Farewell to Pontiac

Early this week, General Motors announced its plans to jettison the Pontiac brand in a desperate effort to salvage the company and keep it from bankruptcy. I never owned a Pontiac, but I always find it sad when a classic, old-school brand like Pontiac dies. Just think about the hundreds of millions of dollars invested in the brand over its 80-year history! All the ad campaigns, marketing initiatives and PR programs that were developed to help nurture and grown the brand….gone.

Advertising Age pays tribute to the brand with a look back on some of the classic ad campaigns through the years.

Farewell Pontiac!

The Fish Are Biting

Every once and a while we like to show off some of the cool new work coming out of our creative department. It's not that we're trying to brag...we're just excited about what we do.

Here's a new print ad we developed for Baitmate, a fish attractant sold at retailers like Dick's Sporting Goods, Cabela's and Kmart. It's running in a variety of magazines this spring and summer, including: Bassmaster, North American Fisherman and Camping Life. In addition, keep your eye out for a new thirty-second TV spot, which will begin airing this weekend. Happy fishing everyone!

Burger King Gets It

Kudos to Burger King! They truly "get it." The only way to survive and thrive in an economic downturn is to increase your marketing, advertising and PR.

Here's a great quote from Russ Klein, BK's chief marketing officer...

"With the economic downturn, it's important for us to be front and center with value messaging, innovation and strategy. And there is strong historical evidence around companies that step up with their innovation and advertising and their ability to move through economic downturns and they emerge with stronger brands on the other end."

Well stated Russ!

Hello Sun! Where Have You Been?

Wait a second...could it be? Is that what I think it is? No. Really? Yes it is! I can't believe it! The sun has returned to Milwaukee. Hello Spring!

Using the Recession to Sell Product

From retailers to restaurants, it seems like everyone is using the recession to sell something. It's a smart move to show empathy during tough times. It's a great way to connect with consumers....shows you understand what they're going through and your doing your best to help them out. Just be careful! You don't want to come off like your exploiting a negative. Tread lightly when connecting your brand to an economic downturn. It could backfire.

Finding Progress in Unlikely Places

Think GM or AIG have a hard time keeping a good name? Try being a country that has been racked by war and genocide. You've heard of brands having to retool and rebuild their reputations, but imagine the challenge facing a country like Rwanda.

I couldn't help but be captivated by this article written in Fast Company about the current state of Rwanda, a central African nation marred by a mass genocide in 1994, killing over a million innocent people.


(Image: Rwanda's capital - Kigali)

Did you know that over a trillion dollars of aid has been given to Africa - and most of it has gone to waste because of political corruption and war. However, Rwanda's President, Paul Kagame, has begun soliciting business ventures from international companies, claiming profitability and emphasizing the value of relationships. I highly recommend the read - as it could be a major turning point in how we buck the "dead aid" problem in Africa.

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