Ikea in France

If you’ve followed this blog for any length of time, you probably realize my love for guerilla marketing. Ikea, a popular home store ran this campaign in a Paris subway in France.

This campaign is quirky, involved and fits the Ikea brand to the t.

I’d love to know what their return was on such an expensive campaign.

Wimpy Braille Burgers

Every company has to choose their target market. Sometimes niche markets are chosen for each line of products. Most marketing plans describe their target market something like: “African American Men and women, ages 10-32, with a HHI of $40-$60k living in suburban areas of major cities in the US.”

Wimpy, a popular burger shop in South Africa, chose to market their burgers to a very niche market that few companies ever reach out to. The sight impaired.

Columbia’s Cold, Abandoned Bikini Model

Orange and brown Leaves flutter to the pavement, rain pelts rooftops, wind blows through the city. Winter is coming. With the new season comes new advertising. 

Usually, winter advertising features Santa Claus, holly, snowflakes and kids in puffy jackets. Columbia, a sportswear store took a different approach.

BYOB – Bring Your Own Bag

States across the United States have begun implementing new laws that make shoppers pay extra for their bags.

For years, shoppers have adopted green initiatives to bring their own bags when they shop for groceries. Retailers have created cute canvas and plastic bags that fold and ball up into convenient sizes that fit in a purse or between the seats of a car. Shoppers have felt a sense of pride and responsibility in the gesture they have been doing to help their environment.

Now, all shoppers in some cities are forced to either bring their own bag or pay an extra 10 cents for one. 

Online Dating Survey

I’m conducting some market research about online dating. Please take a minute to complete this survey.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/HWHB7D6

Results will be posted soon.

Richie’s Diner’s Migrane Inducing Menu

I visited a cute 50′s diner in Rancho Cucamonga called Richie’s Diner. It’s known to locals as a great place for a good breakfast and large portions. In need of a good American meal, I met my dad and brother for a quiet Saturday brunch.

I took a seat at a sticky red booth and was handed a menu by an uninterested waitress with a high pony tail. This menu screamed All-American in the cheesiest way possible. I love 50′s diners for the upbeat music, deliciously simple grease-enhanced food and black and white tiled floors, but why are the menus sooooo bad?!

Free Air Guitar

96.3 Rock Radio created and implemented one of the most simple and fun outdoor marketing executions I have ever seen.

The station set out two rows of empty guitar racks against a wall with a sign reading “Free Air Guitar” and an arrow pointing to the racks. The sign invites by passers to “Please, Take One.”

Kenneth Cole Goes Sleazy

Walking through the Ontario Mills Mall in Ontario, California I noticed that just about every store had a sale sign in the doorway. Most boasted a 30% or 40% off sale for the winter holidays. Kenneth Cole thought they might gain the upper hand by offering 41% off… Then I kept reading… What a nightmare!

Let’s start with the most obvious: 41%.

US Airways Charges $25

I was walking through an airport today for my Southwest flight to Phoenix, Arizona when I heard another real life slice of life commercial. Something like my previous Toyota story.

As I passed the US Airways ticketing counter I overheard a conversation between an agent and a customer. The agent said “that will cost an extra $25” to which the customer replied “$25 dollars?!” The customer then went on with some continued complaining of which I ignored in my pursuit for TSA and my awaiting flight.

Google+

Google+ is another social network, similar to Facebook, Myspace, LinkedIn and all the others out there trying to make it in the big bad internet world.

Google+ launched on June 28, 2011 and quickly grew. According to a number of news reports, “Google+ was the fastest social network to reach 10 million users at 16 days. It took Twitter 780 days and Facebook 852 days.” 

The new social network boasted a USP of privacy. Unlike other social networks, Google+ promises privacy which is executed through a business model banning advertising and a new feature called “circles.”