If you didn't know that McDonald's has overhauled its iconic Happy Meal in the interests of better nutrition for kids, you soon will.

The chain begins USA-wide exposure on Wednesday of new TV commercials touting the more healthful Happy Meal, introducing a new cast of back-to-the-farm friendly characters (a boy and his goat) that are putting Hamburglar and Mayor McCheese out to pasture, apparently for good.

In response to pressure from First Lady Michelle Obama on down, McDonald's has evolved the Happy Meal into a more healthful repast that includes more better-for-you elements. Last summer, the company announced the changes that it is rolling out nationally in the Happy Meal this spring, including the provision of apple slices and a kid-size portion of fries as standard features.

So now, of course, it is time to market these changes as only McDonald's can — and not just in the US.Continue reading...

During this year's Super Bowl game GE aired two ads — Building Something Big and Power and Beer — as part of the company's ongoing “GE Works” campaign. But the company's Game Day strategy wasn't just about what it ran on-air.

GE integrated data visualization, a.k.a. Big Data, to augment the social and digital elements of its Super Bowl campaign, turning to an emerging engagement tool to augment content marketing and messaging with the brand's vast stores of data.Continue reading...

M&M’s introduced its new spokescandy during the Super Bowl Sunday evening when the bespectacled Ms. Brown, the candy brand's 70-year-old (but still looking good) CCO or Chief Chocolate Officer who made her debut in a commercial called "Just My Shell." And it was a shelluva debut indeed.

It used to be that just running a Super Bowl commercial was enough excitement for a corporation’s agency and marketing/communications teams at this time of year, but given the pre- and post-Game buzz marketing on social media that's the norm, M&M's marketers at Mars, Inc., are pulling out the stops for Ms. Brown.Continue reading...

When it comes to getting office supplies, there are plenty of choices for paper, print cartridges, highlighters, whiteboard, and hand sanitizers (Staples, Walmart, your local department store). And there are plenty you don’t have to go anywhere for (Amazon and other e-tailers).

So Office Depot needs to differentiate itself to complete, and it's starting with decluttered stores and improving customer service. After testing their battle plan in two stores, it's now rolling out to 1,132 stores nationwide, according to AdAge.com.Continue reading...

Over the past few years, McDonald's has touted everything from value pricing to new product lines to continue to get people through the doors of its restaurants. On January 2nd, the world's biggest fast food chain will join competitors in attempting a new type of pitch in America: talking about where its ingredients come from.

While McDonald's has committed to promoting sustainable farming in Europe, taking a "farm-to-fork" approach in America may seem a stretch. After all, the restaurant chain doesn't deal directly with "local" farmers and ranchers but only with big suppliers such as Cargill, Lamb Weston and Coca-Cola.

But McDonald's U.S. executives have seen rivals such as Wendy's and Chipotle get some traction with down-on-the-farm marketing. And they acknowledge that "there are questions about where our food comes from," as McDonald's U.S. CMO Neil Golden put it this week, according to Ad Age.Continue reading...

DHL is betting big on a global campaign, touting its acumen as "International Specialists" in local delivery, customs clearance, express shipping and customer service, as seen above.

The DHL Express campaign launched in May in Hong Kong, and is now rolling out worldwide in the brand’s broadest marketing initiative, covering 42 global markets highlighting its commitment to “the speed of yellow, excellently delivered.” Read more about the campaign tactics below.Continue reading...

One part Old Spice Guy, one part that guy your parents told you to stay away from, Keystone Light spokesidiot "Keith Stone" is ineffably appealing. For over two years, Keith Stone has been reaping the breakfast of the kinds of champions who drink beer for breakfast, in the process winning a bit of a cult fanbase.

He's irreverent, but then so is audibly passing gas in polite company. The question is, does he work for the brand?

"In developing the Keith Stone campaign, we wanted to literally bring the brand’s 'Always Smooth' essence to life in a way that is impactful and relatable to our Keystone Light drinker. We did this through the creation of an ownable brand hero," Brand Manager Elina Vives told brandchannel, adding, "Keith Stone is the MC of Smoothness."Continue reading...

1957 may be most closely identified with the '57 Chevy, but Chrysler marketers are going back to that year to promote the new Fiat 500 in America.

They're treading carefully, having been questioned for emphasizing a repositioning of the Chrysler brand, via the “Imported from Detroit” campaign that kicked off at this year's Super Bowl, over touting their first new model in a long while, the Chrysler 200. While they won’t say it, one reason is that the car is basically a re-skinned Chrysler Sebring and wasn’t all that boast-worthy, compared with much of the competition these days.

For the Fiat brand as it re-enters the United States in a big way, the story is different. By all accounts, the new Fiat 500 is a high-quality sparkplug, popular in Europe, and it should get a strong reception once it’s widely available in the United States at a time of stubbornly high gasoline prices. Nevertheless, Fiat is emphasizing brand over its 500 subcompact so far. The reasons, this time, are different.Continue reading...