Richo: Times Square Adopts 'Windvertising'

March 10, 2009
-By Katy Bachman,

MediweekIn the next few weeks, Japanese copy and photo manufacturer Ricoh will launch a Times Square spectacular powered by wind at 42nd and 7th Ave. The sign, using wind turbine technology developed by WePOWER, will be powered by 16 wind turbines and 64 solar panels, saving 18 tons of carbon per year and about $12,000 to $15,000 a month in electricity.Ricoh isn't the only advertiser to seek an eco-solution in outdoor's most iconic locale. On New Year's Eve, Coca-Cola Co. launched its new digital billboard at 47th and Broadway powered by wind, offsetting the release of 1,866 metric tons of carbon dioxide a year.WePOWER, which calls its eco-outdoor ad solution, "windvertising," expects to work directly with advertisers on about 25 custom applications of its technology this year, expanding its footprint in 2010. The company is also in discussions with outdoor media companies about applying its technology in other locations. In addition to the sign itself, windvertising could also be applied to the turbine's air foil blades to reflect an image, creating a moving image. "I always tell people to think of Windvertising as a flipbook that you played with as a child," said Marvin Winkler, CEO of WePOWER.According to Winkler, if the nation's 500,000 billboards were to adopt Windvertising, the billboards, spinning at 10 mph would generate 16.8 billion kWh of electricity. They could power approximately 1.5 million homes and would reduce about 5.3 million tons of CO2 being emitted into the air.

Quaker Oats Jumps on Health and Wellness Bandwagon

March 9, 2009
-By Elaine Wong

PepsiCo's Quaker Oats today fueled New Yorkers' morning commute as part of a breakfast giveaway, which is tied to a new campaign touting the company's whole grain oats.The event, which took place in New York’s Times Square, marks the first time the company will kick off an integrated campaign linking all of its oat products—including Life cereal and Chewy granola bars—under the health and wellness category.

The campaign is dubbed “Go Humans Go.”Former Oprah Winfrey chef Art Smith was on site in Times Square for the breakfast giveaway, which included hot oatmeal and energy smoothies. The promotion coincided with Quaker Oats' renewed emphasis on cause marketing, as the brand steps up its hunger awareness project with charitable partner Share Our Strength.

Today's event also featured an on-site food donation drive, hunger awareness bloggers and bicyclists using “pedal power” to blend their own smoothies.Outdoor elements of the campaign have started appearing on Quaker Oats’ Web site, and on bus and taxicab ads in the Big Apple and other major metropolitan cities. The bulk of the effort begins March 16, with television ads elaborating on the “oat as a nutritious fuel” theme. The ads were created by Quaker Oats’ new lead agency, Goodby, Silverstein & Partners.

Print ads will appear in April in consumer publications.In an interview with Brandweek, Quaker Oats CMO Annie Young-Scrivner said the company chose to focus on the oat because “it’s not just a grain. It’s a super grain that powers your day and helps you do amazing things.

It lifts you physically and emotionally and makes you feel good knowing you did something good for someone and yourself, and it’s one of the most nutritious grains.”Quaker Oats, which spent $50 million on advertising last year (not including online initiatives), per Nielsen Monitor-Plus, may be onto something, said Harry Balzer, vp at the NPD Group’s Chicago office.

Calling attention to oats' wholesome, filling properties is indicative of a larger consumer trend: The shift from meat-based to grain-based meals, Balzer said. “It’s a way of moderating food costs,” he added, noting that grain-based meals are usually cheaper.

only in Q8

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Clever advertising pays off

http://www.thetimes100.co.uk/

Businesses need to present a prominent face to the buying public if they want to sell their products. This means promotion including advertising in the right places in order to reach the right audience. Cost-effective advertising must be matched to the type of business, its market and its marketing mix. For example, Portakabin, supplier of modular and portable buildings, works in the 'Business-to-Business' market and does not sell directly to consumers. Portakabin mainly uses below-the-line methods to promote its products, with limited above-the-line promotion, such as articles in trade journals.

By contrast, Cadbury mainly uses above-the-line, multi-media advertising, particularly high-profile campaigns on TV to promote its products to the buying public. Cadbury needs to reach a mass audience as individual sales are small value in contrast to Portakabin with lower volume sales but of high value products. Clever advertising has played a big part in its chocolate sales and globally, Cadbury's worldwide sales rose by 5% last year (The Times Online, 6 March 2009).

Advertising which captures its target audience can have a great impact on sales. Cadbury's 2007 TV advertising campaign, featuring the drumming gorilla, resulted in an increased market share despite a 40% increase in the price of cocoa, the main ingredient in chocolate, which forced the company to raise prices last year (The Times Online, 6 March 2009).

Cadbury's 2009, £3.7million campaign, dubbed Eyebrows, in which two children move their eyebrows in tune to Freestyle's 'Don't Stop the Rock' was launched on 29 January 2009. The advert has been watched more than four million times online, prompted more than 50 video responses on YouTube and inspired a parody, featuring singer Lily Allen. The ultimate aim of these clever adverts is to capture consumers' attention so that there is a greater possibility they will buy.

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