The Brand Elastic

Beeps & Bleeps

2008-07-17T16:59:32-04:00

Bic has just announced the launch of an inexpensive line of cell phones available in France, in partnership with Orange, part of France Telecom. Available in citrus orange and lime green, the phones are pay-as-you-go, and retail for €49. Bic sees the phone as a logical extension of its brand values of "simplicity and quality at the right price," and who can disagree? The phone is an innovation over existing technology in France, to the best of our knowledge – the telephone number included in the pack is valid for at least 12 months from activation. Read more here.

In a (completely) unrelated development, software maker Ubisoft has announced the imminent launch of "Hell’s Kitchen: The Video Game," featuring celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay. "After executing the three phases of an order - preparation, cooking and service - Chef Gordon Ramsay will score each meal. As they progress through the game, players will be rewarded with access to recipes from Chef Ramsay's own repertoire," says the manufacturer. Ramsay’s fiery persona was apparently enough to capture the imagination of game designers – he "watches players’ every move" and yells at them or shuts down their kitchen if they fail to perform. His trademark use of the f-word has apparently made it to the small screen in the form of bleeps in some versions. Read more here.

Do Androids Dream on Ikea Beds?

2008-07-10T11:42:58-04:00

For those like us who have enough trouble functioning in the real world, the thought of supporting a virtual existence seems quite daunting. Especially now that you may end up paying to furnish and accessorize that virtual lifestyle.

Real brands have been encroaching on the virtual world for some time now. A year ago, Starwood Hotels claimed to be the "first company in history to open a new hotel brand inside of a virtual world." They launched the hip Aloft brand in Second Life, as a promotional vehicle before opening its doors in the real world in 2008.

In a new twist on art imitating life, users of the Sims virtual-world software can accessorize with real-world brands, including H&M and, most recently, Ikea.

For a mere $19.99, you can "turn your Sims' living room into a haven of comfort and relaxation with a plush Ektorp sofa, a unique Expedit TV unit, a complementing Leksvik coffee table, and chic décor, like the Vanna mirror." (Read more here.)

Excuse our obtuseness, but we thought people created virtual worlds to escape the constraints of the real one. Do people need the reassurance of Ikea and H&M in their Doppelgänger existence? And do they really need to pay for the privilege?

The LensCrafters of Family Planning?

2008-07-02T19:30:14-04:00

Birth control has come a long way from the days when Margaret Sanger spread her message among the poor. Its latest move is smartly upmarket, with Planned Parenthood's launch of two family-planning centers in affluent neighborhoods.

Margaret Sanger also, in all likelihood, didn't think of herself as a brand. "It is indeed a new look ... a new branding, if you will," the Wall Street Journal quotes Leslie Durgin, a senior vice president at Planned Parenthood. "The LensCrafters of family planning," is the parallel chosen by another executive at the organization. Sarah Stoesz, who has launched three Planned Parenthood "express centers" in the Midwest, described the new target locales as "shopping centers and malls, places where women are already doing their grocery shopping, picking up their Starbucks, living their daily lives." And, as with Starbucks, you can now buy books and home furnshings along with the items you traditionally associate with the brand.

The move upmarket retains the brand's grassroots ties -- sizeable margins on birth control among those paying retail subsidize activities among lower-income families. They also go toward ever-controversial political activism. Despite the ritzy new digs, the walls of the new facilities are "designed to withstand a car’s impact," the Journal reports.

Five more health centers are in the works (the largest will be 75,000 square feet), along with two dozen express centers. Read more on the Journal blog here.

Sears: The Musical

2008-06-26T12:09:43-04:00

The fruits of an extensive co-marketing alliance between MTV and Sears will be on display August 11 – that's the date the Sears-saturated musical "The American Mall" will air on the network. The Associated Press reports that the film was shot in a Sears in Utah, characters wear apparel from Sears, Sears ads will feature the film’s actors, Sears will sell the soundtrack, and so on.

"I think that this partnership delivers us credibility," the AP quotes Sears' chief marketing officer. "While mom may decide what the acceptable place is to shop, the kids are deciding what clothes they want and what places have it." Visit the American Mall site here.

In a separate, but perhaps equally discordant development, Sears will launch a line of urban fashion this fall branded with the name of rapper "LL Cool J."

A smart move for embattled Sears? A risky move for MTV?

Meanwhile, those with more retro tastes in musical brand extension may be heartened to learn that The Beatles may get a new lease on life. The Financial Times reports that talks are under way to license the Fab Four onto a video game, which might open the brand to a variety of other brand extensions. Read more...

How Far Can You Stretch a Hamburger?

2008-06-19T13:05:39-04:00

Fast-food burgers may be many things, but we're skeptical whether they are either status symbols or vehicles for self-expression.

But this is exactly what Burger King is asking us to swallow with two recent brand extensions.

First comes a Wagyu beef burger retailing for – gulp – $180 at select Burger Kings in the UK. As reported in the Daily Telegraph, the burger features white truffles and Iranian saffron. Can Burger King credibly compete in the luxe category? A VP of marketing at the chain, quoted in the Telegraph, claims the sandwich "reinforces our quality credentials." Critics predictably panned it as a marketing stunt. "The Burger," as it is called, appears to qualify as most expensive hamburger in the Guinness Book. Read more.

In a separate development, you will soon be able to send Burger King-branded greeting cards. The new line of cards, claim the publishers, "will capture the King's offbeat personality, which throngs of loyal fans know and love." Carole Francesca, president of Broad Street Licensing, which brokered the deal, said, "It's especially exciting when a license is both strategic and fun. Using the King on greeting cards will give consumers a fun way to express themselves."

Your thoughts?

By Their Tchotchkes Shall You Know Them

2008-06-12T09:00:00-04:00

Presidential campaigns have long provided opportunities to extend the brand through giveaways and promotions – think of the Eisenhower potholder or the McKinley lunch pail (tying into the theme of "a full dinner bucket").

What do this year's extensions tell us about the McCain and Obama brands? Despite McCain’s claim that "this is, indeed, a change election," the main navigational items on his home page are Creating Jobs, Strategy, Decision Center and – ahem – Golf Gear. Giving equal weight to job creation and golf makes one wonder whether Republicans can simultaneously be the party of change and the country club. Click through and buy a Father's Day McCain Golf Pack, or a McCain Divot Tool (in a recession, which populist can cough up $25.00 for a divot tool?). Other promotional items include the Faith of My Fathers DVD and the McCain St. Patrick's Travel Mug (for beer?). To be sure, the list is rounded out by a Go Green McCain Tote Bag with Recycle Logo.

Obama, true to his theme of a fresh approach, begins his roster of promotional items with Artists for Obama, including the print Progress by Scott Hansen, who writes: "I see Barack Obama as a leader who can inspire people to effect change and who himself can effect change. As an artist, it was only natural for me to want to create something that visually echoed these sentiments."

Any ideas on alternative extensions to promote either of these candidates?

Snap, Crackle, and Hip Hop

2008-06-06T18:15:20-04:00

Brand extension makes for strange bedfellows, perhaps none stranger than two which were recently announced. Kellogg’s graces most of our breakfast tables, so we suppose it’s as likely a candidate as any to join the ranks of urban fashion brands. Visit their partner, Under the Hood, to review such items as Dig 'Em and Tony the Tiger neon T-shirts, Froot Loops and Rice Krispies track jackets, and a Frosted Flakes padded nylon jacket.

Those whose tastes gravitate more toward the concert hall may reach instead for a pair of Lang Lang Adidas Gazelle sneakers. The Chinese piano virtuoso seems like a stretch to us for a sports brand. Whether his athleticism at the New York Philharmonic translates into relevance in the New York Marathon remains to be seen.

No doubt each of these taps into a well-researched market demand – but are they the right fit for the brand?

Good Branding Starts at Home

2008-05-29T17:03:18-04:00

Last month, Hershey’s launched its Bliss brand at 10,000 outlets you might not have expected. They were the homes of nice people like you, who decided to play host to Bliss-themed house parties. The viral-marketing concept comes from houseparty.com, who have offered similar services to The Biggest Loser, Gerber, Disney Cruise Line, and SC Johnson. The idea seems inordinately clever — those hosting the House Party get the VIP treatment: “You get sneak previews of the best TV shows, free stuff, and the best offers out there on the things you really like.” The brand can quickly build a social network among its customers and event hosts — in addition to gathering valuable data through the House Party Web site. Read the Bliss House Party blog here.

We were reminded of another brand that has cleverly leveraged at-home events — the Big Yellow Box program from Crayola. As with House Party, Crayola event hosts or consultants are incentivized, in Crayola's case with rewards or income. Read more about Big Yellow Box here.

Any other good examples of in-home brand-extending come to mind?

Thumbs Up or Thumbs Down?

2008-05-22T11:26:44-04:00

Here are two recently announced brand extensions of interest. We welcome your opinion – is it a good idea, or off the mark?

La-Z-Boy just announced a partnership with Tatum Manufacturing to launch its first line of luxury portable spas. La-Z-Boy Spas will feature distinctive branded elements such as “Reclina-Seats.” High-end consumer electronics including stereos, retractable flat screen television monitors, surround LED lighting and floating remote controls will also be available. A La-Z-Boy spa model is being sold at Costco in Canada; a broader line was slated to ship to specialty spa retailers in the US starting in May, 2008.

The Girl Scouts have licensed their cookies with Dairy Queen ice cream. Starting this summer, Dairy Queen will marry their Blizzard dessert with the trademark Girl Scout Thin Mint cookie flavor, spawning the Thin Mint Cookie Blizzard.

People in Glass Houses...

2008-05-14T15:33:31-04:00

In the past 38 months, no fewer than 38 new hotel brands have been introduced in the US, according to a recent report from PricewaterhouseCoopers. The luxury end now includes Baccarat Hotels, a brand that promises to bring to life “the legendary history of Baccarat Crystal ... through stunning visions of architecture and design.” Starwood Capital Group (unaffiliated with Starwood Hotels) actually acquired 86% of the exclusive French crystal maker for €2.6 billion in 2005, so it makes perfect sense to us that they use the brand name on their new, super-luxury properties. The first Baccarat Hotel is slated to open in 2010 in Maui, to be followed by Anguilla and Atlanta. If you can’t wait that long, you’ll have to make do with a visit to Baccarat’s Cristal Room restaurants in Paris and Moscow, or B Bars in Tokyo and Osaka. (Other interesting luxury extensions in the hotel category include the Vera Wang Suite at the Halekulani Hotel and Palazzo Versace, which won first and second place respectively in our 2006 extension survey.)