Mountain Dew draws mixed reaction with promoted apology tweet
PepsiCo's Mountain Dew on Thursday used a Promoted Tweet to apologize for an offensive ad it pulled earlier in the week, drawing a mixed reaction from the marketing community. "It shows that the brand is owning up to their mistake, taking the blame and -- literally -- paying the price. Great brands use social media to humanize themselves and create relationships with consumers," said Jason Stein of social media agency Laundry Service. But Gravity Media's Yuriy Boykiv said the brand should have just moved on, and suggested the Promoted Tweet could be just another ploy for more publicity. Adweek
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LinkedIn seeks sustainable ad revenues as one-off deals lapse
Growth in LinkedIn's ad revenues might slow this year as a number of custom branded partnerships expire, but the network is working to develop more "sustainable" and "scalable" alternatives, executives say. That will likely include building out LinkedIn's Sponsored Updates ad units, which have already won business from brands such as Shell, American Express and Intuit. Adweek
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Lexus spot reveals men behind the moving metal puppet
Intentionally revealed puppeteers clad in black take an 11-foot metal man for a walk in Lexus' "Amazing in Motion" commercial, from agency CHI & Partners and directed by Daniel Kleinman. The spot seems to have nothing to do with automobiles, but it's "strangely beautiful," writes Emma Bazilian, "from the slow-motion shots of the puppet walking down crowded sidewalks to the feeling of complete isolation and longing it manages to capture." Adweek
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Taco Bell tests a dollar menu in 2 cities
Taco Bell is experimenting with its version of a dollar menu, called $1 Cravings. Items available in the test markets of Sacramento, Calif., and Kansas City, Mo., include Shredded Chicken Mini Quesadilla and Triple Layer Nachos. The chain has had a "Why Pay More" menu starting lower than a dollar, but gradually those prices rose above the price point, muddying the value proposition, according to Brian Niccol, chief marketing and innovation officer. Advertising Age (tiered subscription model)
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Online video boom pits pros vs. amateurs
With the online video business booming, two distinct strategies are emerging. In one corner, companies such as Google are focusing on user-generated clips that they say let brands tap into a sprawling global community of engaged consumers. In the other, professional content producers argue that their professionally made, high-quality video content is ultimately more rewarding both for consumers and brands. The New York Times (tiered subscription model)
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Instagram adds Facebook-style photo tagging
Instagram is borrowing an early driver of Facebook's success by adding a tag-based identity layer to its photo-sharing service. That's potentially a big deal for brands, writes Mike Isaac, because it could give them a huge source of indexed and crowdsourced photos of their products. That's "a big step toward a future where Instagram could actually be a moneymaker," Isaac argues. All Things D
(5/2), TechCrunch
(5/2), CNET
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Huffington Post, Digitas partner for real-time native ads
Digitas is partnering with The Huffington Post to bring rapid-response native ads to the publisher's front page. The deal will allow Digitas clients to quickly post ads to the HuffPo front page, effectively fusing the site's "Brand as Newsroom" strategy with Digitas's BrandLive newsroom. Brand ads will be posted within two hours of being submitted, officials said, allowing them to tap into trending issues and current events in real time. Advertising Age (tiered subscription model)
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Kraft revives award-winning Hispanic push for Mac & Cheese
Kraft is reminding American Latinos that eating its Mac & Cheese doesn't make them less Latino, a reiteration of a theme it started last year with award-winning Crispin Porter + Bogusky spots. Among three new Spanish-language commercials include one in which a child describes how their dad dresses in a disguise to buy Mac & Cheese, and another in which a child observes a family dinner and says "nothing could make us less Latino." MediaPost Communications/Marketing Daily
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Lancome's Rossi praises tablets as part of mobile-first strategy
A Lancome executive says that marketers with limited budgets should focus on tablets as the platform of choice. Alessio Rossi, vice president of interactive and e-business marketing, at a conference this week called tablets "immersive, intimate, engaging, accessible, intuitive, experiential and transformative." Mobile Marketer
(5/3)
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Mashable's Pete Cashmore to Speak at AAF's National Conference, ADMERICA!
ADMERICA! will explore and celebrate the wonderful world of advertising. Featured keynote speakers include Pete Cashmore, founder and CEO of Mashable, and the brilliant minds behind Allstate's "Mayhem" campaign. Plus, advertising forums featuring panelists from AOL, Adobe Systems, BBDO New York, BuzzFeed, Coca-Cola, Facebook, Google, Grey New York, YouTube.com, SAY Media, Saatchi & Saatchi, Unilever, RED Interactive and more!
Other conference highlights include the National Student Advertising Competition, the annual Chairman's Reception, and the National ADDY® Awards Show & Dinner.
Don't miss this great opportunity to connect with fellow AAF members and learn from some of the advertising industry's top innovators!
For details and registration visit ADMERICAaaf.org.
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