Avon ambassador Fergie yesterday kicked off Avon Voices, Avon's first-ever global online singing talent search for women and songwriting competition (for men and women) in celebration of its 125th anniversary.

The launch also got a hand from Reese Witherspoon, and Fergie's fellow judges including Russian pop star Valeriya, singer/producer David Pack, and songwriter Diane Warren.

Check out avonvoices.com, where users can participate in one of three ways: upload a videotaped singing audition, compete in the songwriting track or vote on others' entries.

It sounds like science fiction, but the best way to know whether or not consumers find brand packaging appealing may be to look into their eyes. It turns out that consumer brand companies like Procter & Gamble and Johnson & Johnson are doing just that.Continue reading...

The Art of Shaving (yup, that's the brand's name) is a 14-year-old luxury brand sold in its own US stores (over 40 "Shaving Shops," some of which have "Barber Spas") and in such tony retailers as Bloomingdale's and Neiman Marcus.

Its approach to shaving as an art is decidedly low-tech but it features a high-end product line (shaving brushes sell from $55 to $1,200 each). The company pitches shaving as a four-step process — prepare, lather, shave, moisturize — and sells products for each stage.

Its old school tradition based on "the brotherhood" of shaving (although it does cater to women, too) is a message it's now rolling out across traditional and social media. The brand is embarking on its first-ever advertising campaign, and promoting a pro-social push on social media with a heavy-hitting celeb endorsement (the New York Yankees' Nick Swisher) in support of the Movember movement.Continue reading...

This is one perfume that won’t be scented by wallflowers: Coty and the ever-outrageous Lady Gaga have announced a partnership to develop a fragrance that is expected to launch in spring 2012.

Lady Gaga will be Creative Director (a role that seems to be a staple in her endorsements) of the fragrance brand and the Coty Beauty Division will work closely with her and her Haus of Gaga team in creating the scent. 

Long anticipated, we can’t wait to see how they are going to distill “the brilliance of Lady Gaga into a fragrance that delivers a breathtaking olfactory experience,” as Steve Mormoris, SVP of global marketing for Coty Beauty, gushed in a press release.

 “A force like no other, Lady Gaga is explosive, provocative and sexy, three traits which pave the way for an extraordinary fragrance experience for consumers,” declared Coty CEO Bernd Beetz (a name that may have clinched the deal for the pop star).Continue reading...

In America, Brylcreem is probably most associated with its classic “A little dab'll do ya!” jingle, but in the U.K., the venerable hairstyling-products brand is strengthening its long association with the world of sports.

Brylcreem is launching a limited-edition cricket-themed pack to coincide with the start of this winter's Ashes Test series in Australia. That’s cricket, the OTHER ballgame that uses a bat — not the musically-inclined insect. And for those Yanks not familiar with the Ashes, it’s a series played between England and Australia, one of international cricket's most celebrated rivalries and a high-profile, sponsor-saturated event.Continue reading...

Sometimes, the waiting is the sweetest part.

A few up-and-coming fashion and beauty companies have realized there is brand value to be had in delaying gratification. Products and services that come with a dose of anticipation and a certain element of surprise. These brands creatively mastered a differential advantage by simply playing-up the subscription model as their most attractive and valuable attribute.Continue reading...

Brand managers know they’re taking a big leap of faith when they make huge investments in celebrity-designer lines and personal endorsements by superstars.
But Wal-Mart corporate (and Walmart, the retail brand) clearly believe that it’s still early enough in the career of Justin Bieber to take a flyer on his continued innocence — at least for a while.

The world’s largest retailer has forged a near-exclusive arrangement with the 16-year-old teen-heartthrob singer from Canada heading into the holiday season, including being the sole distributor of his new album (My Worlds Acoustic, teased during the World Series) starting Nov. 26, as well as related add-ons such as a Bieber-inspired unisex fragrance line and even nail polish (with Nicole by OPI).

Having already featured Bieber on its Soundcheck platform, the house that Sam Walton built is latching onto the lad while he’s still a lad — perhaps because the last time the retailer signed on with a tween sensation, it didn’t go too well.Continue reading...

To keep a spooky momentum going on, how appropriate and timely it is to discuss brands capitalizing on the latest celebrity trend: Reincarnation by perfume.
 
The #11-ranked celeb in the Forbes 2010 Top Earning Dead Celebrities list has just released "his" first fragrance: Steve McQueen Eau de Parfum, a tribute to the American actor who passed away 30 years ago. McQueen’s brand equity is valued at $6 million, and his handsome mug already endorses watches, clothes, cars and motorbikes.

“Dead celebrities can do pretty much everything that they did when they were alive, with the technology we have today, except make a personal appearance,” explains Matt Delzell, a marketing account director with Davie Brown Talent, who specializes in pairing brands with celebrity spokespeople. “In the advertising world, these people are still very much alive. Brands are interested in dead celebrities because there is a more iconic feeling after someone passes away.”Continue reading...