A look back at the most-read marketer stories of the past 12 months
Bic still facing complaints after pulling pen ad
from Aug. 17, 2012
Bic Canada moved quickly to pull a television spot on Tuesday after a slew of consumer complaints, but is still hearing from consumers who say they’ve since see it run on TV.
Within hours of its first airing, Bic received e-mails claiming the ad was insensitive to Asians. Linda Kwong, a spokesperson for the brand, said consumers found the ad racist. She shared one e-mail with Marketing that she said summarizes the complaints.
“I found this commercial to be absolutely distasteful,” the e-mail reads. “Given the propensity of death penalties in some Asian countries the idea that Bic would use this theme as a joke is outrageous. I encourage you to immediately cancel the airing of this commercial.”[Full story]
Well.ca opens virtual store in Toronto
from April 2, 2012
Online retailer Well.ca has partnered with Procter and Gamble (P&G) to launch a virtual store in downtown Toronto.
The virtual store is located inside a Toronto building near a subway station and consists of photographic representations of products. Consumers can download an app on site (or from the iPhone, Blackberry, Windows Phone or Android app stores) and use their smartphones to scan product QR codes and complete their electronic checkout. Products are delivered to customers’ home with no additional charge. [Full story]
A refreshing campaign for Coors Light Iced T
from April 23, 2012
Molson Coors Brewing Company launched a national television campaign over the weekend to promote its new Coors Light Iced T label.
The effort from Molson’s creative agency DraftFCB includes a 30-second television commercial that has been condensed into two different 15-second spots. MediaEdge handled the buy.
The ads take place on an urban rooftop where friends have gathered on a hot summer’s eve. “Feel So Close” by Scottish DJ/singer Calvin Harris plays throughout the spot, which ends with the line: “summer refreshed.”[Full story]
Sears Canada unveils new brand platform
from Nov. 7, 2012
Sears Canada has unwrapped a national advertising campaign with its new “Make Every Day a Great Day” tagline and platform, just in time for the holiday season.
The department store chain’s president and CEO Calvin McDonald unveiled the new campaign Wednesday morning at an employee event at the store’s Toronto Eaton Centre location.
The campaign will roll-out through November to include a 60-second television commercial, print and radio ads developed by The Unitas Reputation Agency, which replaced BBDO Canada on the account last May.[Full story]
Dove flips for real beauty
from April 25, 2012
It’s a picture that’s worth just two words: “What the…?”
Dove is tackling the hot-button issue of digital photo retouching in the latest iteration of its long-running “Dove Campaign for Real Beauty.” The campaign reflects the ongoing use of digitally altered images of celebrities and models in fashion media.
A print ad developed by Ogilvy London appearing in tomorrow’s edition of Toronto’s Metro shows an upside-down image of an attractive woman accompanied by upside down text to entice readers to turn the page around.[Full story]
Don’t forget to check out our 2012 Marketers of the Year shortlist
