As more and more small businesses and brands are gobbled up by the larger competition it’s heartening to see a local favorite resurected.
The familiar logo
Here in Detroit we have a number of local products with a strong allegiance… Better Made Potato Chips, Grobbels Corned Beef, Faygo Soda, among other. We have brands that have suffered the assimilation into the larger companies such as Vernor’s Ginger Ale and Stroh’s Beer.
Recently, a couple decided to resurrect Velvet Peanut butter, a favorite for detroiters (and the nation) until the late 70′s. The original recipe has been revived and the familiar packaging has returned to local supermarkets! Velvet Peanut Butter is back, completely Michigan made!
Detroit Marketing Services salutes the return of Velvet Peanut Butter and Michigan made products. We also went and picked up a couple jars, and yes it’s still a great as ever!
Like they say, there is no such thing as bad press.
The Detroit area MGM Casino has launched a new ad campaign that is vague at best, however, has caused a stir. If you can beleive the hype.
The campaign began with billboards around the metro area featuring a shadowy face with wicked cat eyes. The local news and some national outlets have picked up the campaign and done some stories on what the message really is. Of course we’ve found a couple nut jobs who think the yellow eyes are symbolic of a demonic possession. (Of course none of this mentioning the demonic possession that gambling can h ave on a person)
Importantly, we should remember that advertising is designed to create a reaction. Winner. People are talking about the billboards. The news has decided to write stories about the billboards whether the journalists motives are altruistic or not has yet to be determined. I would wager that part of the campaign included MGM notifying the news outlets that the billboards were “Controversial”
Most importantly, what is the message? I still haven’t found a casino theme in the ads. That’s consistent with their billboards in the area for the past 3 years. However, I can’t say these billboards are bringing more people t the casino to gamble their hard earned money.
For those that haven’t seen it, Jon Stewart of the Daily Show on Comedy Central and Jim Cramer of Fast Money on CNBC have been having a little snipe war over the last week about who is the better credible news source regarding the recent financial meltdown.
To his credit Jim Cramer went on the Daily Show last night for a professional no holds barred discussion about who is complicit, and what CNBC should be doing a better journalistic jobto expose graft, greed, and corruption in the financial markets. Honestly, Jon Stewart took him to the wood shed.
Aside from that, the full version of the interview was posted on the internet, and when you stream it off the Comedy Central Site, Between Part 1 and 2 there is an ad for CitiBank. Now, there is some validity to the content being financial in nature, however the overall content is critical of banks and their role in the devastation that has recently happened in the financial sector. This is not a good venue for CitiBank to be placing ads….
The embedded player may not show the same ads (if any) however, it is still a great interview and worthwhile to watch for anyone who is affected by the current economic downturn (which is everybody)
As advertising dollars have fallen to major newspapers, magazines and other print publications that rely on advertising to keep them operating we have seen a large number of dailies and weeklies fail, close, or get gobbled up by their competitors.
Here in Detroit the Free Press and Detroit News have been struggling for far longer. They entered into a joint operating agreement 15 years ago, that precluded me from ever working there. However as times become mroe challenging the Free press and Detroit news have adopted an industry leading model of online delivery. You can read more about it here.
However, while I understand that advertising dollars are an important part of the equation to keep the operation running one technique they have emplyed, pop under ads, is the scummiest of ad behavior.
Let’s be realistic here, I’m reading the news on a computer, am I really likely to buy screen savers?
I hope the best for the local newspapers and want the freedom of press to continue with professional journalism vs. new media and the amatuer blogger. However, the news sales staffs must look for a credible model of advertising to xompliment credible reporting.
To continue with the rock and roll means well in advertising subject, I was reminded of the Like a Rock series of Chevy Truck ads from the late 90′s.
What a genius pairing (Allegedly inspired by John Cougar Mellencamp) where quite arguably the greatest voice in rock lent his song to the greatest trucks, both from detroit.
If you don’t have it, go get Live Bullet by Bob Seger (recorded in Cobo Hall) and get yourself a Chevy truck and blast it riding down the freeway!
Nothing better than Detroit Rock and Roll. Alice Cooper was the man who re-invented vaudeville as “shock rock.” Without him we wouldn’t have such imitators as Marilyn Manson…
Alice (Vincent Furnier) was actually an incredible businessman who managed to create a successful business with the antics, and subtle marketing that drew such attention to the Alice Cooper Band and made some additional ventures worth while to make a comfortable “retirement.” He still makes albums and tours as he sees fit, but it never seems like some other “retirement sucks and I need more money” tours of other aging rock stars.
I stumbled upon this promo for Samsung High def TV’s promoted by Alice. While it’s a great play on the Alice Persona, unless the viewer is aware that Alice isn’t actually insane, might portray the wrong message. On the other hand it is innovative that they never actually show the product!
There is a new scam running around in online ads stating they can show you how to make thousands of dollars using google and posting links… If you’ve spent more then 5 minutes on the internet you’ve seen the ad. The set up is a scam to get your credit information and drain your account. The promised tutorial never arrives. the only people getting rich off this scheme are the scum running the ad.
I’m surprised that Google hasn’t taken steps to address these people trying to scam on their good name. However, with a quick google search you can find a number of links describing the scam.
Remember folks, any get rich scheme is usually a ruse. Anyne you don’t know on the internet promising a fortune is lying.
You can make money with Google Adsense, and it does not take much effort to do so. Please take the time to learn about it straight from google or hire a reputable company to explain and implement the system for you (I suggest Detroit Marketing Services of course). Additionally you can alsu leverage google adwords to increase traffic to your website, which can lead t income if you have a compelling service or product for sale.
While I was bitching yesterday about Cadillac using Led Zeppelin to hawk their cars, it reminded me of using old rock songs that has worked. Most notably the Motorola Razr campaign featuring AC/DC’s Back in Black. For months every time that commercial came on I wanted that damn phone. When my contract was finally up I settled for a full function PDA phone (Black Jack II) whose ads were clever, but still paled in comparison to the BIB ad…. Luckily I erred on the side of functionality vs. awesome ad…
I can’t embed the ad, but you can watch it on You Tube Here
We’ve been subjected to unending news about the financial peril the big three automakers are in with their government bailout hopes. In the rest of the country it’s less of a lead story as it is here in Detroit, however it affects all of the american economy as this is one of the last industries still manufacturing here in the United States and creating jobs. While I do not want to see these companies fail, I do see some changes in their leaner corporate directives that have made good sense…
There was little or no domestic automaker advertising during the Superbowl. Good. they don’t need to be paying inflated advertising prices for that coverage…
But most importantly I hope that Led Zeppelin can stop selling their music to Cadillac… Sorry but Rock ‘N Roll doesn’t go with Cadillac…
Not sure these commercials featuring the great Ozzy Osbourne hit the target audience, however, it’s a great use of Ozzy’s thick accent and stuttering to push products… Also this looks less like his wife propping him up to earn her a few more bucks…
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Mar 22, 2009 
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Better made, Brand Recognition, Faygo, Grobbels, Velvet Peanut Butter
The campaign began with billboards around the metro area featuring a shadowy face with wicked cat eyes. The local news and some national outlets have picked up the campaign and done some stories on what the message really is. Of course we’ve found a couple nut jobs who think the yellow eyes are symbolic of a demonic possession. (Of course none of this mentioning the demonic possession that gambling can h ave on a person)
