Lipton is going back to basics, in a way, to add new aroma to its U.S. tea business with the first marketing campaign behind its staple black-tea products in America in nearly a quarter-century.

Lipton—the biggest name in tea globally, at over 100 countries and 100 years old—also has held on to its lead in the US CPG dry-tea market for decades, despite essentially having ignored its basic black teas in a marketing sense.

Now, the Unilever-owned brand has launched a campaign aimed at getting US tea consumers to "Drink Positive" (a play on "Think Positive") and to appreciate the uplift that tea can give them. It's also a move to increase the number of tea-drinkers by skewing younger.

The integrated campaign by DDB New York includes TV, digital (liptontea.com, its US Facebook page, Instagram and Twitter) and a visual refresh by making the iconic Lipton packaging a more vibrant shade of yellow.Continue reading...

McDonald's and its critics have gone back-and-forth lately about the proper marketing role for Ronald McDonald in the chain's fast-food business. But there's nothing to argue about in how well the McDonald's mascot continues to perform in another role: as the icon of the Ronald McDonald House Charities.

And as the holidays typically bring a focus to charitable causes for a number of reasons, McDonald's is in the midst of a new campaign — "Give the Gift of Togetherness" — to raise $1 million for the Ronald McDonald House operation by the end of the year.

It is relying on innovative multimedia tactics such as an animated video (by DDB Chicago) that tells the heart-wrenching story of how the organization has helped one mother and her young child, Summer, in the jumbled aftermath of a terrible auto accident.Continue reading...

Whatever McDonald's next US CEO, Jeff Stratton, does after he takes over from ousted McD's veteran Jan Fields on Dec. 1st, outsiders agree that it'll probably involve significant new menu launches and refreshing old favorites. As in most businesses, it's product innovation that provides the most effective promotional opportunities and does the most to drive sales and pique consumer interest.

Especially in an increasingly competitive environment where Americans seem to have grown inured to a simple value pitch, expect the icon of fast food to turn more, and more often, to variations of its signature products, and other new items, to reverse the October U.S. same-store sales slide that cost Fields her job. 

Some analysts are suggesting that Stratton, a four-decade veteran of McDonald's who championed sustainability in his role as Chief Restaurant Officer, will rely on his expertise in operations to shore up the bottom line and that he'll turn to improved marketing to boost the top line. But in picking apart the reasons for this year's slide and putting together ways to reverse it, Stratton also must balance menu expansion with the traditional simplicity at the heart of McDonald's business model.

In 2012, the chain relied more on "limited-time" menu additions in the US such as Chicken McBites and a Cheddar Bacon Onion burger that was introduced in October.  The pandemonium-causing McRib sandwich, meanwhile, is rumored to return in December — and not a moment too soon. As Peter McGuinness at DDB Chicago, McDonald's agency, commented about the pre-Christmas McRib timing in a reference to Coca-Cola's classic holiday theme, "We don't really do polar bears."Continue reading...

Growth in auto sales may be slowing in China from the breakneck pace of a year or two ago, but it's still the most important long-term car market in the world. That's a main reason Chinese consumers are now seeing a new TV and print campaign for the updated Beetle.

China is Volkswagen's largest sales region — recently passing the US to become its top region for its luxury Porsche and Bentley brands — and has been a driver for the automaker's global sales volume and profit. Volkswagen sold 2.3 million vehicles in China alone in 2011, up 17 percent from 2010, according to the Wall Street Journal. The company even reshuffled top management last summer in part to make sure it wasn't losing any traction in China.Continue reading...

Social innovation is at an all time high and campaigns integrated with social media are the latest incarnation exemplified by the new Mercedes-Benz #YOUDRIVE Twitter campaign, which will let fans help shape the ending. Ever the innovator on digital, Mercedes-Benz is up 10 percent in Interbrand's just-announced 2012 Best Global Brands report.

TV viewers in the UK will ‘drive the action’ of a three-part story about the new Mercedes-Benz A-Class to be shown this weekend during commercial breaks in "The X Factor." A cat and mouse caper features a young music star (played by Top Boy actor Kane Robinson) aided by a female accomplice attempting to secure a secret gig that authorities are keen to close down.Continue reading...

At the Cannes Lions "festival of creativity" (advertising, and marketing) in France this week, Facebook and Twitter are jousting for the spotlight. With festival attendance at an all-time high, up from 9,000 delegates in 2011 to almost 11,000 this year, the exposure to marketers and creatives makes it well worth elbowing the rosé-imbibing crowds on the Croisette.

Twitter, which has been promoting the #CannesLions hashtag on a special page, hoisted its newly spiffed up blue bird logo at the entrance to the Palais de Festivals welcoming attendees and none too subtly reminding them to keep tweeting. 

Cofounder Jack Dorsey, at Cannes for the first time, tweeted the photo at top. He will receive the Cannes Lions “media person of the year” award (previously bestowed on Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg, Google's Eric Schmidt and Microsoft's Steve Ballmer), while Twitter CEO Dick Costolo is set to give the keynote on Wednesday.Continue reading...

After launching a bikini babes, donuts and milk spot, Scion thought better and pulled it. It lives on though. (via)

Blondes in bikinis and Helen Keller. Of course it's Nike. Continue reading...

With Super Bowl XLVI looming on February 5th, marketers are starting to trickle out news of their plans during the big game. The latest:

• The Mars-owned M&M's brand will introduce a new character during its Super Bowl spot (by BBDO New York) during the first quarter: Ms. Brown, according to the New York Times. She's the sixth candy character (following red, yellow, blue, green, and orange) and the second female in the cast, following Ms. Green, and will be portrayed as a behind-the-scenes character and the brand's "chief chocolate officer." Ms. Brown now has a Twitter account (@mmsbrown) and is being teased (above) on the M&M's Facebook page.

• H&M announced today that the Swedish fast-fashion retailer will run a 30-second TV spot (produced in-house) during the second quarter of the game, featuring the upcoming David Beckham Bodywear collection of men's underwear in the first Super Bowl spot for the brand and for Beckham.Continue reading...