Greenpeace and Asia Pulp & Paper have been battling for years over the issue of brands using APP for packaging, as the eco-activists believe the company is one of many brands contributing to the deforestation of “critical habitats and last remaining biodiversity hotspots” by using what it sees as unsustainable packaging materials sourced by APP. 

Greenpeace's latest campaign against APP, via its global KFC protests, prompted the paper supplier to send us a rebuttal from Ian Lifshitz, Sustainability Manager for APP in the Americas.

“APP has been taking into account the critical issues raised by our international stakeholders, and we’ve announced important milestones in our business policies. Namely, on May 15, we announced the suspension of natural forest clearance in Indonesia, and that we will begin holding ourselves and our suppliers to the internationally-recognized high standards of HCVF (high conservation value forest)."Continue reading...

Greenpeace activists recently scaled the headquarters of the KFC headquarters building in Louisville, Kentucky to hang a giant banner with a Sumatran tiger saying: “KFC Stop Trashing My Home.” A second banner was deployed on the lake the KFC building, dubbed “the White House” due to its resemblance to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC, overlooks, bearing a similar message.

“We're here today to expose KFC's secret recipe. KFC customers worldwide will be horrified to learn that the fast food giant is using rainforests to make its packaging,” said Greenpeace Forest Campaign Director, Rolf Skar, about the protest action, which has gone global including a protest stunt in China and London this week. “The decisions being made here at KFC HQ are fuelling the destruction of some of the world’s last remaining rainforests, driving climate change and pushing the Sumatran tiger closer to extinction.”Continue reading...

McDonald's is basking in the glow in the halo effect glow of some tremendously good PR in China. A young American working in Nanjing recently purchased some french fries for a homeless elderly woman — and proceeded to sit and share them with her. Faster than you could say "I'd like to buy the world some friends," the incident became the talk of the Chinese social web.

While the brand itself was not a proactive participant in the act of charity, thousands of mentions of "American French Fry Brother" came along with a mention of McDonald's. It was a bit of good fortune for the chain in China just before the new China Daily headline: "McDonald's raises prices again."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...

Kohler was a brand caught squarely in the bursting of the U.S. housing bubble a few years ago. But it's only because of that debacle that the Wisconsin-based maker of bathroom fixtures now is busy supplying a still-promising boom in demand for its most expensive toilets by upper-middle-income consumers in China.

The century-old company made porcelain, mainly in Wisconsin, and became a multi-billion-dollar brand by supplying it for homes and businesses as the American building boom continued from after World War II to a few years ago. Along the way, the family that owned the privately held company was able to build up a five-star resort in its hometown, an elaborate "toilet museum" nearby, and world-class golf courses such as Whistling Straits, on the banks of Lake Michigan several miles a way.

But Kohler sales fell from about $5.5 billion in 2008 to about $5 billion last year largely because of the U.S. housing bust, forcing a cut in the Wisconsin manufacturing workforce to about 1,800 people from about 2,700 people. And that's where the silver lining comes in.Continue reading...

Angry Birds are coming to TV.

Apple pressured on suppliers and sustainability as brand sees Consumer Reports soft-pedal problem of "hot" iPads.

Belvedere vodka "rape ad" actress sues Moet Hennessy.

BMW unveils "sexy" i8 Spyder concept.

Burger King promotes new menu with Jay Leno, Mary J. Blige, David Beckham and Sofia Vergara.

Chevrolet plans decision on future of "Chevy Runs Deep" with new ad agency.

Coty offers to buy Avon for $10 billion.

Current nixes Keith Olbermann as on-air anchor, citing behavior.

Dunkin' Donuts launches Hispanic marketing campaign.

Facebook delves deeper into search.Continue reading...

Is the head of a company or brand the most effective spokesperson? Not every CEO, after all, can be Richard Branson or "Papa John" Schnatter.

Ace Metrix’s latest white paper, “CEOs in Advertisements: What Happens When the Boss Steps into the Spotlight?” reveals that the CEO doesn't need to have a cult of personality and be a household name to help put a positive face on the brand.Continue reading...

Ben & Jerry's supports gay marriage in the UK with "Apple-y Ever After" ice-cream and Facebook app.

How do you promote a parking app at South by Southwest? Fake parking boots!

Of course there's a "woody" Toyota Prius.

Lingerie retailer Figleaves escapes outdoor ad ban.Continue reading...