bitterness to one side... the idea has been well executed and has been talked about far and wide strengthening Hennessey, and by dint of them being category leader, cognac's, roots in the African American market.

Hooker's Delight Martini Glasses

Beautiful martini glass concept. Witty. Stylish. Something you want to talk about.

I found it on NotCot, but it's originally from Greece is for Lovers where you can buy them.

Would't it be great to commission some innovative glassware for one of our brands. The possibilities are so interesting. Historically this is something that Bombay Sapphire have excelled at.

Glenmorangie Signet

From Luxist:

"I've been hearing lots of buzz lately about the Glemorangie Signet, people really want to get their hands on this bottle. The whisky is causing a stir for several reasons, the first that it is not touting the age on the bottle and the second that the whisky uses a chocolate malt mixed in with barley to create the mash. The word being used to describe it is "voluptuous" and both a Businessweek article and Bill Dowd seem to heartily concur while John Hansell of Malt Advocate seems a bit more reserved although he does declare it to be a fun whisky. It has notes of sherry, maple, marmalade, tobacco and yes, chocolate.

The age of whiskies in Signet hasn't been revealed but it's likely a younger concoction and a smart move to make one at a time when Scotland is feeling the pinch of a shortage of older whiskies ready to tap. The Signet is priced like an older whisky, $185 a bottle but so far the tasters seem to think its worth it. It should start showing up in stores this month."

Sherry, maple, marmalade, tobacco and chocolate sounds delicious. The use of chocolate in the malting process is very interesting, acting as a very simple point of difference.

In addition, this is a good example of generating both online and traditional PR with opinion formers in the early phase of the launch to create credibility and desire before Christmas.

Add the mystery of how old the whisky is and it's a talkability recipe.

Burger King launches meat-scented fragrance

Bonkers. But getting a fair bit of media coverage. And very true to form of Burger King to do something whacky that centres on their superior burgers. You can see this through recent work on Whopper Freakout, Whopper Bars and the recent Whopper Virgins campaign. This is from Brand Republic:

"Fast-food chain Burger King has launched a meat-scented cologne in the US for under $4 (£2.56) and has aptly called it "Flame".

The men's fragrance, which is being sold at a New York retailer and online, is being touted as "the scent of seduction, with a hint of flame-broiled meat".

Meat-loving consumers can buy a bottle of the scent for just $3.99.

Burger King has also launched a website called FireMeetsDesire.com to accompany the cologne.

The site reads: "The Whopper sandwich is America's favourite burger. Flame by BK captures the essence of that love and gives it to you."

Users are also greeted with the caption: "Now you can set the mood for whatever you're in the mood for."





Burger King released the fragrance earlier this week and an informal survey carried out by the Boston Herald revealed that some men would actually wear it."

Ikea's Making the Russian Tube System Better

Ikea's "Let's make the everyday a little better" idea has made a sensational comeback in Moscow. I'm probably overstating this a bit. The last time we reported on Ikea was in August 2006!

Here's a quick recap of the work they were doing in New York...





And the work in Sweden was just as cute... possibly even more so...





And now they have rolled out the same idea in Russia. I love it. And I am guessing it must have been a nightmare to get the Russian authorities to approve it!





For the full set of Flickr photos click here. It's great to see. The one time I used the Moscow underground I got incredibly lost and decided not to use it again. The resulting taxi ride resulted in me and Anne getting kidnapped! For more background have a look at this. It's great to see something that isn't intrusive.

What if Ikea were to invest in the London Underground. They could be in charge of the Hammersmith and City Line's design... could be fun. And it would fit with the private finance initiative. What do you think Borris?

Discovered on PSFK.

Absolut LA Feedback isn't so good!

Absolut's new LA falvour launch is getting a fair amount of coverage from trend spotting sites... but some of the comments by the public aren't so positive.

Have a look at some of these remarks from Current.

Inspired by Los Angeles, so does that mean it's going to taste phony, desperate, will talk on and on about how it has something in development at a BIG studio, and is only going to be interested in me if I can do something for it?

they forgot to add botox and collagen to the product's flavor description.

Tastes like LA, Burns like a California wildfire.

It should really taste like Cigarretes, cocaine and a hint of meth, with hot peppers and maybe alcohol on it.

Whilst they aren't glowing... some are quite witty and none of them are negatively directed at Absolut. It all adds to tease our collective curiosity. And it is completely in line with the "spoofability" that Absolut's marketing has been famous for over the years.

Maybe the soundtrack to this campaign should be the Bran Van 3000 song: "Drinking in LA"

McDonald's - Open all night

I found this on I believe in advertising and thought it was very clever. Nice sizzle.

Berocca's Blogger Relief Pack is a great idea...

so long as I get one!



"Blogging can be stressful. We live in a world where millions of people
read and demand new content from websites every day.

The Blogger Relief Pack comes to the rescue of those tired minds. Be part of the Blogger Relief campaign to rescue those we rely on to feed our insatiable hunger for the weird wide web.

If you’ve got a blog, fill in your details and you could receive a Blogger Relief Pack from Berocca. Keep on blogging and we’ll feature some of the best blogs we see on this page in the coming weeks."

It's a great mechanic and a very well targeted initiative. Seth and co would be proud.

Visit Berocca's site here.

akdoV raeB naissuR

From Adverteyes


"Lowe Bull in South Africa, created a "propaganda" poster for Russian Bear Vodka that was placed on the walls facing bathroom mirrors in pubs and clubs. At first glance, the writing appeared to be in Cyrillic Alphabet (probably meaning nothing), but when looked at through the mirror, the letters reversed to read in plain English: Real "Men Don't Drink and Drive." A nice sort of a mirror game, that can surprise somebody when first seen, probably making him think he drank too much ;-)

Simple and effective creative method, for a social interest message."

Neat way to amplify a simple creative message. Not sure what comes next thought. There's only so much mirror writing you can do?



Thanks to Thesoni for the image.

Hennessey VSOP x Devilock Palm Boy

From Freshness Mag

"French lux cognac label Hennessy, along with DEVILOCK, will launch a temporary concept store in the capital city of Taiwan on the first week of July. By amalgamating luxury concepts and urban styles, both labels will offer a commemorative products - a limited edition PALMBOY figure with every purchase of Hennessy V.S.O.P. cognac. This offer will start this Friday, June 13th till July 1st at all participating Hennessy retailers in Taiwan. In addition, each buyer will have the chance to participate the VIP party/grand opening of Hennessy x DEVILOCK Taipei City Concept Store in July. More information to come in the near future."







Reminds me a lot of the "Fast" that CP+B created for VW Golf GTI fans in the States. They landed up selling for $800 on Ebay. I wonder whether Hennessy will have the same success? Or whether people will be as baffled as I am about how much they are cheapening their brand.



It goes to show that objects of sociablity, or ooze, as Hugh Macleod would call them, do get picked up and talked about.

Live Honda Ad

Wow!

Honda Live Advert Sky Dive Difficult is worth doing
by unitedgoals

Li

Strategically great. Executionally brilliant. Honda advertising goes from stregth to stregth.

Good old power of dreams!

What a great way of making a small media budget go a long way... not that Honda have got small budget!

via Three Minds at Organic.

The Belvedere Jagger Dagger

"Extravagant Nightclub Experience and $250,000 Bejeweled 'Jagger Dagger' Debuts NEW YORK, April 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Launching this spring, the ultimate expression of "Luxury Reborn" is the Jade Jagger for Belvedere collaboration, composed of an extravagant nightclub ritual and the exclusive "Jagger Dagger." With this new initiative, Belvedere is further established as the hottest vodka -- smooth, creamy, peppery and brimming with the energy of the night.

The fabulous "Jagger Dagger," designed by rock 'n' roll legacy andcelebrated jewelry designer Jade Jagger, boasts an 18-carat white gold hiltstudded with 12 carats of brilliant-cut diamonds, 42 stunning pieces ofpale sapphire and is inlaid with a central blue lapis lazuli square sittingabove the blade. The Jagger Dagger's handle is bound with a twisted thread of white gold and crowned with a giant moonstone and lapis lazuli bead. A limited number of these ultimate ice daggers will be created, eachwith a retail value exceeding $250,000. The Jagger Dagger's blade iscrafted from mirror-polished carbon steel and adorned with an engraving ofthe delicate frosted tree branches that decorate the Belvedere bottleitself. These precious ice daggers will be sold at a select number ofworld-famous retailers, including Harrods in London. A range ofidentical-looking daggers-studded with 12 carats of white topaz, 42 piecesof stunning aquamarine and valued at $10,000 each -- will also be availableat exclusive retailers for trendsetting party-goers wanting to enjoyBelvedere's "Jagger Dagger" experience for themselves. "I was excited when Belvedere asked me to design this ice pick forthem," says Jade Jagger. "I drew my inspiration from medieval daggers andworked with the finest stones to create the pieces, which are fun and workto bring a pure experience to enjoying vodka."

The "Jagger Dagger" will be part of an extravagant and outrageous experience when a magnum of Belvedere is ordered at select exclusive nightclubs. Currently a trend in top European night spots, revelers can nowenjoy their Belvedere cocktails with chiseled chunks of hand-cracked ice, increasingly in demand among discerning vodka drinks. The irregularsurfaces of hand-cracked ice melt down more slowly than traditionalevenly-shaped ice cubes, keeping the vodka cold without diluting its rich taste and potency. The ritual is completed with a giant block of ice andtableside ice-picking service with the bejeweled "Jagger Dagger," providedby servers suited in Jagger's Jezebel collection. This exclusive experiencewill be available at top nightclubs around the globe -- including 1OAK inNew York, Crystal in London and VIP in Paris. "We are extremely excited about collaborating with Jade Jagger and thecreation of the Jagger Dagger," says Sergio Dias, president, BelvedereVodka. "Belvedere continues to embody true luxury and the Jagger Dagger Experience is the ultimate expression of Belvedere's commitment toinnovation that no other super-premium vodka brand can offer.

With the Jagger Dagger, we are offering consumers a unique experience that can befound nowhere else." The Jade Jagger for Belvedere collaboration launches this spring with aseries of star-studded events in the world's party capitals, starting inMumbai then moving on to New York and Los Angeles, London, Cannes (during the film festival) and ending in Ibiza during the height of party season.Jade Jagger will be in attendance at all events, along with guests chosenfrom her glamorous circle and musicians, photographers, celebrities,designers and models. About Jade Jagger Jade Jagger is the embodiment of today's true style leaders. Having carved a feted reputation as an artist, creative director and visionary jeweler, Jade Jagger was appointed creative director at Garrard, the Royaljewelers, where her dedication and design innovation saw her reach a newgeneration by revolutionizing the company's creative communication. Jade Jagger currently resides in London and Ibiza.

About the Terry Richardson Advertising Campaign The Jade Jagger for Belvedere collaboration follows the launch of thebrand's new advertising campaign, presenting Belvedere's message of LuxuryReborn to a wider public. The campaign was created and directed byavant-garde American photographer Terry Richardson. An ex-punk rockerturned fashion photographer extraordinaire, Richardson, like Jagger,embodies Belvedere's spirit of authentic artistry and luxury coupled with ago-anywhere social savvy. To mark the launch of the Jade Jagger forBelvedere collaboration, Terry has photographed Jade in a series ofstriking images, each of which will bring to life the downtown, luxury appeal of the collaboration."

This is being covered in all the newspapers and is a very clever way of getting publicity and talkability outside of the bar... but just as importantly is a great way of getting visibility and listings in luxury bars.

Music 'can enhance wine taste'

Fascinating article from the BBC that could influence some of our sampling techniques and lead to talkability.

"Playing a certain type of music can enhance the way wine tastes, research by psychologists suggests.

The Heriot Watt University study found people rated the change in taste by up to 60% depending on the melody heard.

The researchers said cabernet sauvignon was most affected by "powerful and heavy" music, and chardonnay by "zingy and refreshing" sounds.

Professor Adrian North said the study could lead retailers to put music recommendations on their wine bottles.

The research involved 250 students at the university who were offered a free glass of wine in exchange for their views.

Brain theory

Four types of music were played - Carmina Burana by Orff ("powerful and heavy"), Waltz of the Flowers from The Nutcracker by Tchaikovsky ("subtle and refined"), Just Can't Get Enough by Nouvelle Vague ("zingy and refreshing") and Slow Breakdown by Michael Brook ("mellow and soft")

The white wine was rated 40% more zingy and refreshing when that music was played, but only 26% more mellow and soft when music in that category was heard.


MUSIC RECOMMENDATIONS
Cabernet Sauvignon: All Along The Watchtower (Jimi Hendrix), Honky Tonk Woman (Rolling Stones), Live And Let Die (Paul McCartney and Wings), Won't Get Fooled Again (The Who)
Chardonnay: Atomic (Blondie), Rock DJ (Robbie Williams), What's Love Got To Do With It (Tina Turner), Spinning Around (Kylie Minogue)
Syrah: Nessun Dorma (Puccini), Orinoco Flow (Enya), Chariots Of Fire (Vangelis), Canon (Johann Pachelbel)
Merlot: Sitting On The Dock Of The Bay (Otis Redding), Easy (Lionel Ritchie), Over The Rainbow (Eva Cassidy), Heartbeats (Jose Gonzalez)
Source: Montes wines

The red was altered 25% by mellow and fresh music, yet 60% by powerful and heavy music.

The results were put down to "cognitive priming theory", where the music sets up the brain to respond to the wine in a certain way.

"Wine manufacturers could recommend that while drinking a certain wine, you should listen to a certain sort of music," Prof North said.

The research was carried out for Chilean winemaker Aurelio Montes, who plays monastic chants to his maturing wines.

Mr Montes said: "It was therefore a natural extension to link with Heriot Watt and to scientifically determine the impact that music has on how wine tastes."

Previously, Professor North conducted supermarket research which suggested people were five times more likely to buy French wine than German wine if accordion music was played in the background.

If an oompah band was played, the German product outsold the French by two to one."

In an Absolut World in Mexico

From the Consumerist:

"Absolut is running an ad in Mexico that some in this country are finding offensive because it favorably depicts our borders as they existed before the 1848 Mexican-American war. We're going to bite and talk about the ad even though it means that the advertisers win and America dies just a bit more.

The campaign taps into the national pride of Mexicans, according to Favio Ucedo, creative director of leading Latino advertising agency Grupo Gallegos in the U.S.

Ucedo, who is from Argentina, said: "Mexicans talk about how the Americans stole their land, so this is their way of reclaiming it. It's very relevant and the Mexicans will love the idea."

But he said that were the campaign to run in the United States, it might fall flat.

"Many people aren't going to understand it here. Americans in the East and the North or in the center of the county — I don't know if they know much about the history.

"Probably Americans in Texas and California understand perfectly and I don't know how they'd take it."

Meanwhile, the campaign has been circulating on the blogs and generating strong responses from people north of the border.

"I find this ad deeply offensive, and needlessly divisive. I will now make a point of drinking other brands. And 'vodka and tonic' is my drink," said one visitor, called New Yorker, on MexicoReporter.com.

Reader Paul Green goes into a discussion on the blog Gateway Pundit of whether the U.S. territories ever belonged to Mexico in the first place, and the News12 Long island site invited people to boycott Absolut, with one user, called LivingSmall, writing: "If you drink Absolut vodka, you can voice your approval or disapproval of this advertising campaign with your purchases. I know I will be switching to Grey Goose or Stoli and will never have another bottle of Absolut in my house.

Um, honestly, we didn't pick up the history thing at first glance. We heard it was running in Mexico and immediately understood the intrinsic appeal. As far as we can tell, it's cute and funny and will obviously incite hordes of Mexicans to race north against earthquakes to reclaim our once-picturesque frontier. Watch out, Alta Californians!"

People are certainly talking about it! You can vote on whether you think it's cool or crap or not worth bothering about here. But if you think it's not worth bothering about you might want to consider contradicting yourself by voting!

For what seems like a fairly comprehensive collection of Absolut's new range of ads click here.

iBar is very cool

From Springwise:

"We wrote recently about the interactive wine bar at Adour in New York City's St. Regis Hotel, and since then we've spotted several mentions of iBar, a related innovation by UK-based Mindstorm.

Unveiled in 2006, the iBar is a customisable surface technology that turns any bar into a giant version of an interactive, touch-sensitive screen. Integrated video projectors can display any content on the bar's milky surface, while built-in intelligent tracking software continually maps the position of every object touching its surface. That input is then used to let the projected content interact dynamically with the movements on the counter, allowing coloured lights, for example, to illuminate, link and follow every movement of hands, bottles and glasses. Multiple people can interact with the iBar at once, and virtual objects can be "touched" with the fingers, enabling a game of pinball where players shoot with their thumbs, for example. Content that can be displayed on the iBar includes internet content, interactive games and advertising; bars can also be fitted with Bluetooth technology to allow consumers to download their own content. The iBar is a stand-alone system comprising modules 2m long, and it can be networked wirelessly to allow interaction between two or more separate units.

The iBar has already been used in events, exhibitions, product launches and top night spots all over the world, Mindstorm says, including BMW's head office in Munich, Geneva's Pimp Club and a gala dinner at Google. Such technologies certainly have the potential to transform the consumer experience at bars, restaurants and other venues, as well as providing a wealth of new advertising and point-of-sale opportunities. One to try out early!"

Check out the YouTube version of it.



Great piece of talkability for bars and brands. Have a look at this page for the branding effects they are capable of.

Champagne Marmite for Lovers

I love this and am going to try to find a pot. As ever great stuff from Marmite. A good build on their Guinness collaboration last year.

CC getting the word of mouth it was after

All from The Scotch Blog back in October 2007. Not quite sure how I missed it?!

"Canadian Club, a product of Beam Global Spirits* is about to roll out a new ad campaign.

The concept of the campaign? Your Dad was much cooler than you are.

Yep that's right - they are saying it's cool to drink whisky BECAUSE your dad drank it, not despite it.

They are also saying that your Dad was probably more of a man than you are.

According to the press release:

The thought-provoking campaign challenges consumers to embrace their dads classic masculinity, most visibly expressed through their choice to drink Canadian Club whisky cocktails. In launching Damn Right, CC invited Beam Global employees to search through their photo albums to submit images that epitomize the campaign."

And here are some of the comments. It's certainly getting talked about. But for the right reasons? You decide.

"Bravo to Beam for missing two HUGE problems in one ad campaign!
The first, more obvious one, is that the modern drinker barely resembles the drinker of the 60s and that's a good thing. Today's drinking culture in the 25-40 range is way more realistic about how alcohol fits into their lives. My dad's generation of drinker drank for a lot of the wrong reasons and attempting to make nostalgia from that is, well, pathetic.

Second huge problem is further alienation of the female whiskey drinkers at all ages. How many women want to idolize their fathers when he was aimless and drunk? It's not so much that this ad campaign isn't tartgets towards women... that's 95% of all drinks advertising. It takes an extra special effort by a drinks company to insult female drinkers with an ad that's misogynistic today and nostalgic for more misogynistic times in the past.

Oh, and a small aside. What the hell is that lime wedge doing in that drink? Are they implying that drinkers from the 60s drank CC with a wedge of lime? Maybe Darcy from Art of Drink can help us figure that one out.

Posted by: Brian | October 25, 2007 at 08:29 AM

- Your Dad didn't hug you because he knew what a baby you'd grow up to be anyway

- Your Dad didn't have AAA

- Your Dad smoked while pumping gas

- If Dad was doing the dishes, it must have been Mother's Day

- Dad is the reason they call Vegas "Sin City" now.

Posted by: Rick | October 25, 2007 at 03:01 PM

Love this story, but the campaign is totally off the wall (even if I might get a little 'respect' from my kids!). What were the CC guys smoking when they signed this off?

And why does the ad only show the top half, and not the body copy when you click on it?

Posted by: Ian Buxton | October 25, 2007 at 04:31 PM

My Dad drank wine.

Posted by: Japanesewhisky | October 25, 2007 at 08:33 PM

"Your Dad wasn't your Mum's last."*

*A new neanderthal nostalgia styled Ad for white wine spritzers?

Posted by: Japanesewhisky | October 25, 2007 at 08:46 PM

If the expression "this is wrong in *so* many ways" didn't exist, it would have to be created for this ad.

Posted by: James Campbell Andrew | October 26, 2007 at 03:50 AM

How original. Another ad campaign that reinforces stupid ideas of masculinity and femininity. CC, it is disappointing that this is the "best" that you can come up with. Indeed, I have thought more about CC in the past 24 hours than ever before, but I will not be stopping for long, and, yes, I will be "drinking smart."

Wendy
Ontario, Canada

Posted by: Wendy | October 26, 2007 at 09:12 AM

Your dad sometimes hit your mom.
Your mom was kinda slutty.
Your dad didn't cry at the end of grays anatomy.
Your dad did cry at the end of cheers.
Your dad was a homo.

Posted by: pat vipp | October 26, 2007 at 10:24 AM

Your dad's crewcut had your mother's blood in it.

Posted by: Bob | October 26, 2007 at 03:35 PM

Well, one thing's for sure: in advertising there's no such thing as negative publicity. The campaign hasn't even officially started, has it? Yet it is being blogged all over the place. They don't need to pay Playboy to run the ad, who will love it BTW, we're running it for them. The word of mouth of it will be great. The underage crowd, who are also a huge market for them, will eat this stuff up. Sure beats their pretend Russians ordering CC ad.

Will it make me buy CC? Um, no, not before and not now. Will it make me drink whisky cocktails? Um, no, not before and not now. Will it make me buy faux wood paneling for my basement? Well, actually I like faux wood paneling but that's beside the point. I don't want my old skinny leather tie back either... but it is an effective ad as it makes you think and Real Men(TM) are back for sure today. Tough is back. Will and Grace are off the air.

My real problem with the Canadian Whisky market today is that they are being rewarded for 'innovations' such as $150 no age Canadian Whisky. Crown Royal XR started it and now Wiser's Red Letter is next. I would never buy them even if they came with a coupon for fake wood paneling.

Posted by: Harry Pulley | October 27, 2007 at 07:12 PM

Ian- You have to change the zoom level to 50 or 75%.

Posted by: docholiday | October 28, 2007 at 11:41 AM

Thank you, docholiday. I found the little critter and now it works fine - you learn something new every day!
I've got real wood panelling in my study - well, traditional painted tongue and groove, but not as 'groovy' as the swinging cat in the ad.
And love that copper galleon - where can I get one of those?

Posted by: Ian Buxton | October 28, 2007 at 01:45 PM

Remember an ad is aimed at a target audience, they don't care about what anyone else outside the target audience thinks. Therefore, I think it's a successful campaign because the demographic they are aiming this campaign for is going to eat it up and love it.

Posted by: Rod | December 25, 2007 at 12:31 AM

Not sure I agree with your idea that ads like this are aimed at a target audience - as far as I can tell This ad was meant to be placed in a variety of periodicals (Not just "Guns & Ammo")

But even if it were a true statement, how can you measure the success of an ad like this? If self-proclaimed misogynists start buying more CC?

Posted by: Kevin Erskine | December 28, 2007 at 09:08 PM

Great advertising! Provocative, runs against standard PC, and brings all the 'hate-male'rs out in force! Sod 'em, I love it (but then, I liked my Dad, too).

Just needs a little more irony to be truly cool.

Posted by: Stuart Mackay (a Scot) | January 22, 2008 at 06:04 AM"

The advertising has tapped into something of a zeitgheist. Let's see what impact it has on sales and how it gets activated in bars and on the internet and outside of the USA etc.

Religious devotion to an unlabeled beer

Lifted directly from Church of the Consumer:

"What does a cult brand look like? Well, here's one example.

Westvleteren A religious order of silent monks in Belgium creates a cult beer. It's called Westvleteren. You must make an appointment to buy it. To make an appointment, you call the monks' Beer Phone. Yes, it's called the Beer Phone. The monks may talk while on the Beer Phone. You may buy only two cases at a time. The beer is sold once per month. The monks do not advertise, nor do they label the bottles. They make 60,000 cases per year; that's 5,000 cases per month, or 120,000 bottles. Texas Stadium probably sells 120,000 units of beer every Sunday. Tales abound of people driving 16 hours across parts of Europe for a beer run. Some experts call it the best in the world. The monks believe, truly, that they "sell beer to live, and not vice versa."

Besides being what people describe as an excellent beer, Westvleteren has developed into a cult brand based on its rituals. All of the items mentioned above are ritualistic. Make an appointment. Call the Beer Phone. Two-case limit. No label. A regular release schedule. A unifying belief system. However they're defined and practiced, rituals embody culture. They are symbolic expressions of a company's values.

For organizations not religiously grounded as Trappist monks, rituals can be simple, like consistently observing dates in company history or paying public homage to goals attained. More elaborate rituals may involve meeting or surpassing milestones focused on quality. No matter what, corner-cutting is heresy.

A cult brand like Westvleteren is created by people religiously devoted to their craft. The monks in Belgium are serious about their business, but they do not obsess over maximizing profit or monetizing eyeballs. They do not do brand extension. They embrace scarcity as a necessary component of quality, thereby ensuring future value. Just as the Wii is a cult hit because it is an excellent product that's not easy to buy, so too with an unlabeled beer that's been religiously produced for 170 years.

After all, cult is the root of culture. It is culture that creates a cult brand."

Veuve Cliquot Porsche Design Collaboration

Great idea from Veuve Cliquot and Porsche Design to create the ideal storage unit for Veuve Clicquot champagne. Bound to generate talkability for both Porshce and Veuve.

They have offered people the chance to win one by submitting the three people you'd like to share a bottle of champagne with. Probably a good way of doing a bit of casual research too.



From Cool Hunting:

"Champagne house Veuve Clicquot today launched Vertical Limit by Porsche Design Studio, a stainless steel cellar tower of superb design (at right, click on image for enlarged view). Measuring over six feet tall, it holds 12 magnums of Clicquot's most prized vintages and only 15 were made worldwide. In celebration of this special release Cool Hunting is giving away your choice of two potential prizes. What do you want? A pair of rare vintage Veuve Clicquot champagnes (1988 and a 1985 Rosé) encased in the Pablo Reinoso Cellar Box (below left) OR Veuve Clicquot's limited edition La Grande Dame 1996 vintage with special Emilio Pucci casing (below right). La Grande Dame is Veuve Clicquot's Haute Couture Vintage Champagne.

Each Vertical Limit is fully handmade and each of the 12 vintages are housed in its own compartment with the temperature set at a constant 12 degrees celsius—ideal for tasting and the same climate as the Veuve Clicquot cellars in Reims, France. Of the 15 produced worldwide only two will make it stateside and they will be showcased at the Porsche Design Stores in New York and Los Angeles during the month of November. Each cellar containing the 12 vintages is approximately $70,000."