The capitalization on 1980s nostalgia has no equal this year like the live-action version of The Smurfs.

But the original world of the Smurfs was a fantastical land free of consumer concerns. (In fact, conspiracy theorists have suggested its commune focus is nearly Communist, or worse.) So, what better way to inject a little green in all that blue than bring the gang to New York City?Continue reading...

Our most-read blog posts of the past week range from the Cannes Lions Winners to the Twitter Founders and more:

#1 Pepsi Parties With "Coke's" Santa for First Campaign in Three Years

#2 Cannes Lions a Global Brandstand (Updated)

#3 Google+ = "Google + You"

#4 Banana Republic Goes Mad for Mad Men Again

#5 Petite Lap Giraffe: A Tiny Viral Marketing Success

#6 Viral Video Watch: Greenpeace Casts VW to the Dark Side

#7 Twitter Founders Take Obvious Next Step

#8 Stakes Rising for PepsiCo’s Nooyi

#9 Viral Video Watch: Seagull Steals GoPro - for Hire?

#10 Is Cars 2 Product Placement Really 'Product Placement'?

If it was up to automakers (and Hollywood), every year would see a stream of sequels from the three hit movie franchises hitting theaters through April and June this year.

Between Fast Five, Cars 2 and the upcoming Transformers 3, audiences have willingly subjected themselves to a level of auto product placement from Hollywood hits that borders on pornography. Call it "carnography."

From Ford Mustangs and Dodge Chargers to Range Rovers, VWs and the Chevy "Bublebee" Camaro, has there ever been a better three-month stretch for cinephile gearheads?

But while the Transformers and Fast Five series are straightforward about highlighting models, Cars 2 plays faster and looser, leaning on car brand stereotypes when necessary, and mixing and matching brands.Continue reading...

It is not a question of if Cars 2 will win the weekend box office or by how much; the question is how many weekends will it dominate?

We have already looked at the slew of brand partnerships Cars 2 has lined up for cross-promotional marketing purposes, and the brands actually appearing in the film, both fake, and real fake. And of course we will have a complete write up on the product placements within Cars 2 on Monday.

So instead let's see what we can learn about product placement from a bad teacher.Continue reading...

There is certainly no shortage of brands with tie-ins and merchandise related to Cars 2, which opens Friday. Goodyear, which is called "Lightyear" within the movie, talked to us about its strategy for targeting adults who buy the tires via a film directed at their kids. Continue reading...

So there's this little Indie film opening this weekend. Maybe you've heard something about it. Cars 2?

While Disney's original Cars only (only!) made $460 million at the box office, its merchandising efforts have raked in over $2 billion a year since 2006, enough to get any sequel's motor running. Just two weeks after the release, some estimates valued sales of Cars merchandise in excess $600 million. In June 2006, just a month after the film's release, Disney announced that Cars-licensed products had already broken merchandising records, racking up a volume ten times that of Finding Nemo. 

Cue Cars 2. Target, the film's official retail partner, has been running heavy tie-in ads letting consumers know here to get even more Cars merchandise. Target currently offers over 150 different Cars 2-branded products, from bedspreads to a "Bubble Mater." Landing Cars 2 deal was a huge "get" for Target, as Walmart was the retail partner for Cars.Continue reading...

In Disney's latest viral marketing, the above "ad" is really a pitch for the upcoming Disney and Pixar film, Cars 2.  It appears to be the type of used car commercial that you might see on a local TV station at 2am.  

There are hints and clues throughout the ad that hint towards the new movie, and there is even a hidden URL you can go to, if you can find it, (pause the video on the 57 second mark), that will take you to an exclusive clip of the new movie itself, but only those with the link can access it.  

The phony commercial even has a phone number that, when called, a message machine answers and the spokesperson from the commercial, Stu says he’s unavailable, and then a robot voice instructs the caller to visit a URL — which links to the Cars 2 clip.Continue reading...

The trailer for Pixar's sequel to Cars — called, wait for it, Cars 2 — is out and it's full of brands. Except, in keeping with Pixar tradition, those brands are not real. One product-placed "brand" in particular is all over the place, but what does it mean?Continue reading...