JWT joined with Warner Bros. and the A.C. Camargo Cancer Center in Sao Paulo, Brazil, to create a campaign designed to help children with cancer to better understand their treatment and be less frightened by chemotherapy.

(Source: bit.ly)

Do you love your Nikes? Well, prepare to love them a little bit more. ManvsMachine just released this really cool animation showing how your worn out Nikes are recycled into Nike Grind, a material used for high-quality tracks, courts and sports fields. This spot is not only graphically top-notch, but also emotionally gratifying. Overall, a great example of “green” branding done right. Go Nike! Check it out here

(Source)

Red Peak’s James Fox has been written up for his presentation “The Key to Brand Success in China” at the 2013 FUSE Conference earlier this month. The Next Big Design takes on James’ look at the future of branding in China- check it out below or view the blog posting here.

PORK NO LONGER “THE OTHER WHITE MEAT” - LOOKS TO BEEF FOR REBRAND

While beef offers a rich nomenclature of chuck, brisket, tenderloins, sirloins, shanks and more- a pork chop is a pork chop is a pork chop. In order to cut through the monotony, pork retailers are now taking cues from their darker cousin to upgrade pork in both reputation and sales.

Retailers argue that  new pork labels will not only bring some new attention to “the other white meat” but will help to educate otherwise intimidated consumers on correct cooking methods and appropriate occasions. Plans to revamp veal and lamb nomenclature are expected to follow as well. Check out the full updates to the Uniform Retail Meat Identity Standards and decide if you will be grilling a newfangled “Porterhouse Chop” this summer.

  Mountain Dew, longtime home of the sugariest and most caffeinated sodas, is now looking to bring high-energy beverages to your breakfast. Set to launch February 25th, Kickstart is aiming to become an early morning alternative to coffee and tea for millennial males.  While some critics find the idea of such a sugary boost disgusting, initial testing came as the result of experimentation already seen in the market. 

(Source: adage.com)

BRANDING WITHOUT LOGOS

British department store Selfridges is promoting a more zen shopping experience with in-store meditation, Silence Rooms and a line of logo-free products to eliminate unnecessary noise and lower customer stress levels. 

The limited edition “No Noise” line features products from iconic brands like Levi’s, Clinique, Heinz, Marmite, and Beats by Dre. While the goods have been stripped down, marketers need not fear as each remains easily identifiable by look and feel. While the new minimalist style at Selfridges may calm customers, it remains to be seen if it will also have them reaching for their cash.

(Source: fastcoexist.com)

The beverage giant has unveiled Coca-Cola Journey what will be a “multimillion dollar effort over multiple years” to enhance web presence with a complete overhaul of the brand’s homepage.

(Source: popsop.com)

PIZZA PLACE BRINGS SOCIAL MEDIA TO THE STREETS, LITERALLY FOLLOWS THEIR FOLLOWERS

Pizza chain Mellow Mushroom has recently expanded to over 130 stores in 100 US cities.  In an effort to get closer to their customers,  the chain got physically very close with their “Follow Us and We Will Follow You” campaign.  Using family and friends as accomplices, the company stalked 20 people who had followed them on Twitter.  The best part is they chose to follow their followers wearing a giant mushroom costume. 

(Source: psfk.com)

From Dos Equis Most Interesting Man in the World to the Dell computer guy to Progressive’s Flo, brands can reap many benefits in having a human face attached to their campaign. But what about the actors themselves? BusinessWeek looks at what it’s like to be “branded for life” and our CEO James Fox weighs in. http://bit.ly/QqAWi0

Mitsubishi puts a stop to pretentious on Facebook with the Unpretentious Facebook App for the Outlander Sport. The app determines who your most pretentious friend is and creates a custom video to put them in their place. Check out the video here.

Big news for Red Peak! Our own chairman, Michael Birkin, has become CMO of Acer.

Via NASDAQ: “Acer Inc. said Thursday it has hired New York-based Red Peak Group to boost its global product marketing efforts, which analysts have said is the Taiwanese company’s weak spot.

Acer Chairman J.T. Wang said in a statement that Red Peak Chairman Michael Birkin has also been appointed as Acer’s chief marketing officer, starting Oct. 1.”

Oreo does social media right, posting a simple yet amusing daily treat on Facebook and Twitter to celebrate everything from the Mars Rover landing to the US gymnasts’ gold medal.

(Source: adland.tv)

To promote Limon & Nada, Coca-Cola created 18 vending machines around Spain that gave people a discount when the temperatures rise.

Jack Daniel’s partnered with independent artists in Berkeley, Austin and Brooklyn to create five posters celebrating independence. See all here.

Celebrate Canada Day on July 1st and learn more about the great nation upstairs at KnowCanada.org.