Greenpeace sabotage Waitrose ad #dumpshell

It wasn't long ago I was blogging about how Greenpeace had created spoof adverts for Shell demonstrating their negative impact on the environment and now they've done it again, still targeting Shell, but within a Waitrose ad. A group called The Agents of Intervention have created this new advert. They have cleverly manipulated the voices of Waitrose's ambassadors Delia Smith and Heston Blumenthal to encourage viewers to #dumpshell. This comes after Waitrose are trialling their stores within Shell petrol stations following their recent christmas campaign which demonstrates the supermarkets donations to charity.

Although the subject Greenpeace are talking about is a serious one I find this quite humourous which is why I think it works well because people are more likely to remember it. Greenpeace are notorious for going out their way to shame any company that appears to be impacting badly onto the environment and they haven't held back here either. I personally don't think many Waitrose customers will change to a different supermarket because of Greenpeace's work however if this ad went viral it could affect Waitrose's brand identity in the future.

http://www.marketingmagazine.co.uk/

Glaceau packaging refreshed

Coke, who own Glaceau vitamin water, have refreshed the packaging after cutting the sugar levels within the drinks. These drinks have previously come under scrutiny from the ASA after claiming the drinks were healthy but were then found to have extrememly high levels of sugar within the drinks meaning their health claims were actually false. Having replaced the sugar with a new stevia-based sweetener, which will now see the sugar levels cut down by 30% and the calories reduced by 30, the packaging has also been refreshed. The new packaging now features pictograms which highlight each drink's specific nutrient. I don't really see much of a change in the packaging and if the new focus is on the pictograms then I think the copy on the bottle could be made smaller or less bold as currently this still remains the focal point on the bottle because I'm drawn to the word vitamin more than anything else.

Following the Olympics this year most brands are now aiming to be healthier and follow the consumer trend of wanting to be more health and fitness conscious. I will personally be more inclined to now buy this product because I refused to buy it after the ASA brought to light how much sugar was actually in the drinks but now the sugar is reduced I may buy it for it's nutrients.

http://www.marketingmagazine.co.uk/

Npower switches

 

Npower is switching its marketing strategy from sports sponsorships to ties with charities including Macmillan Cancer Support. In doing this I think it will improve their corporate social responsibility and provide them with a brand identity that makes them seem socially aware and caring. Also as energy companies often just continue to put their bill prices up this is proving to customers how Npower are giving something back to the community. Debbie Britton is currently the director of customer marketing for Npower and has commented that she feels connections with charities is the route forward for Npower. This strategy is similar to that of Waitrose in their christmas campaign this year which saw them ditch a glamourous christmas advert in favour of donating that money to local charities. Celebrity endorsement is so common with many brands nowadays having links with charity instead persuades more customers to join Npower because they feel they are part of a positive brand.

http://www.brandrepublic.com/

Virgin Media - Our House

 

Virgin Media are going to be launching 'Our House' which is a revolutionary in store experience for customers. The first store is opening at Westfield in West London and digital images of Richard Branson and the brand ambassadors Mo Farah and Usain Bolt will greet customers as part of Virgin's aim to create a 'sensory experience at every touchpoint'. I think it's important brands create experiences for customers rather than just feeding them a print or digital advertisement because it is more memorable and if the customer has a positive experience they will associate that experience with the Virgin brand. An interesting element of this new store opening is that sales associates will be able to process sales on tablets meaning there is no need to install traditional tills. As I work within retail I think this such a good idea because half of the task when selling a product to the customer is then maintaining the sale whilst walking them to the till so if sales associates within the Virgin store are able to seal the deal there and then and with a quick process customers are more likely to part with their money.

http://www.brandrepublic.com/

SodaStream ad banned

This is the ad by SodaStream which was banned by Clearcast hours before it was due to go live because it was said to promote the 'denigration of the bottled drinks market'. Having watched the ad I feel it does in fact have the potential to make people avoid buying bottled drinks in order to be more sustainable by choosing SodaStream however I don't feel it was necessary to pull the advert. After all aren't the majority of governments and people aiming for a more sustainable planet? I don't think SodaStream's ad was an attack on the bottled drinks industry as the self combusting drinks within their ad remain unbranded, I think they were trying to direct the attention to themselves by demonstrating how environmentally friendly they are as a brand. In response to Clearcast's ban SodaStream have released a response print campaign encouraging people to protest against Clearcast's choice and redirecting viewers to where they can view the ad. http://www.brandrepublic.com/news/

 



Pantone colour of the year

Pantone have selected their Emerald shade as the colour of the year based on it's "harmony and balance" according to Pantone themselves. The connotations of being linked to the emerald jewel also imply sophistication and luxury about the colour. Often the colour green in general, no matter what shade, is linked with healing and the environment. Quite often however the colour green in all shades is a hard one to transfer across fashion as many people feel a fear of wearing green because it's often seen as a daring colour and is very rarely found within high street shops.

I think Pantone could now aim to promote this colour and how it could be used across various platforms such as packaging design, interior design and print design.

http://www.designweek.co.uk/

Weightwatchers rebranding

 

Pentagram have rebranded the popular weight loss program: Weightwatchers. This new look has been launched in the US and will be launched in the UK if the trial is deemed successful. I feel the new branding has more of a corporate feel to it which could reflect the business direction the brand is wishing to take. It also means that it's more likely to work well across various platforms because of the simple design so it will be easily transferred and recognised. The gradient on the copy is said to resemble the transformation people go through when attending weightwatchers classes and could represent how they may go from a 'dark place' to a 'lighter' place after they've lost weight. I think this design is much more modern than the older design however I don't think it reflects the welcoming and inviting nature of weightwatchers so I feel it could in fact put people off.

http://www.designweek.co.uk