celebrity brandmatch
Posted by Shirley Brady on October 10, 2011 09:04 PM
Jennifer Lopez may have been criticized for the Fiat 500 spot disguised as her latest video, but that hasn't stopped her or Fiat from releasing a follow-up video featuring the Fiat 500 cabriolet. "Here, this is my world. This place inspires me...to be tougher, to stay sharper, to think faster. They may be just streets to you, but to me, they're a playground," Lopez says in a voiceover about her old "Jenny From the Block" neighborhood in the Bronx. Her song Until It Beats No More (featured on her latest album "Love?") plays in the background, just as her last Fiat video featured Papi, a tune from the same album.
"We watch as she leaves Manhattan and makes her way back to the Bronx, where she grew up and continues to be inspired by. The commercial tells the story of how the simple elements of our upbringing can help explain who we are, where we’re going and serve as a source of inspiration to achieve our goals in life. That drive and determination is the common thread that is shared with the Fiat brand and our philosophy that ‘Life is Best When Driven'," stated Olivier Francois, Head of Fiat and Chief Marketing Officer and Brand Marketing Communications, Chrysler Group LLC, in a press release.
Francois is keen to position this as her first Fiat commercial, even though the Papi spot — which he told Ad Age he sees as a trailer for JL's video and not a commercial for the Fiat 500 — ran during Monday Night Football, during a commercial break that Chrysler paid for.
More about: Advertising, Campaigns, Chrysler, Fiat, Fiat 500, Jennifer Lopez, Product Placement, Brandcameo, Branded Entertainment, Music, Entertainment, ESPN, Monday Night Football, NFL, Social Marketing
brand news
Posted by Dale Buss on October 10, 2011 08:59 AM

Netflix abruptly abandons plans to rent DVDs and kills Qwikster brand before it launches.
Disney CEO Bob Iger announces he will step down in 2015.
American Apparel finds new fans in Europe.
Apple iPhone pre-sale orders sell out, while overall iPhone sales may not be so rosy.
Chrysler plans to pare minivan offerings as part of brand rationalization and product-portfolio streamlining as the company winds up talks with UAW.
Conde Nast to develop video and online content.Continue reading...
More about: Brand News, American Apparel, Apple, Chrysler, Conde Nast, Detroit Lions, DeVry, Dexia, Disney, ESPN, Facebook, Fox News, GE, Geely, iPhone, Lucozade, LVMH, Microsoft, Monday Night Football, Netflix, Pfizer, Qwikster, Real Steel, Saab, Sbarro, Scania, Skype, Starbucks, Tata, Toyota, UAW, Walmart, Bob Iger, Justin Bieber
brand news
Posted by Dale Buss on October 7, 2011 07:07 AM

Apple pre-orders for iPhone 4S will test brand loyalty and new CEO, while Steve Jobs coverage gets special treatment by newsweeklies and Simon & Schuster moves up publication of biography that will reveals his private side.
Alfa Romeo remains on uncertain road.
BMW and other luxury makers offer huge discounts in China, while Mini brand seeks to enlarge market with coupe.
ESPN and Hank Williams Jr. part ways over his "Hitler" remark concerning President Obama.
GE aims to expand lending in Europe as region's banks retrench.
Geely denies interest in Saab though it already owns Volvo.Continue reading...
More about: Brand News, Alfa Romeo, Apple, Audi, BMW, Continental, Doritos, ESPN, GE, Geely, iPhone, Steve Jobs, Kraft, L'Oreal, Mini, Nissan, Nobel Prize, Old Spice, Oracle, Otis, Premier Foods, Saab, Samsung, Simon & Schuster, Sony, Sony Ericsson, Taco Bell, Target, Toyota, Volkswagen, Volvo, Walmart, Hank Williams Jr.
sports in the spotlight
Posted by Barry Silverstein on October 6, 2011 06:00 PM

In the professional sports world, it's pretty easy to identify who's up and who's down by whether they win or lose. But when it comes to the actual value of a sports brand, winning has a different definition: It's based on the revenue a sports team or an individual athlete generates.
Forbes magazine has been analyzing the value of sports brands for three years now. The latest edition of the "Forbes Fab 40" values the top ten names in sports in four distinct categories: athletes, teams, events and businesses.
Leading the list of money-making athletes is the famous (and more recently infamous) Tiger Woods, whose brand is on the comeback trail with this week's major endorsement by Rolex.Continue reading...
More about: Sports, Endorsements, Roger Federer, LeBron James, Tiger Woods, Manchester United, New England Patriots, New York Mets, New York Yankees, Olympics, Super Bowl, Celebrities, Disney, ESPN, Nike, Rolex, Forbes
brands under fire
Posted by Abe Sauer on October 5, 2011 12:38 PM

On August 24, US Fish and Wildlife Service agents — armed US Fish and Wildlife Service — executed a raid on a business suspected of importing illegal materials. That business was the iconic Gibson guitar. The suspected crime? Using illegally harvested hardwoods.
But in a twist, Gibson's plight has been picked up on by the increasingly vocal smaller-government movement of the conservative right. Gibson, these activists say, is a prime example of government overreach and business-strangling regulation, and at all levels from grass roots activists to top leaders in Congress, "Gibson" has become a call to battle.
And yes, there will be a rally.Continue reading...
brand news
Posted by Dale Buss on October 5, 2011 09:00 AM

Apple could lure customers with pricing despite lack of iPhone 5, even as its new iPhone 4S fails to wow. AT&T, meanwhile, claims its iPhone 4S will be the fastest, while Samsung moves to ban the device in France and Italy.
Amazon Kindle Fire pre-orders top 2,000 per hour.
BNY Mellon gets sued by feds, state of New York.
Coca-Cola Amatil eyes Foster's assets in Australia.
Diageo to open "Happy Hour" on ESPN in two languages.
Disney gets 3-D fever.
Estee Lauder launches breast cancer awareness Facebook app.
Friendly's files for bankruptcy.Continue reading...
More about: Brand News, ABC, Amazon, Apple, AT&T, BNY Mellon, Coca-Cola, Diageo, Disney, ESPN, Estee Lauder, Facebook, Foster's, Friendly's, Frito-Lay, GM, iPhone, Ivory, Kindle, NBA, New York Yankees, PepsiCo, Procter & Gamble, President Obama, Renault-Nissan, Samsung, Sony, Subway, Tiger Woods, Volvo, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post
brand news
Posted by Shirley Brady on October 3, 2011 07:00 PM

Apple's rumored virtual assistant feature could outshine Tuesday's iPhone 5 announcement (and rumor mill). Sprint, meanwhile, is reportedly buying 30.5 million iPhones from Apple.
Australia looks beyond cigarettes for plain packaging rules.
Bank of America shares fall on European fears.
Boeing ramps up commercial airline production.
Carnival Cruise Lines signs brand partners.
Daily Mail posts wrong Amanda Knox verdict.
ESPN pulls Hank Williams Jr. signature tune following Hitler remark.Continue reading...
More about: Brand News, Alibaba, Apple, Banana Republic, Beam Inc., Boeing, Daily Mail, ESPN, Facebook, Fortune Brands, Gap, Hermes, Hulu, Kodak, Mashable, Microsoft, Myspace, Napster, PayPal, Rhapsody, Target, US Open, Volkswagen, VW, Yahoo, Fashion Week, Paris, Jason Wu, Michelle Obama
celebrity brandmatch
Posted by Shirley Brady on September 12, 2011 07:07 PM
It's channeled Elvis, taken over Times Square, and slipped into a Gucci racing stripe for New York Fashion Week. Now Fiat USA is promoting the Fiat 500 in a new 30-second trailer that's breaking during ESPN's Monday Night Football telecast tonight.
The Chrysler-owned brand struck a product placement deal to feature the 2012 Fiat 500 Cabrio in Lopez's new music video, Papi, the latest single from her new album. As part of the agreement, Lopez will appear in commercials for the 2012 Fiat 500 which are scheduled to debut later in the year.Continue reading...
More about: Advertising, Campaigns, Chrysler, Fiat, Fiat 500, Jennifer Lopez, Product Placement, Brandcameo, Branded Entertainment, Music, Entertainment, ESPN, Monday Night Football, NFL, Social Marketing, Kohl's, Marc Anthony, Gucci, Tous Jewelry, P&G, Venus, L'Oreal