The Big Fat Marketing Blog

Talk show host David Letterman took one of Neiman Marcus’s $25,000 cupcake cars for a spin around his set last week. And Dave put that cupcake through its paces, too—well, about as much as you can push a vehicle with a 24-volt electric motor that tops out at 7 mph.

The buyers at the high-end cataloger/retailer probably didn’t envision the drivers of the sweet little cupcake cars ramming into desks and toppling Christmas trees. But naturally, that’s what Dave did. more

We’re four days away from Christmas, so you’ll be forgiven if you think the biggest controversy in the toy box is the scarcity of Zhu Zhu Pets.

Earlier this year, Mattel subsidiary American Girl has introduced a new doll this season named “Gwen.” And yes, like all the AG gals, you can take her for tea parties and to get her hair done and whatever else you do with American Girls.

But Gwen differs from her plastic sisters in a very important way: Her character is homeless, which has stirred up a bit of attention, to say the least.

more

We’re four days away from Christmas, so you’ll be forgiven if you think the biggest controversy in the toy box is the scarcity of Zhu Zhu Pets.

Earlier this year, Mattel subsidiary American Girl has introduced a new doll this season named “Gwen.” And yes, like all the AG gals, you can take her for tea parties and to get her hair done and whatever else you do with American Girls.

But Gwen differs from her plastic sisters in a very important way: Her character is homeless, which has stirred up a bit of attention, to say the least.

more

It’s tough to be a marketer in the U.S. during the, uh, holiday season in December these days. Why?

You can’t right come out promote Christmas for fear of excluding other religions, yet there’s been a growing backlash against merchants that try to hedge on the holiday. (Remember the uproar over the Lowes’ “family trees” a few years ago?)

Even my 88-year-old father—not at all a religious man—has been complaining this year because he can’t find greeting cards to send that say “Merry Christmas.” Guess he’s just not interested in wishing people “Happy Holidays” or “Joy to the World.” more

Word came this morning via the Associated Press that PepsiCo will sit on the sidelines during Super Bowl XLIV, for the first time in 23 years. During that time the company has been known for its big-budget commercials featuring big-ticket music stars from Ray Charles and Aretha Franklin to Britney Spears and Will.i.am.

(I hereby confess a lingering fondness for watching the 2008 Justin Timberlake get racked, smacked and sacked by various forms of Pepsi Stuff. That guy can take a flat screen to the forehead like nobody’s business.)



But this year Pepsi is foregoing the big game in favor of a community-based campaign, “Pepsi Refresh Project,” that will launch in January. Instead of paying out millions for seconds of air time, the company will put its resources into social programs proposed by its consumers.

more

Word came this morning via the Associated Press that PepsiCo will sit on the sidelines during Super Bowl XLIV, for the first time in 23 years. During that time the company has been known for its big-budget commercials featuring big-ticket music stars from Ray Charles and Aretha Franklin to Britney Spears and Will.i.am.

(I hereby confess a lingering fondness for watching the 2008 Justin Timberlake get racked, smacked and sacked by various forms of Pepsi Stuff. That guy can take a flat screen to the forehead like nobody’s business.)



But this year Pepsi is foregoing the big game in favor of a community-based campaign, “Pepsi Refresh Project,” that will launch in January. Instead of paying out millions for seconds of air time, the company will put its resources into social programs proposed by its consumers.

more