Pizza Friday 71

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IN THE NEWS


BRAND REPUBLICBrand Republic Video: Public's mixed reaction to Pizza Hut rebrand Pizza Hut's decision to rebrand as Pasta Hut has provoked a range of reactions from the public with some saying it's good to have a change while others think it could put people off, finds the latest Brand Republic Video.

Brand Republic took to the streets and found that some members of the public aren't impressed with Pizza Hut's rebrand and want more than a name change to persuade them to go in, while others labelled it a good idea.

Pizza Hut is temporarily changing its name to Pasta Hut to highlight its eight new pasta dishes, with nine restaurants changing their signage immediately. The pizza chain plans to invest £100m over the next six years to revamp its 700 restaurants in the UK.

The name switch is being supported by a multimillion pound marketing campaign including TV ads created by Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO.

The plan has been condemned by some branding experts who claim that it is a "boring" and "puerile" idea that could "dilute the strength of the brand".

Earlier this week domain name specialist NetNames revealed that cybersquatters have been snapping up key domain names relating to Pasta Hut in an attempt to cash in on the rebrand.

However Pizza Hut has already secured Pastahut.co.uk which ranks first on Google for the search term "pasta hut" while the other sites do not appear on the first search results page

http://www.pastahut.co.uk/Home

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er

numantra.com214.635.2300Link: http://popsugar.com/2339198




BRANDWEEK: Experts Question Effectiveness of Aggressive Ads

The ongoing war between Campbell and Progresso over MSG in soups has prompted experts to examine the efficacy of aggressive ads like the one running in today's New York Times, where Campbell strikes back against its rival. Experts say that while such ads bring important issues to light, they also cause consumer confusion and can kill the category as a whole.

Over the past weeks, Campbell and Progresso have been involved in a soup fight centered on aggressive ads. In the latest installment this week, Campbell, the maker of Chunky and Select Harvest soups, has released an ad that reads: "Campbell's proudly offers 124 soups with NO MSG." The ad is a response to a General Mills ad that ran last week attacking Campbell for using MSG in 95 of its soups. Campbell originally fired the first shot at Progresso, claiming that its soups use MSG, a food ingredient known as monosodium glutamate.

The new ad breaks in The New York Times today and several regional papers, such as the Chicago Tribune. It points out that while "two-thirds of Progresso soups contain MSG, the majority of [Campbell's] soups do not," including Campbell's condensed, Healthy Request and Select Harvest soups, which came out last month. But experts say the attack tactic could hurt the soup brands and put the entire category at risk. Read more...

http://www.brandweek.com/bw/content_display/news-and-features/packaged-goods/e3i5b6fea62d3679475c1cc456577701f24

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ADWEEK: FTC Shuts Down 'Spam Gang' Just when you thought no one cared that your e-mail box was overloaded with spam, along comes the Federal Trade Commission to prove you wrong.

The FTC said it has shuttered an operation that sent billions of spam messages around the world directing consumers to Web sites, and that the operation was responsible for as much a third of the world's spam e-mails. According to the FTC, the operation included participants in Australia, New Zealand, China, India, Russia, Canada and the U.S.

The network was called the largest "spam gang" in the world by the anti-spam organization Spamhaus. The FTC said it has received more than three million complaints about spam messages connected to this operation, and estimates that it "may be responsible for sending billions of illegal spam messages". At the request of the FTC, "a U.S. district court has issued a temporary injunction prohibiting defendants from spamming and making false product claims, and has frozen the defendants' assets to preserve them for consumer redress pending trial."

http://www.adweek.com/aw/content_display/news/client/e3ie35802bf9befd1a99adb33eafd3a0169

numantra.com214.635.2300Link: http://creativity-online.com/?action=creativeculture:section&sectId=586


Offline Interactive



“If only getting rid of cellulite were as easy as popping Bubble Wrap. Nivea launched its Good-Bye Cellulite product line of anti-cellulite gel via street level billboards covered in Bubble Wrap. Posters in women’s locker rooms were also adorned with Bubble Wrap. Readable copy could be seen below the wrap, but the bigger picture is having passersby interact with the creative and physically pop the bubbles, thereby reducing the amount of “cellulite” on the billboard.”

--Creative Media Awards 2008


Storytelling


David Fincher directs the life-long journey of pro football players LaDainian Tomlinson and Troy Polamalu as their destinies collide in an NFL football game.

Music Remake of “L'estasi dell'oro (The Ecstasy of Gold)” from “The Good, The Bad & The Ugly”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlXRengzZoc

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Public Service

numantra.com214.635.2300Link: http://www.dontpassgas.org/psa.swf


Innovation

numantra.com214.635.2300Link: http://www.panasonic.eu/everythingmatters/en-gb/

numantra.com214.635.2300Link: http://www.adobe.com/products/flashmediaserver/csvideo/pointroll/

numantra.com214.635.2300Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKNZrTr0G4I


Pizza Friday is Numantra’s weekly venue for reviewing the

latest news, innovations and accomplishments taking place in our industry and the world at large.

Numantra is a very unique and results-driven advertising & marketing agency that was started on the crest of a tidal wave of change that ushered in the 21st Century.

Our founding partners recognized the coming of this change and purposefully created a company shaped in the image of the unstoppable future. Find out what Numantra

can do for you.

Visit hire.numantra.com for more information.

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Pizza Friday 71

Business