One of the basic tenets of sales is to go where the people are. So when Kmart decided it wanted to put some bucks toward going after tween and teen girls, it didn’t just plunk some ads down in a few magazines and on a few websites.

Instead, the Sears-owned retailer partnered with Alloy Media to create an online series, “First Day,” that features well-coiffed girls, cute boys, and lots and lots of clothes that you can find at — are you sitting down? — Kmart.

Then they give it a YouTube channel and a Facebook page, Twitter feed and watch the magic happen.Continue reading...

Russian cigarette-maker Donskoy Tabak has dropped its plans for a teen-targeted brand.

The back-story: Russia’s Ministry of Health is putting together the “strictest anti-tobacco law to date,” which would outlaw lighting up in “trains, airports, and jet liners” as well as up the tax on cigarettes significantly, according to Vesti (and translated by GlobalVoices.com), tobacco manufacturers need to find new consumers to plunk down rubles to suck down their product, right? 

Mercifully, Donskoy Tabak, one of Russia’s largest tobacco companies, has been shamed out of its new line of cigarettes that were aimed at teens and young women, called “Sweet Dreams,” according to blogger Alexey Navalny (as translated by Global Voices).Continue reading...

AT&T won a Silver Integrated Lion at the Cannes advertising festival this year, well-deserved international recognition for this 10-minute PSA about the deadly results of texting while driving, showing real-life examples of the last text that was composed while driving — often cut-off mid-text as the driver veered into a fatal accident.

When the hard-hitting documentary was released in late December, its "No text is worth dying over" tagline a tough warning to New Year’s Eve imbibers, it became an instant viral hit and has been seen millions of times on YouTube.

Now the agency responsible for the award-winning effort, BBDO New York, has just released a video case study documenting the continuing impact of the documentary, including a planned smartphone app to keep the effort alive.Continue reading...

Three years ago, Disney Channel was called "the greatest teen-star incubator since the NBA stopped drafting high schoolers."

But with Miley Cyrus moving on to Lindsay Lohan-land, the High School Musical stars now college-age, the Jonas Brothers morphing into the Jonas Men, and (most recently) Demi Lovato quitting, Disney Channel needs new stars.

Luckily, a Disney original movie about a fake band appears to have spawned the real deal.Continue reading...

Trending on Tudou, China's answer to YouTube: the new digital campaign for China's fashion brand Semir, which has generated more than 2.8 million video views since launching on March 25. The series of six spots for Semir's Uniqlo-like sub-brand, Tee, were shot in Los Angeles by Draftfcb.

Designed to appeal to the hip apparel brand's target audience (teens), the spot above features a crude domino effect using discarded household items, tying into the recycling logo featured on a t-shirt that's revealed at the end.

Watch another "Everything can be Tee" spot below, and check out the campaign's interactive website where users can upload images to customize their own t-shirt design.Continue reading...

Few of the students will ever get to own a Mercedes-Benz, but the German luxury auto maker has decided to launch a teen-driving school in the United States. It’s an interesting brand extension at a time when the top segment of the U.S. market has gotten more competitive than ever.Continue reading...

Stand down, Facebook and MySpace — Lockerz’ mission is to eat your lunch and have the cool kids sit at its table. With a goal of worldwide domination — which these days, means being the digital homepage of teens — the Seattle-based Lockerz is a social network with a twist.

Offering a blend of content, community and commerce, participation reaps tangible rewards in the form of points that can be redeemed for purchases and discounts. After watching a video, PTZ (points) can be redeemed for up to 100% on hot brands in the Lockerz SHOP.  Non-members are informed how many PTZ they earned watching that video, and are then invited to join.

Its two revenue streams: advertising and selling real (not virtual) goods. To boost engagement, time spent on the site and the user experience, Lockerz also offers its members original content, and is already seeing success from its scripted programming.Continue reading...

Consider it a new phrase — and a new danger — of the digital era. "Distracted driving," which is primarily associated with texting or talking on a cell phone while driving, is getting a lot of attention these days.

Texting while driving caused over 16,000 deaths between 2002 and 2007, according to research conducted by the University of North Texas Health Science Center. The percentage of all traffic deaths caused by distracted driving rose from 11% in 1999 to 16% in 2008.

That's why brands such as Allstate are stepping up efforts to address the issue.Continue reading...