Toyota Prius Marketing. Free Solar Powered Wi-Fi at Broadway & 23rd Street in New York City.

This is smart. Very smart. Take a look at the installation that popped up a few weeks ago in the middle of one of the new enlarged, Bloomberg-inspired traffic islands at Broadway and 23rd St. In fact it's so "noisy" it borders on the invasive. But you can't miss it--no way. Perfect too for the Prius brand energy efficiency positioning...isn't it?

Why is it so good? It helps you and, best of all, it's not literal. Now cars in a special mall display here.




Images by Scott Lackey. Permission required for reuse.

New Chanel No 5 Audrey Tautou TV Ad/Spot/Commercial: Reclaiming the Brand's French Heritage

This is just unbelievable. I think better acting and intrigue than the Nicole Kidman/Baz Luhrmann phantasmagoria (great...but time to move on). And...after all the railway drama--Billie Holiday enters, halfway through, singing "I'm a Fool to Want You" begins. Yup, fabulous stuff. Tautou, who stars here, was terrific in Amelie, whose director Jean Pierre Jeaunet also directed this spot.

I love the forlorn-ness of Tautou, which is not typical of Chanel. More youthful and key to attract a younger audence. Most important, the ultimate Frenchness of the brand is reclaimed...which has been so central to its success.

This is the long version. A 60 second version also exists. Thanks to Denis Florent and his great blog for bringing it to my attention.

PJ Bland's (Chili's) New Campaign: Social Media and TV Spot Attacks Boring Casual Dining Chains.

A terrific new spoof campaign was launched today that reaches across the world of social media from a website to Twitter to Flickr to YouTube to Howcast--and many more-- about a fictitious (and ubiquitous) corrugated burger/casual dining chain called P.J. Blands. Yup, ubiquitous. Wonder who that refers to?

I found it on my Twitter stream this afternoon as @PJBlands engaged many of the Twitter elite that I follow in comic repartee about it's "bland" food (please click to enlarge to full screen):



This led to a terrific, expensive, and well executed web page which signaled you weren't in Kansas anymore--but you were dealing with a sophisticated company mounting a major campaign and putting some serious dollars behind it. Featuring a bland (of course) pitchman , the site is deep and filled with video links to food stylists, the history of the company and more.
Take a look by clicking here.

Or...take a look at this new "behind the scenes " YouTube video on the filming of their newest commercial.


There are still shots on Flickr which set up the line of attack on burgers very clearly:

And there are numerous other specialized sites on the list too..some empty shells waiting to receive P.J. Bland's ammo.

What's the point you say? The campaign is being run by Brinker International, who owns Chili's Grill & Bar, On the Border Mexican Grill & Cantina and Maggiano's Little Italy.

Why advertise cardboard fast food? To set up a straw man strategy that their "high flavor restaurants" offer an alternative. P.J. Bland's = the good, old boring burger chain/casual dining restaurant devoid of flavor (hyperbolically corrugated cardboard) versus a "hot" and "spicy" alternative. Where does Maggiano's fit? We'll see. Maybe not.

Smart start. Let's see how it rolls out and how the Chili's, On the Border and (maybe) Maggiano's brands enter the fray. The web site promises a spot on this week's Saturday Night Live (4/11). Perhaps the battle will start there.

Update: Sunday 4/12 at 12:41 AM. P.J. Bland's did run a spot on Saturday Night Live (SNL) tonight. P.J. Bland wandered about a "casual dining" restaurant showing his bland, cardboard entrees and interacting with customers and showing his entrees.

Update: Sunday 4/12 at 1:35. Here's the the YouTube "PJ Bland's Official SNL Commercial" spot which I was sent directly from PJ Bland on Twitter a few moments ago (with a kind note thanking me for "the great coverage.") They work late at P.J. Bland's. But this isn't the actual Chili's spot that aired on SNL because the jokes never stop with P.J. Bland. I'll get to that. Take a look first.



What's missing is the ending from Chili's, the real sponsor. Why? Because the real spot that aired is ultimately critical of bland food. The actual SNL spot THAT AIRED ends with a wham, as a bright red Chili's logo is quickly stamped on the screen--together with a flavor line. I'm looking for the an embed code to post the spot that actually aired here. It will be up as soon as I find it.

Monday 2:10 pm. Someone helpful (you guess) just sent me the actual Chili's Saturday Night Live spot: Take a look:


So at this point the P.J. Bland's campaign looks like strawman campaign only for Chili's, without reference to any other Brinker International restaurants (especially On the Border).

A problem I had with the media buy is that the spot appeared in position 1A, the first spot immediately following the opening monologue. Frequently, spoof spots appear there. The P.J. Bland's spot appeared as if it was a SNL spoof, particularly since the Chili's logo appeared for such a short period of time that many people may have missed it.

So...despite the massive social media plan there's still a role for television...you bet. Why. The number of eyeballs and the ability to build reach quickly.

Let's see what follows. My bet...more detailed Chili's spots building the comparison. And more fun stunts.

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Getting College Students to Watch a TV Series: Choose The Right Day & Wait for Word of Mouth

Please welcome our guest blogger, Katie Milot, Lafayette College '09.


What gets kids hooked onto certain TV shows? And how can cable networks market their shows to reach the college audience? After asking my friends what they thought, some definite trends started to emerge:

My friend Val, a 21-year-old senior, said: “I think college kids watch whatever their friends are watching...more often than not, they're sharing a TV so they have to compromise with their roommate or if it’s a common room in a dorm--their floor mates. I would have NEVER watched a single episode of Girls Next Door if my roommate didn’t make me watch it with her freshman year. Since I know what’s going on now, I don’t mind it as much and I’ll watch it once in a while.”


Each person I interviewed attributed watching at least one TV show to their roommate or their friends. Watching TV seems to have an underlying social component: it gives people a reason to get together.

However, when it comes to marketing a TV show to the college student, the key is the day it is broadcast. Most channels don’t broadcast their hit series on Friday and Saturday nights because it’s a TV show graveyard. Well for a college student, this TV graveyard extends into Thursdays and maybe even Wednesdays. With the stresses and pressure of school, college students may be going out with friends on Wednesday or Thursday nights to let off some steam. Therefore, if you want to market your TV show to the college audience, your best bet is to broadcast it on a Monday or Tuesday night. Earlier in the week, students are typically staying in to do work and are looking for an excuse to put down the textbook and pick up the remote.


Lauren, a 20 year old sophomore, expressed why her social schedule has prohibited her from watching a particular show: “I wanted to watch The Starter Wife, but its on at 10pm on a Wednesday nights, nights that I am usually out.”

There is an outlet for those shows whose broadcast interferes with the schedule of the avid social butterfly: Post the episodes online. Many TV shows are posted online after the original air date. Not only does it allow students to catch up on the shows they miss, but many students I spoke with also have started watching particular shows online, and are now devoted fans.

Kristyn, a 19-year-old freshman, stated, “I watch Lost because I could watch every season online.” Similarly, Sarah, a 21-year-old junior, said, “My roommate got me hooked last January and made me watch all four seasons of Lost on abc.com and now I can’t wait for the new season to start this week!”

Abc.com isn’t the only place people are watching TV. Hulu is a big go-to to catch up on shows, or a place to start watching them. Family Guy, Lipstick Jungle, and The L Word are all shows people said they started watching online.


In addition to the time of the broadcast and the online availability of shows, there are also some similarities in what kind of shows some college students enjoy watching: Entourage, Gossip Girl, The City and The Hills. What do these shows have in common? They all portray the celebrity life, filled with money, fame and attention from the opposite sex. Perhaps the lives portrayed in these shows appeal to the typical college kid because it’s a life they secretly wish they had.


Hawley, a 22-year-old senior, who is a fan of The City and the Hills said, “ …I watch these shows because I like the clothes and their completely absurd lifestyles. I also find them to be aesthetically pleasing.”

Chris, a 20-year-old junior, who watches Entourage on Sunday night religiously with his fraternity brothers said, “ I mean these guys live the life. They are rich and they get the girls. While they live the high life, I can still relate to them through their humor and the friendship they have with each other.”


There seems to be a fantasy component that contributes to the appeal of these shows, yet they preserve aspects of reality, allowing one to believe that you too can attain this lifestyle. The shows that preserve reality and make them relatable to the college audience seem to be the ones students continue to watch.

From the feedback I have received, it is relatively easy to turn a college student on to a particular TV show. For example, Carolyn, Rachel and Nicole, all 22-year-old seniors, started watching Summer Heights High simply because they saw humorous clips of it on YouTube before it premiered on HBO. They are now avid fans.

For most of these students, it didn’t take a brilliant ad campaign to capture their interest: It took one person to tell them they enjoyed a show, or they randomly came across the show online where they could watch it for free. Perhaps a way to spark interest among college students is to post the pilot episode online or even distribute DVDs of select episodes on campus. Bottom line: It doesn’t take much to distract students from their work, especially if the episode can be watched for free at the convenience of the student.

Guest Columnist
Katie Milot
Lafayette College '09

News Networks and Online Video: ABC News, CBS News. Plus a Jeff Jarvis Video Book.

News networks are shifting resources to online video projects and the results from some are promising, reports Daisy Whitney in this week’s episode of the New Media Minute. ABC News offers a 15-minute version of its evening newscast online and views are up five times over last year. Other networks are reaching for new viewers online too. CBS News recently launched a 15-minute weekly Webcast hosted by Bob Schieffer called “Washington Unplugged.” The introduction of a Web-only show fronted by the news icon is a big indication that networks are eager to figure out the new business models of online video for news. You’ll also learn about Harper Collins big video book bet.

Broadcast Networks Original Programming for the Web, Book Publishers & Online Video, Disney's take180.com.

Does anyone know where the broadcast networks stand when it comes to making original series for the Web? You’ll get a different story if you talk to CBS, ABC or NBC. CBS pulled the plug on original Web series WallStrip and Moblogic in recent months, so what exactly are CBS’ plans for original Internet fare? The New Media Minute will tell you.

This episode also reports on emerging developments in the book business for branded video and also gives viewers a heads up on a cool new online video site from Disney that’s generating laughs and views.

Pepsi Super Bowl 2009 Ad "Forever Young" Anthem Spot with Bob Dylan and Will i. am. Includes Video.

Great news! Pepsi has their mojo back. With quiet confidence they've hit one out of the park with their brand new 2009 Super Bowl spot. It's a then/now format built around a "Forever Young" mashup sung by Dylan and Will i. am. This is a great use of celebrity in the Pepsi tradition...upbeat and positive. Contrasting scenes and split screens cascade across the years from Vietnam to Iraq from lighters to mobile phones. Unlike so many other :60s in the game this one never dulls, as you're carried through a land of fantasy, optimism and the last 50 years of American culture. Pepsi accomplishes a hell of a lot here. They reclaim the Pepsi tradition, restore their celebrity culture, and preemptively reach out to capture the category. Kudos to Pepsi & TBWA Chiat Day. Cool.



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