Gap / Havaianas :::Pop-up flip-flops

Gap is clearly trying to reach out to niche groups of consumers with this rolling campaign of targeted marketing activity. Fundamentally that's a sound approach; Gap is one of those brands that sells on its adaptability and wide-ranging appeal. What bothers us is the lack of a theme that binds all of the disparate activity together. Where Absolut has established a clear connection between all the various aspects of its amazing 'In an Absolut world...' campaign, Gap seems to have skipped that part entirely. Consequently, their various initiatives end up feeling more like an identity crisis than a coherent brand strategy.

Gap is hosting a pop-up flip-flop store in their New York Fifth Avenue store

Gap has collaborated with flip-flop icon Havaianas to create an 'Urban Beach Flip-Flop Shop' in the small space adjacent to their Fifth Ave store. 

Customers can choose from a range of flip-flops and over the weekends Gap is hosting an in-store craft bar where pins, initials and crystals will be available to customise the sandals.

This venture follows a string of pop-up events that Gap has hosted recently, the latest being a tiny dancers studio on the weekend where youngsters could dress up in Gap clothes and take free dance classes. Previously, instillations included; sale of Rhode Island School of Design redesigned Gap cardigans; a collaboration with Colette Paris; a Pantone T-shirt shop; and Gap’s (Product)Red gift-shop from which sales proceeds went to fighting AIDS in Africa.

www.gap.com

McDonald's:::Tourists are lovin’ it…

McDonald's Piccadilly Circus

BRAND OWNER:McDonald's Corporation

CATEGORY:Food

REGION:UK

DATE:Apr 2009 - Dec 2008

Piccadilly Circus is London's equivalent of Times Square - right at the heart of the city and filled with brands digital billboards, each clamouring for attention. Some 1.1 million Londoners and tourists pass through each week. McDonald’s tends to have a presence there, but wanted to create a more interactive experience and encourage people to specifically photograph the brand’s ad and then share the photographs.
McDonald's therefore launched an interactive sign where passers-by can interact with images displayed on McDonald's giant LED screen, and visitors can take an interactive role at one of London's most photographed locations. 

A series of images ranging from hats to speech bubbles, to idea clouds are shown on the giant LED screen billboard. People in Piccadilly circus can then position themselves to make it look as though they are wearing a hat, saying something or having an idea. People are then encouraged to post up their photos to Flickr or Facebook

McDonald's has long been the friend of weary tourists whose enthusiasm for the local cuisine has been exhausted by one dietary novelty too many...
But now that relationship has gone one step further, with the launch of a new 'interactive' billboard in London's Piccadilly Circus. The giant LED sign displays a rolling selection of images which invite camera-happy tourists to strike a pose with the props on screen.

Some of these have a British theme - an open umbrella and a city gent's bowler hat - while others are just about inviting participation - a birthday cake with candles you can pretend to blow out, a hammer that seems to beat you over the head, a strongman barbell you can hold triumphantly aloft.

The YouTube clip above shows the idea in action and the magnetic appeal it has to tourists... how many go on to eat a McDonald's burger after painstakingly lining up their shot has not yet been established but we're SO tempted to send someone down there to follow that up!  Participants can also upload their snaps to a dedicated Flickr group, set up to corrall all those happy memories into one big experience-extending gallery and ensure that the event remains public long after the holidaymakers go back home.

Inventive stuff from Leo Burnett! 

Flickr group 

McDonald's / McCafe :::Café culture underneath the arches…

...the Golden Arches that is. McDonald's has spent $100m on pushing McCafe in the US, its biggest launch since the 1970s and a direct assault on Starbucks and other coffee chains 
McDonald's has launched McCafé, a new product platform on which it is spending $100 million across TV, print, radio, outdoor, internet, events, PR and sampling.

Intended to add $1 billion to McDonald's bottom line in the US, McCafe has already started its aggressive push with coupon booklets inserted into newspapers as part of a huge drive in traditional media through DDB Chicago.

TV work incorporates the acute accent mark from McCafé into everyday items, so when you 'McCafé your day,' a commute becomes a commuté, while a cubicle is a cubiclé. Radio invites consumers to ‘speak McCafé', while 18-34 year olds are being targeted online via Tribal DDB with actors from Chicago's Second City comedy theatre. A McCafeYourDay Twitter feed is also being positioned as tool to converse with customers about the new platform.

http://www2.mcdonalds.com/mccafe/

The marketing blitz takes on established coffee chains such as Starbucks: the renewed emphasis on café culture is McDonald’s biggest product launch since breakfast in the 1970s

Guinness::: Passport to Greatness

Leverage Guinness' sponsorship of Hong Kong Rugby Sevens by producing Passport to Greatness', 

A mobile widget to assist 20k overseas visit.

Misfortune brand names [Pee Cola]

Another product from Ghana, where they would have us eating Shitto and drink Pee. 

Misfortune brand names [Shitto]

This product from Ghana is “a gravy made from dried pepper, smoked dried fish, dried shrimp power, a variety of spices, ginger, onion, garlic, tomatoes and seasoning.” Since English is the official language of Ghana, it doesn’t seem like this can be chalked up to unfortunate happenstance.

Misfortune brand names [Sars- soft drink]

An Australian company called Golden Circle has long manufactured a caramel-flavored Sarsaparilla drink, the abbreviated product name of which is “Sars.” Believe it or not, when the SARS outbreak of 2003 hit, sales of Sars went up: its value as a novelty item apparently outweighed the negative associations.

Misfortune brand names[Golden Gaytime Bar - ice cream ]

Misfortune brand names[Ayds - Appetite Suppressant Candy ]

Human Relations

The six most important words: "I admit I made a mistake."

The five most important words: "You did a good job."

The four most important words: "What is your opinion?"

The three most important words: "If you please."

The two most important words: "Thank you,"

The one most important word: "We"

The least most important word: "I"

Best Ads May 06, 2009