To protest the arrest of the character Susan Lucci plays on All My Children, ABC Daytime shot a "Free Erica Kane" rally complete with a performance by boy band B5. Hence the Che Guevara-inspired poster in the post below. B5 wrote a song called "Erika Cain" (kids are down with typos, y'all) with La Lucci's siren standing in as inspiration for that "ideal girl" who ends up driving you bonkers. The ep featuring the rally will air later this month.
bebenkamp@brandweek.com
Here's something for Monday's mag. I figured I might get more entries if I posted it here, too. Becky
When we heard that a UK vehicle-branding company launched Limited Edition (seven only) Led Zeppelin Jeep Patriots "each boasting a full range of refined extras as well as stunning graphics that pay a wonderful tribute to one of the most highly regarded and documented bands" that meant just one
thing: Tagline time! Below are mine--send yours to bebenkamp@brandweek.com (or leave as blog comments so everybody can see 'em) and if I get enough for a column I'll print them later.
* Whole Lotta leg room
* Great for those daytrips to Bron-Yr-Aur
* Because you need 4WD When the Levee Breaks
* Other SUVs will be Trampled Under Foot
* Babe I'm Gonna Leave you... in my dust
* Boogie With Stu's Stick Shift
* What is and What Should Never Be
* The Lemon Song
Photo caption: Jimmy Page hands over the magick, invisible Zep Jeep keys, which once belonged to Aleister Crowley, he'll have you know.
PS to those under age 25: "Led Zeppelin" was a rock band your grandparents used to listen to while reading the Hobbit and toking on their Bicentennial bong.
I've seen mentions of this HBO Video/Virgin Megastore holiday display at a few Web sites, but not any actual footage. It's kinda neat to watch. Interacting with the screen "unwraps" the presents to reveal DVDs of The Sopranos, Oz, The Wire and other shows. The work was created by Monster Media and appears at 11 Virgin stores. Note: About 50 seconds in, the vid switches from the demo to a bunch of man-on-the-street testimonials.
As the housing market slouches further into its slump, real estate developers are the latest group to recite the experiential marketing mantra. No longer content with cheapo enticements such as street side sign twirlers and customary coffee & crumb cake at open houses, they are getting up close and personal to turn shoppers into peeping toms and prospective purchasers.
“Not a lot of people qualify [for loans] anymore, so they’ve been throwing in extra stuff such as cars, vacations, gas cards and appliances to get people to buy,” said Peterson Gonzaga, a real estate agent at Goldland Pro Realty.
But first, they’ve got to get them to look.
To publicize a mixed-use shopping/living center opening next year in Glendale, Calif., Caruso Affiliated is offering sneak peeks to shoppers at another retail complex, The Grove in Los Angeles. There, the “Windows on Americana” cyclorama mural simulates the view from a second-floor terrace apartment overlooking a vast courtyard and neighboring units. The exhibit is embedded with flat-screen monitors that pose as condo windows, so voyeurs can peep at one-minute video loops of “residents” of the Americana at Brand complex as they enjoy the comforts of home, such as valet parking, concierge services, food delivery and a gym with personal trainers. The “Brand” in the title refers to Glendale’s Brand Boulevard.
While the Thanksgiving holiday traditionally marks the end of the real estate season, The Athena Group piggybacked the rampant retail madness of Black Friday (as well as Saturday) to market what it dubbed “the ultimate impulse purchase”: a new flat at The Rob Clark. While the name is actually an amalgam of the two chi-chi streets where the Beverly Hills complex resides, “Rob Clark” has been envisioned as a playboy personality who inhabits the haunts. In the stunt, Athena sent four bathrobed babes (two guys, two gals) down Robertson—home of The Ivy, Kitson and other hot spots on the Lohan-Hilton circuit—during the busy shopping days to pass out cocktail napkin come-ons luring people back to the 105-unit complex for a drink and a looksee at “Rob’s” personal pad. The Black Friday stunt generated about 50 leads, two of which went to contract, per sales and marketing director Harry Dubin.
Becky (bebenkamp@brandweek.com)
