Absolut Vodka bottle for Vancouver
When we think of Vancouver, we think of mountains, the ocean, that crazy suspension bridge - and now liquor. Absolut Vodka has selected Vancouver as the latest honoree in its city-themed bottle series, a Canadian first. A new Absolut Vancouver bottle, designed by local artist Douglas Fraser, depicts a sea plane soaring over a V-shaped, West Coast-inspired skyline. In conjunction, Absolut's Canadian distributor is hosting a local art competition at AbsolutVancouver.ca. We just hope the new bottle's contents won't make us feel as wobbly as the suspension bridge does.
For the love of bacon
Vegetarians, please skip ahead. Still reading, meat lovers? Maple Leaf Foods has unveiled RepublicOfBacon.com, a website resembling a Vegas-style strip, complete with a casino, in which we can win a decade's worth of bacon, if we really want to. There are recipes (bacon-encrusted bacon cup, anyone?), bacon-inspired ring tones for our cellphones and bacon-cooking safety tips by a bare-chested, pork-bellied "Safety Sergeant." The campaign, designed by St. John, promotes Maple Leaf's new resealable bacon packaging - a good idea. Unfortunately, the Republic of Bacon has ruined our appetite.
Tricks and treats
Here's something to chew on from the marketing elves at Koodo Mobile. The "decidedly different" wireless company is sending its gingerbread mascots, Rockabilly Man and Party Girl, into the cold Canadian streets to hand out treats and cash-saving tips for the mobile-buying season. Then, once we've gorged ourselves, we can engage in a virtual workout with Sugar Streak, a funny online game in which, Shaft-style, we chase a life-sized gingerbread man through the city toward cell phone savings. Well, we're off to run, run, run as fast as we can in search of cookies.
'Tis the season for cellphone contracts
So, Koodo thinks it can bribe us with treats and we'll sign up for their service? Not so fast, says DAVE Wireless. With more than one-third of Canadian wireless contracts being signed leading up to the holidays, DAVE, a winner in last year's wireless spectrum auction, is urging Canadians to put their pens down until the new year, when it plans to launch its new 3G network. DAVE's "Competition is Coming" print and outdoor campaign mocks the burdensome contracts of incumbent mobile companies. One ad reads: "Like contracts? Go to law school." Good advice, DAVE. Maybe we'll add that to our New Year's resolutions.
Good news for advertisers. For real.
Could the marketing industry slaughter have finally reached its trough? According to Interpublic Group CEO Michael Roth, it has at least hit bottom, with the company recently reporting a slew of new contracts, including Chrysler. The good news doesn't stop there: ad buyer ZenithOptimedia says the global advertising market has stabilized and predicts spending may increase 0.9 per cent to $447.7-billion in 2010, after falling 10 per cent this year. And Magna Global, which tracks global ad revenue, expects 6-per-cent growth for 2010, after a 15-per-cent decline this year.
Dianne Nice