May 7, 2008
Cold Spring Name Change Not a Hot Idea
On the State of the Brand 2008 blog this week, Jason Voiovich is lamenting the loss of the Gluek’s Brewery brand name, which was replaced by the more pedestrian Cold Spring earlier this year.
The copyright notice on the company’s website still says Gluek Brewing Company, but it appears not to have been changed since 2005.
Not that Cold Spring is meaningless. It’s the name of the city where the brewery is located. And the idea of brewing your beer from cold local spring water is attractive enough. But here in Minnesota, we’ve got Cold Spring This and Cold Spring That all over the place.
There’s nothing really wrong with it, but there’s nothing really right with it, either. Nothing distinctive. And if you brew craft beers, you need distinctive. Likewise if you’re trying to break into a new and already-competitive market. (Cold Spring now produces energy drinks.)
Admittedly, those not from Minnesota might be unsure how to pronounce Gluek (which is Old German for luck), and it’s usually a good idea for new product names to be easy for English-speakers to pronounce. But Gluek is not a new name.
The 1902 Gluek House is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and Gluek’s Restaurant is the oldest in downtown Minneapolis.
Around here, at least, the Gluek’s name has equity. Abandoning the name, and potentially confusing existing loyal customers, seems like a far greater risk than keeping it.
Viel Gluck!
Technorati Tags: Gluek, Brewery, Gluek's Restaurant, Gluek House, Energy Drink, Gluek Brewing Company, Cold Spring Brewing Company, Name Change, Brand Name, Minnesota, Pale Ale
Posted by Diane Prange at 8:58 AM
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April 11, 2008
Can a Brand Name Get Any Worse Than Antipoleez?
A new breath mint called Antipoleez (get it?) says it eliminates odors on your breath. Perfect for when you've had a few too many, right?
The CEO of this outfit claims its not meant to fool police, but as Marni Soupcoff observes, "Funny thing about the product’s name, then, don’t you think?"
There's some idle chatting on the blogosphere about whether the product naming is "sending out a dangerous message." Seems to me that any product that even suggests you can get out of a DWI with the right breath mint is really pushing the boundaries.
These folks even offer a "night out pack" and a "frat pack" and some really dopey claims on their site.
Antipoleez deserves the same fate as the Cocaine energy drink, pulled from the shelves.
Technorati Tags: Antipoleez, Cocaine, Breath Mint, DWI, Antipoleez, Frat Pack, Night Out Pack
Posted by William Lozito at 9:25 AM
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April 7, 2008
New Labeling Laws Could Cause Havoc with Wine Brand Names
Proposed new labeling laws that do away with regional considerations are creating quite a problem for wine brand names.
For instance, one Swiss village is fighting for the right to use the name “Champagne” on its wines, despite the little known fact that the only real “Champagne” is made in the corresponding region in France, everything else is technically "sparkling wine."
Should the new laws go into effect, the significant equity behind regional names known even by the non-connoisseur, like “Champagne” or “Napa Valley” would be lost, as every brand of wine would have the right to label their "sparkling wine" as "Champagne." This would be catastrophic to the high end, traditional wines that we pay premium prices for.
Imagine trying to reposition a brand name like Moet or Dom Perignon versus a newer label by Lil Jon.”
Technorati Tags: Wine, Champagne, Dom Perignon, Alcohol, Wine Region, Lil John
Posted by William Lozito at 11:32 AM
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December 4, 2007
Brand Naming Can Tattoo You
I've said it before and I'll say it again: If you want a sure way to get your brand naming under people's skin, think tattoos.
As the latest trend, companies are not only incorporating tattoo art into their brand names, but also creating brands that are designed to appeal to people with tattoos.
- The convenience store chain 7-Eleven has a new energy drink called "Inked," which is "aimed at people who either have tattoos or those who want to think of themselves as the tattoo type."
- Dunlop has offered free tires for years to anyone who will get their "Flying D" tattooed to their body.
- General Mills is selling fruit roll-ups that allow kids to create "temporary tongue tattoos."
- Christian Dior, Tag Heur, Aussiebum, Bling, Benefit Cosmetics are all looking into creating "tattoo logos" in India, because tattoos are a big part of Indian culture.
Captain Morgan's new rum is called "Tattoo."
As you can imagine, people of all ages and nationalities wear tattoos, which means that you almost cannot lose by incorporating tattoo advertising into your brand.
What's next?
Technorati Tags: Tattoo, Brand Tattoos, 7-Eleven, Dunlop, General Mills, Christian Dior, Aussiebum, Captain Morgan
Posted by William Lozito at 9:47 AM
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August 31, 2007
Brand Naming v. Brand Extensions: Survival of the Funniest?
As a naming consultant, developing product names for brand extensions is a topic that I've written about before... and it's a strategy that is often necessary for a brand to continue growing.
The recent news that Guinness is diversifying into red beer with the launch of their new Guinness Red drink is a perfect example of this kind of brand extension.
For 250 years, Guinness has meant black and white. It's a black beer with a white froth. Now, parent company Diageo is pushing the brand in directions never been before... offering us Guinness bread and even your own froth maker called a "surger."
Some drinkers are not impressed... the World of Beer grumbles, "Guinness is stout, plain and simple. Not some Kilkenny knock off, not a weird looking creation which, judging by the photo published online at The Sun, boasts tomato juice as an ingredient, but stout. The black stuff. Period." Yet, other beer bloggers can hardly wait for the weekend to try it.
What's up? Extending a brand name, no matter how old and powerful and well loved it is, is something marketers feel compelled to do.
Even Guinness can't rest on its laurels... it has to offer extensions to customers or be swept away in a tide of microbrews and light beers into the ever smaller space of a niche brand name.
TD Clark's excellent article on the subject talks about how newer brands, like Crocs shoes, are already creating new brand names out of old ones. The Crocs brand is now offering apparel consumers "Crosslite rt" or "relaxed technology" shoes. This is aggressive brand naming at its finest, given the relative newness of the Crocs brand name.
Similarly, Mars is offering us a Starburst Drink... you remember Starburst fruit chews, right? By the way, this is an awful line extension, I think, and is doomed to fail. And current TV is using brand extension strategies to "expand its web presence and increase its marketing efforts."
Technorati Tags: Guinness, Diageo, World of Beer, TDClark, Crocs, Mars, StarburstDrink, Brand Naming, BrandExtensions.
Posted by William Lozito at 8:04 AM
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August 20, 2007
Product Line Extensions - The Awful and the Brilliant
When I saw an ad for Crisco Extra Virgin Olive Oil, I cringed.
I couldn't think of a more inappropriate or awful product line extension.
The Crisco brand connotes:
- Deep frying
- Fat
- Grease
- Clogged arteries
- Everything else that extra virgin olive oil is not
What were the people at P&G thinking? I'm convinced that someone at P&G let this out the door when deep down they knew better.
For more on inappropriate line extensions, check out Laura Ries' blog on Hellman's Mayonnaise versus Kraft's Miracle Whip.
Now for a brilliant line extension.
What could be more natural than a rum from Tommy Bahama?
- Tommy Bahama by virtue of its name says warm, relaxed and a casual environment
- The leading rum brand, Bacardi, is produced in the Bahamas
- Additionally, what could be more natural than wearing Tommy Bahama clothing while sipping rum in the Bahamas or the Caribbean, the birthplace of rum dating back to the 17th century?
Crisco Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Awful.
Tommy Bahama Rum. Brilliant.
Technorati Tags: Product Line Extensions, Crisco, Crisco Olive Oil, Tommy Bahama, Tommy Bahama Rum, P & G, Bacardi, Brand Names.
Posted by William Lozito at 9:44 AM
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June 20, 2007
USDA Helping or Hurting Organic Beer Brand Naming?
I am very interested to see the brouhaha that is developing over whether most organic beers can legitimately claim being "organic" at all, not least because it turns out that "almost all U.S.-made organic beers contain hops that have been chemically treated to fight mildew and insects."
This must be bad news for all the new organic beer labels that are coming out lately, including a whole bunch from New England like Wolaver's and Peak Organic.
The former has seen sales increase 18% yearly, which says something about America's love for microbreweries and organic products.
Of course, Anheuser-Busch has gotten into the act, with its Stone Mill Pale Ale and Wild Hop Lager. And therein lies the rub: Anheuser-Busch and others are trying to take advantage of a clause in the law that says just 95% of a product's ingredients need to be organic to be classed as USDA Organic on the label. So they are pushing to have their non-organic hops added to the list of exemptions.
But as one activist pointed out, "organic means organic," and, "when you're selling products that contain some ingredients that aren't organic, you lose the meaning of the word and the meaning of the organic movement."
This obviously puts bona-fide organic beer makers on the back foot. Most true organic hops come from New Zealand, where Steinlager has just announced a new Pure version of its popular beer brand name.
Technorati Tags: Organic Beer, Anheuser-Busch, USDA, Wolaver's, Peak Organic, Stone Mill Pale Ale, Wild Hop Lager, Steinlager, Pure, Spirits Naming
Posted by William Lozito at 9:02 AM
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June 16, 2007
Danny Devito Becomes Limoncello, Restaurant Brand Name
Danny DeVito claims to put his name on "every single thing I do," so it is no surprise that his new restaurant is called DeVito South Beach. This just opened following his decision to launch a new Limoncello drink in August called Danny DeVito's Premium Limoncello after a very embarrassing episode on the View where he was still a bit tipsy from the night before. Talk about turning lemons into, well, limoncello!
The opening looks like it was typical Hollywood A-list fare in the trendy SoFi (South of Fifth) neighborhood. If you want to drop in, smart money says the Global Steak Flight is the thing to order: it offers cuts from Japanese Kobe Beef, Australian Wagyu Rollatini and American Kobe Flat Iron. An interesting name indeed for what must be a very expensive dish.
The LA Times notes that there is certainly a long list of celebrities who have tried to “become a brand name” — Jennifer Lopez, Paris Hilton, Paul Newman and Elizabeth Taylor, to name a few.
But one word of warning seems to be that stars like Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bruce Willis failed to make a go of it with Planet Hollywood despite their brand name clout.
Britney Spears’s restaurant NYLA seems to be going strong — interesting she turned down the name "Pinky" for her own restaurant (the nickname ex-boyfriend Justin Timberlake gave her) and avoided putting her own name over the door.
On that note, my favorite name for a celebrity restaurant is Angus McIndoe, a Broadway eatery that is partially owned by Nathan Lane, Matthew Broderick, Mel Brooks, Harvey and Bob Weinstein, as well as writer Frank McCourt.
Technorati Tags: Danny DeVito, Celebrities, Restaurants, Liqueur, Limoncello
Posted by William Lozito at 1:44 PM
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June 8, 2007
Martini Brand Naming Gets a Makeover
I was interested to finally read an in-depth piece on the new Martini Rosato brand name, Martini's new rosé-style vermouth that is "designed to grow frequency of consumption amongst Martini's four million light and infrequent (one to four drinks per month) drinkers as well as reversing the brand's outdated perceptions."
The new product is pink, a combo of white and red wines, and the new bottle design is sexier and more feminine.
The logo has been centered and put in the foreground, and the labeling has been changed to "give a bright, transparent and modern feel" with the goal of increasing "brand iconicity."
Martini lovers know that George Clooney has been brought in to give an extra appeal to women and the macho stamp of approval for men.
The company has a sponsorship deal with Oceans 13 and until June 11 you can get free samples at a "terrazza" just off London's Oxford Street.
The old standby bottles (Bianco and Rosso, for the uninitiated, as well as a few others including the sexy Fiero and the too cute Martini Mini) have been revamped as well.
There are two things that strike me here:
- First of all, the smooth, sexy, hourglass shape of the bottle as well as the whole tenor of the new product and its naming is clearly designed to make this product appeal to women more than men. I have to wonder if all those martinis that were tossed down by the Sex in the City girls had something to do with this.
- Secondly, the recipes that are on the bottles designed to help people at home make fruity, easy drinking concoctions are aimed at women: let's face it, what guy is going to mix himself a Martini Rosato over pomegranate juice or a Rosso and cranberry?
OK, somebody has to say it: what about, you know, martinis?
Could it be that the Martini brand name is actually moving away from the drink that makes it recognizable in the first place?
Obviously, the problem here is that people like martinis, they enjoy them fairly regularly, but only on a Friday night (four times a month), and when they do, they use only a few drops to a half jigger of vermouth. Winston Churchill, a great martini drinker, used to simply whisper the word "vermouth" over his martinis; some people actually only spray the gin with vermouth.
What we are seeing here is a subtle repositioning of the entire vermouth brand, aiming it at a whole new target market. Martini marketing manager Caroline Herbert says they are trying to aim the product at "lighter drinkers" (e.g. people who do not drink martinis regularly, which would be most of the non-drinking middle class) and "we are doing fundamental things that will make people see the brand in a different way."
A current weekly martini drinker might feel sort of left out even though like most hardcore martini lovers they like extra-dry vermouth, which Martini has also redesigned and repositioned.
And that might not be a good thing: educated males in their 30s who like martinis are likely to ask themselves what the Martini icon James Bond would do in a situation like this. My feeling is that he'd go for a more traditional vermouth like arch competitor Martini & Rossi.
Sorry, George.
Technorati Tags: Martini, Vermouth, Rosato, Packaging, Labeling, George Clooney, Oceans 13
Posted by William Lozito at 11:10 AM
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June 1, 2007
Product Brand Naming Pushes Boundaries
Two fairly innocuous pieces of naming news caught my attention this morning.
The first was the flak that the Suck & Blow branded gelatin shooters are getting for their product name that seems clearly aimed at the underage demographic, not least because the name comes from an adolescent kissing game that's right up there with spin the bottle. The company's web site is cartoonish and colorful and their product design is clearly designed to appeal to the fake-ID set, yet the founder claims that these are not geared towards kids:
"Our concept is the first interactive beverage in the alcohol industry,” said Doug Hamer, founder of SAB. “People in college or high school, they have all the interaction they need. People in their 30s and 40s and 50s, they just want the interaction of having fun when they go out to nightclubs or home parties. So our product is really geared toward the 30-plus-year-old demographic."
Well, I am part of the 30+ demographic and my last official jell-o shot was in college when I was, ahem, underage.
The other product name is the well named WoundStat product that is designed to stop bleeding on the battlefield. Right now, soldiers use something called HemCon, made with a blood clotting agent that is "derived from shrimp shells," and an aptly named product called QuikClot helps blood clot faster.
Technorati Tags: Product Names, Suck and Blow, jell-o shots, Gelatine, WoundStat, HemCon, QuikClot
Posted by William Lozito at 10:23 AM
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May 14, 2007
Can the King of Beers Rule Vodka With the Pomacai Brand Name?
Anheuser-Busch has just filed an intent-to-use trademark application for the Pomacai brand name.
No, this isn’t a new beer: it’s vodka. And not just any vodka, according to what analyst Mark Swartzberg told the Wall Street Journal, but “a fruit-flavored vodka involving pomegranate and açaí, a fruit native to South America.”
That would make Pomacai a portmanteau name, but a more problematic one than, say, “Slentrol.” Brew Blog notes that açaí berries are popular in smoothies and juices, but the fruit is not a household name in America.
And even with the diacritical marks which are missing from the trademark application, pronunciation is far from obvious.
The name has the advantages of being both descriptive and exotic, but any alcoholic drink needs a good “Bar call.” People have to be able to say it out loud with confidence. And vodka is not a snooty drink for the French speaker, either.
Anheuser-Busch’s earlier ventures into the realm of spirits have much better bar calls. “Ku Soju” (a sort of sweet-potato vodka) is tidily phonetic, and “Jekyll and Hyde” liqueurs have a memorably funky name with a hint of danger.
Because of the difficulty with trademarking names, companies trademark more names than they end up using.
It’s entirely possible that when (and if) the vodka appears, it won’t be called “Pomacai.” Which would probably be a good thing for both Anheuser-Busch and vodka drinkers.
Technorati Tags: Anheuser-Busch, Pomacai, Mark Swartzberg, Vodka Brand Name, Trademark, Spirits Naming
Posted by Diane Prange at 11:55 AM
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April 28, 2007
How Is This for a Product Name – Can Sleep?
Denmark’s Smukkeste Festival organizers and Royal Unibrew introduced the Can Sleep, an interesting branded accommodation for festival attendees, sober or not.
In what I’d say is a great example of creating a brand space, the Can Sleep features a lockable door, a can-shaped refrigerator and an 11.5’ high roof that can be partially opened to let in light and air. A ladder leads to the lofted mattress, which cozily sleeps two.
All Can Sleep furnishings are provided by IKEA, although we won’t go into names, and include a table and chairs, shelves, pegs and a mirror.
Reservations for the 121 Can Sleeps at the Smukkeste Festival sold out online in just 40 seconds, so it seems the new product is getting some attention.
And although Royal Unibrew holds exclusive rights to the item for the next five years in Denmark, Can Sleeps can be purchased elsewhere in orders of 54, or 9 six-packs. Each accommodation costs about $4,000, excluding delivery charges.
I can’t help but think that this idea is so clever it is going to attract other beer marketers that are keen on the idea of their target market getting cozy with their brand name like this.
The Springwise blog reports that "Can Sleep is a great example of how meeting just the right customer need with a little creativity can pay big dividends in brand recognition." That is right on the money.
Technorati Tags: Beer, Lodging, Branding, Marketing
Posted by William Lozito at 11:50 AM
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March 18, 2007
Gin Product Naming Getting a Shake-Up
William Dowd has an interesting post up entitled "The gin comeback is under way,” while the Authentic Bartender has one that predicts "new flavorings could make gin the new vodka."
Gin product names may be seeing a resurgence, as they seem to do every time a new Bond movie comes out. Bond’s penchant for martinis that are "shaken, not stirred" has probably been the most memorable tag line ever created for the spirits industry.
Dowd’s review of two gin brands, Martin Miller’s and Plymouth, comes to us shortly after Beefeater’s January brand makeover. Both brands have had an identity shake up that sees them offered in sleek glass bottles that are almost dowdy compared to the other brand names I mention below. Dowd’s is an excellent review of gin culture and its endless competition with vodka brand names and product names.
Last week Slashfood reviewed another high end gin brand name: Aviation, and referred to G’Vine and Bluecoat in the post. What all these gins have in common is that they are vying for top shelf status against very established brand names like Beefeater and Gilbey’s.
It is interesting to see non-England brand names like Aviation (USA) and Bluecoat (USA) and G’Vine (France) taking shelf space against staples like Seagram’s and Bombay. I also took Dowd’s advice to heart: when shopping for gin, remember to look for "distilled gin," "London dry gin," "dry gin" or "London dry gin” under the brand name: you don’t want to mess around with non filtered gin.
All of these will bring back the debate over whether a martini should be shaken or stirred.
Fools of the Apocalypse has a very strongly worded post up in favor of stirring martinis as well as a ranking of top gin brand names.
I disagree with his thoughts on the stirred martini, however. A shaken martini is colder, a little diluted and, because it has ice chips floating in it, stays frozen longer. The Fools’ writer can afford to put Bombay Sapphire in a G & T. Too rich for my blood but I am sure that that does make the best G & T possible.
Technorati Tags: Alcohol, Liquor, Vodka, Gin, Martini, Martin Miller, Plymouth, Beefeater's, Aviation, G'Vine, Bluecoat, Gilbeys, Seagram's, Bombay,Bombay Sapphire
Posted by William Lozito at 12:43 PM
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March 13, 2007
Dom Perignon Brand Name Too Exclusive For Its Own Good?
Despite the fact that it is a James Bond’s favorite, Dom Pérignon is a brand name that seems to have become associated with older men.
Legend has it that the product name itself comes from the 17th century monk named Piere Pérignon who discovered champagne.
Despite owner Moët & Chandon’s worries about its image, Dom Pérignon was ranked the “most prestigious” champagne last year in the Luxury Brand Status Index, ranking tops for “uniqueness and exclusivity,” “used by people who are admired and respected,” and “making those who consume it feel special across the entire experience.”
Maybe that’s its problem: Dom is seen as so exclusive and gentlemanly that nobody except James Bond feels like buying a bottle when they just want to relax or celebrate.
Dom has struck back with a sexy marketing campaign and a revamp of the bottle and packaging.
Research Studios Paris is helping to design a new “brand language” for the champagne; one of the consultants says “Dom Pérignon is such a pared-down brand, with very little story or myth, that it is all about the detail. If you get the detail wrong then the whole thing doesn’t work.”
This is often the case in repositioning a brand name: subtlety is key. I think that with such an established brand, insightful brand name research is necessary to assume that the brand’s mythology is leveraged.
Other “older man brands” like Bentley and Cadillac have successfully repositioned themselves to appeal to a younger demographic.
I feel Dom seems to be doing everything right. Possibly we will see Jay-Z lifting a glass soon.
Technorati Tags: Dom Pérignon, Moët & Chandon, Luxury Brand, Research Studios Paris, Brand Repositioning
Posted by William Lozito at 8:59 AM
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February 2, 2007
Beer Brand Naming Going to the Dogs
Yesterday’s official announcement by Redhook that they would rename its Indian Pale Ale “Longhammer IPA” was old news to a few hardcore Seattle beer lovers who had already noted the product name change which took place after the New Year.
One blogger asked “since when did macro-microbrews [Longhammer is partially owned by Anheuser-Busch] need makeovers?” Well, Longhammer is Redhook’s first beer with a brand name; calling it India Pale Ale or Imperial Pale Ale is like calling it “Lager” as IPA is just a particular brew of suds.
I agree with Ian at 2 Beer Guys Blog: this was a move probably suggested by Anheuser-Busch to create brand differentiation in a field that seems to add new and funky product names daily. How funky? Chris at the Belmont Station Beer Forum has a list of new beers up which include the Sierra Nevada Big Foot 2007 and Rogue Dry Hopped St. Rogue Red.
Chris also notes that this year we shall see some new and truly difficult to pronounce new brand names on the beer shelves from Denmark and Norway: Nøgne Ø and Ølfabrikken. And Redhook can look to Idaho’s 16 month old Laughing Dog Brewing company, which offers, among other brews, “Hot Chihuahua,” and its “Devil Dog anniversary beer.”
The Laughing Dog may not be laughing long, however, when it learns that a Dutch brewer has just cooked up a beer for dogs (laughing or not), named “Kwispelbier” which is advertised as “the beer for your best friend” and has beef extract and malt goodness in every bottle.
Humans can drink it too (and undoubtedly will), but it costs four times more than Heineken. I’m sticking to Bud and our company dogs, Chomsky and Pushkin, are sticking to water.
Technorati Tags: Anheuser-Busch, Redhook, Indian Pale Ale, Product Naming , Laughing Dog, Beer Brand Names
Posted by William Lozito at 8:58 AM
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December 3, 2006
Porn Stars, Beer and Santa: Brand Name Dilution Gets Hot
The Autumn issue (volume 88) of the newsletter from Marques, the association of European Trademark owners, features an excellent article by Eric Fingerhut entitled "Morality Aside, Brand Owners Scorn Porn," on how the porn industry poses a threat to brand owners.
Often, porn stars choose screen names that are already registered as trademarks, such as Tiffany, Porsche and Chanel. These names can inadvertently tarnish or dilute the original marks.
This story is especially timely on two fronts:
- The recently passed Trademark Dilution Revision Act, the main effect of which was to overturn a 2003 Supreme Court decision in favor of an adult novelty store’s right to be named "Victor’s Little Secrets." The new law asks plaintiffs to prove a "likelihood of dilution," something Victoria's Secret could do with ease in this case. Professor Barton Beebe at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law at Yeshiva University in New York City has called this a "sensible and progressive reform of American antidilution protection."
- Coupled with that (excuse the pun) is the fact that brand names from adult films are clearly becoming more and more mainstream. Porn stars like Jenna Jameson, whose book How To Make Love Like a Porn Star is a best seller and is quoted in Fingerhut’s article, are attracting the interest of Madison Avenue. Jameson has starred in an Adidas commercial, for instance, and has been a guest host on E! She has lent her name to apparel, barware, fragrances, hand bags, lingerie and footwear offered at Saks Fifth Avenue and Colette Boutiques, and not your local Victor’s Little Secret outlet.
As these stars become more mainstream they will bring their stage names with them, and that means we are likely to see even more clear cut cases of brand name dilution. Fingerhut suggests that trademark owners visit Namedroppers.com as well as the Adult Video News Network to search for their trademarks. If you do discover your mark is being used in an unsavory manner, then Fingerhut suggests a simple cease and desist letter usually does the trick — porn people are very litigation shy.
Possibly none other than Santa Claus himself should read this article.
The Maine Bureau of Liquor Licensing and Compliance has just put the kibosh on a new brew called "Santa’s Butt Winter Porter." They also denied efforts to market "Very Bad Elf Special Reserve" ale as well as "Les Sans Culottes," a French ale that shows (horrors) a bare breasted rendition of Eugene Delacroix's 1830 painting "Liberty Leading the People," which hangs in the Louvre and is, um, the inspiration for the Statue of Liberty.
The Brookston Beer Bulletin has a great post on this featuring the "outrageous" labels in question and a reminder that "butts" are actually beer barrels in England. I doubt the importer in question, Shelton Brothers, is going to be getting letters from lawyers at the North Pole — or from the Delacroix estate.
Technorati Tags: Trademark, Intellectual Propery, Beer, Adult Entertainment
Posted by William Lozito at 11:48 AM
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October 22, 2006
Branding: This Bud’s For Jay-Z
Following yesterday's post on Jay-Z, it seems that he is also helping lend some cool to the Budweiser Select brand name.
On October 18th he released two versions of his video "Show Me What You Got". One version helps promote the NFL as well as his upcoming CD "Kingdom Come," while the other promotes Bud Select and includes NASCAR's Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Indy driver Danica Patrick. It is an example of Jay-Z’s almost chameleon-like way of being all things to everyone.
Now the co-brand director for the Budweiser Select beer name, Jay-Z should be able to bring an "urban" hipness to the brand that already is King in Middle America.
Jay-Z, whose real name is Shawn Carter, is simply unstoppable: overseeing Rocawear, his own record label (Def Jam), and promoting Bud Select all seems a tall order for a man who is supposed to be in "retirement."
His association with the beer brand name is sure to appeal to young urban adults. In the words of Marlene Coulis, Anheuser-Busch's VP of Brand Management, Jay-Z ought to be able to "reach people in groundbreaking ways."
This Bud’s for you, Jay-Z.
Technorati Tags: Beer, Advertising, Endorsements
Posted by William Lozito at 3:44 PM
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October 21, 2006
Jay-Z Draws an Ace of Spades Brand; Cristal Pulls a Deuce Brand Name
Decanter.com reports that Jay-Z has officially dissed Cristal champagne and has unofficially endorsed "The Ace of Spades," Armand de Brignac after Cristal boss Frédéric Rouzaud made some ill considered disparaging, racist comments about the musician's fondness for his high-end brand name champagne.
In response, Jay-Z seems to have gone out of his way to make clear to his fans that Cristal is no longer his tipple of choice: in his new music video, "Show Me What You Got," Jay-Z sends back a bottle of Cristal and is presented instead with a silver briefcase containing a bottle of Armand de Brignac.
Some bloggers are predicitng that this will start an exodus away from Cristal, something that Armand CEO Brett Berish clearly is thrilled about. Berish welcomed his wine’s (seemingly unexpected) inclusion in the new video with a gushing press statement expressing praise for Jay-Z’s "highest standards and finest taste."
The Armand de Brignac brand name may not be well known, but it is indeed high end and with its swanky gold bottle and luxury price positioning, it is sure to experience a windfall from Jay-Z fans who look set to bring some bling to this established champagne brand name name.
I find it inconceivable that Cristal would go out of its way to insult one of its highest profile drinkers, a celebrity whose association with its brand name gives it instant credibility among a very hard to please target market.
Cristal's poor judgment and shortsightedness will be Armand de Brignac's gain, and well it should be. To get such high profile product placement with such a well known celebrity — for free — is simply a brand naming dream come true.
Pop the corks, Ace of Spades brand, you’ve got it made.
Technorati Tags: Champagne, Hip-Hop, Product Placement, Celebrities, Endorsements
Posted by William Lozito at 5:40 PM
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August 19, 2006
Links du Jour 08-19-06
- What is Co-Branded? - Adjab has a great post about a new blog on co-branding at Urban Honking that was picked up on Brandflakes. Think Disney and McDonalds, think Jeep and Orvis, U2 and iPod. I have written about the great co-branding between Nike and iPod and Lego and Eggo. Co-branding is different from franchising — it's using two non-competing brand names to build a bigger presence in the marketplace. Who can you share your company name with? Today everyone puts their two cents in.
TiVo Wins a Big One Against EchoStar - EchoStar has 30 days to disable nearly all of its DISH-branded DVRs. I've written about the clash between TiVo and Echostar before — it's a landmark case against people who want to bypass TiVo. EchoStar has won an injunction but the writing's on the wall: patent protection is here to stay on groundbreaking technology and further strengthens TiVo's position as the name brand of choice for this popular service.- Rule One for Celebrity Endorsements - Make sure people actually know the name of the celebrity doing the endorsing! One of the tips from Name Branding 101, students.
- Marketing Wine to Women May Indeed Be a Great Idea - I have a special fondness for of