Marketing and all things related

You knew this had to happen. According to CNet News, researchers from the University of California at Los Angeles's Ahmanson Lovelace Brain Mapping Center and FKF Applied Research decided to scan the brains of those watching Super Bowl commercials to measure whether the advertisements evoked the most emotional engagement identified as responses of fear, desire, conflict and reward. According to the brain scans, Disney's "NFL Dreamers" and Sierra Mist's "Airport Security" ads fire the most emotional brain activity.

"Almost all the ads induced their greatest activity in the amygdala, a center of the brain most associated with detecting threats or danger," said Joshua Freedman, a UCLA clinical assistant professor of psychiatry and co-founder of FKF Applied Research. Yes, Marketing Blurb realizes you did not ask to know this, but we felt obligated to share anyway.

Online industry pundits are convinced Google is posturing itself for world domination. And as they slowly squeeze Microsoft on multiple fronts, who knows what will happen. But for now, we do know that Google is expanding their online advertising capabilities... Continue Reading

Someone should be responsible for policing what is advertised to your children, right? Well, there is an industry self-regulating organization called CARU, or the Children’s Advertising Review Unit. But the guidelines issued by CARU are now 30 years old, and... Continue Reading

You knew this was coming. Taxi cabs already include advertising on their roofs and trunk decks, so why not use their hubcaps? While common in Europe and Asia, hubcap advertising is still relatively new in major US cities. The new... Continue Reading

Marketing Blurb will not mention brewers by name, but will boldly state that beer advertising (on commercial television anyway) is juvenile, sophomoric, and okay, generally insulting to anyone with an IQ larger than their waist size. But maybe this will... Continue Reading

Regular readers already know the saga of Krispy Kreme Donuts. But things are looking up for the besieged purveyor of the sugar rush—at least for Valentine’s Day. For the first time, Krispy Kreme is turning to television and radio advertising... Continue Reading

Get ready for Curious George mania. Next Friday, Universal Pictures is releasing Curious George, an animated movie based on the world-famous character of children’s literature since the 1940s. Universal Pictures holds the Curious George license, and the inquisitive monkey already... Continue Reading

There is considerable hand-wringing in the newspaper industry these days. The target reader demographic is aging; circulation and advertising revenues are dropping. Of course, a number of newspaper publishers have already taken action by beefing up their online editions, or... Continue Reading

While Marketing Blurb hesitates to join the publicity frenzy here, domain registrar and Internet services provider Go Daddy just scored another touchdown. You already know that their controversial 2005 Super Bowl commercial was a monster hit. Well, for the point... Continue Reading

You’ve probably heard somewhere that a 30 second commercial spot on the upcoming Super Bowl retails for $ 2.5 million. And if you’re like Marketing Blurb, you’ve wondered whether the big game is the best way to spend boffo ad... Continue Reading

The auto industry is in a funk, as you know, and here is one of many reasons. According to the Southfield Michigan Business Journal, “traditional mass media has been rendered nearly obsolete among first-time vehicle buyers, according to a study... Continue Reading

About five years ago, the diamond industry realized that affluent single women were purchasing their own right-hand diamond rings. (After all, why wait for some lunkhead guy to figure out what you want?) The Diamond Trading Company launched a brilliant... Continue Reading

Maybe you never noticed, but the famed Kentucky Derby never had an advertising sponsor—until now. The derby just signed a five year sponsorship contract with Yum Brands, the parent company KFC, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut. In the future, the... Continue Reading

You have probably noticed that Dove, Nike, and other advertisers are airing commercials which feature real people rather than actors (who, as we all know, are not real people.) Dove’s Real Beauty campaign is a prime example, with six average... Continue Reading

Life is too short for Marketing Blurb to waste time with television shows like The Contender. But it turns out, that if we had been watching; we would have seen an average of 500 individual occurrences for the Everlast brand.... Continue Reading

Like the rest of the nation, Marketing Blurb has attended fewer movies over the last few years. There are a number of reasons. First, studios have turned out numerous dumb movies. Next, the experience of visiting a noisy theatre with... Continue Reading

You remember the Atkins diet craze, right? Maybe you even lost a few pounds. While the diet worked wonders for many, it also devastated Interstate Bakeries, the parent of Wonder Bread. The company’s sales dropped 9% for the year in... Continue Reading

Something is wrong in the US auto industry. Marketing Blurb cannot fix the problem, but we can shine light on promising developments—at least developments in auto marketing. General Motors is running a rather bold 30-second commercial for Pontiac, (restricted to... Continue Reading

Marketing Blurb already told you about a lawsuit regarding cereal advertising to children under 8 years old in the US. In the United Kingdom, the Union of European Beverages Associations just announced they will curb advertising of high-sugar beverages directly... Continue Reading

At their fourth quarter earning call, GE Chairman and CEO Jeff Immelt told the investment community that NBC would likely only breakeven with advertising for the Torino Olympic Games. While prime-time spots are worth $ 700,000 each, the network only expects... Continue Reading