More than 80% of adult smokers in the U.S. tried smoking by age 18, up to 90% by age 20, so the truth, the largest American youth smoking prevention campaign (and the only national campaign not directed by the tobacco industry) is launching truthlive this week, kicking off a series of five free concerts featuring musicians Cobra Starship and Outasight at East Coast and southern universities in a bid to stop the next generation of tobacco addicts.

“truth’s success stems from offering facts and information about tobacco use and tobacco industry marketing practices in channels and through media that are relevant with teens and young people – then allowing them to spread the message themselves with their peers and friend groups,” stated Cheryl G. Healton, DrPH, president and CEO of Legacy, the national public health foundation that directs and funds the truth campaign. 

Using music as a ‘passion point’ to connect with students, on-campus activities feature the iconic orange truth truck and truth tour riders, young adults armed with games, interactive activities, dancing, contests and mucho swag, educating their peers on the truth about smoking.Continue reading...

With conference tournaments dominating this week in men's college basketball, it means that official March Madness is just around the corner. And when the NCAA men's tournament begins next week, brands are going to be more ready than ever to take advantage. That's because March Madness has become a multifaceted, extended marketing "season" much as the NFL Super Bowl represents earlier each year.

In fact, in some ways, March Madness arguably has become an even more effective tentpole marketing platform than the Super Bowl.Continue reading...

Two years ago, Americans were throwing away 2.5 million plastic bottles every hour, according to SmartPlanet.com.

Coca-Cola, which is responsible for a good number of the beverage bottles floating around America, is trying to make its containers more environmentally friendly — as is its chief rival, PepsiCo, which is promoting its plant-based PET bottle.

The latest volley in the green bottle rivalry: Coke's marketers are touring college campuses, including visiting Alabama’s Samford University and other colleges in the South to “create awareness for their PlantBottle packaging initiative,” according to the Samford Crimson.

The college marketing tour will help Coke test consumer preferences among the all-important 18-24 demo for its eco-friendly bottles in Atlanta, Birmingham, and Nashville in three different beverage sizes: 12.5, 16, and 20 ounces.Continue reading...

Still reeling from the Jerry Sandusky child abuse case, Penn State officials and fans groaned last night as the university's disgraced former football coach was arrested on fresh charges (which his lawyer says he's denying) ... while clearly wearing a Penn State jacket with the Nittany Lions logo as police hauled him off to jail, where he remains this morning. Above, a few of the responses on Twitter as the news broke.

When two of the three news stories on your university's own homepage involve steps the university is taking to address sexual abuse, you know you have a PR problem on your hands. When your university's highlight video, allotted each school during football games, features your president talking candidly about the steps the university if taking to address sexual assault, you definitely have a PR problem. And what a problem Penn State has.

The ongoing Penn State scandal, in which the school is accused of covering up the long term sexual abuse of minors by then-assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky, is working its way to being a guaranteed case study in every PR, marketing, education and MBA program in the nation. But is the light at the end of the tunnel already appearing?Continue reading...

With the winter holidays coming fast, Penn State fans can usually expect to get a random new piece of gear with a Nittany Lions logo on it (a 32-quarter inflatable beach cooler, maybe?) or at least a new PSU sweatshirt or T-shirt.

However, thanks to the heinous child-molestation charges against former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky, people are keeping their PSU merchandise in their bureaus these days and sales of PSU-related sports gear is down 40%, according to CNN.com. It's a sad Penn State of affairs, indeed, for the once-proud Lions and Penn supporters.Continue reading...

Sir Richard's Condoms is the TOMS of prophylactics. And no, it isn't one of the multitude of brands founded by Virgin-in-chief Sir Richard Branson.

“We're all for socially conscious companies, and we're also all for getting laid,” says the Boulder, Colorado-based ethical (and vegan!) condom company, which donates one condom to a country in need for every one sold.

Its distinctive packaging at right isn't the only appealing element of the brand, but also its humanitarian mission that safe sex is a basic human right. Its target audience: "discerning, responsible individuals who seek to align their purchases with the change they want to see in the world." Hence the brand's motto, “Doing good never felt better.” 

Their buy-one-give-one product is not, however, one-size-fits-all, with varieties including Pleasure Dots, Ultra Thin, Extra Large, Classic Ribbed, and a 3-Pack grab-bag, each of which is vegan-friendly and 100% natural latex.

To promote the philanthropic prophylactic, TDA Advertising and Design revived the oft-maligned 80’s accessory, the fanny pack, and placed special green packs on bikes strategically near Sir Richard’s retailers Walgreens and Whole Foods in N.Y., L.A., San Francisco and Boulder.Continue reading...

Labor Day is fast approaching, and US college-sports fans are already unpacking their face paint, pennants, and big foam fingers (not too mention their coolers, hibachis, and tortilla-chip bowls) to prepare for another full year of football, basketball, water polo, fencing, bowling, and all the rest. 

And who is going to be enjoying all those intense rivalries right alongside some of America’s most ardent fans? That’s right, it’s the execs of UPS, who will be enjoying the fruits of three different sponsorship deals in the world of college athletics.

Post and Parcel reports that UPS has struck new “deals with college sports marketing and branding firm IMG College, along with sports conferences Big Ten and Pac-12 (that) will help it build growth in the business-to-business sector as well as accessing college sports fans across a country where college sports are arguably more popular than national professional sports.”Continue reading...