Archive for Commercial
Usa today superbowl ad meter
Posted by: | CommentsHERE’S THE SUPERBOWL AD that ran alongside my streaming service as I watched the New Orleans Saints run out a victory in Superbowl XLIV. It’s a product placement for Blacknight Solutions. NFL Fanhouse normally has all the advertisements that ran during the show. A lot of people in my Twitter stream liked the Simpson’s superbowl commercial. It featured a message set in the current economic doldrums. Monty Burns, America’s favorite sociopathic plutocrat, loses his entire fortune in a hilarious reposession/auction montage. The Doritos commercial was also good. A man fakes his own death for a casket with a TV and a ton of Doritos. Monster.com is a regular during Super Bowls. The 2010 advertisement featured a furry creature playing a fiddle in a variety of places. And Bridgestone wins thumbs-up with a Killer Whale. USA Today ran a live metric ofadvertisements as they ran. Betty White topped that poll with Doritas coming in second during the live game.
USA TODAY’s Ad Meter tracks the second-by-second responses of a panel of viewers to ads during the Super Bowl and ranks them from best to worst. You can watch the ads yourself, then weigh in with your opinion and rate the ads yourself from one to five stars. Chris Abraham makes good observations about placingadvertisements on the Super Bowl. As an American ex-pat, I miss these advertising extravaganzas and enjoy rewinding the ads, if only for a taste of American culture.
dockers free pants Campaign is a Hit
Posted by: | CommentsAfter airing a Super Bowl commercial last night featuring men singing in their underwear, Dockers is giving away free khakis in a a raffle. You enter your name, gender, email address, and ZIP code to enter. Next, you click on an image of khaki pants. They slide away and tell you if you won. If not, you get a coupon code for 15% of a pair of men’s Soft Khakis. You can play every day up to February 15.
The Dockers Free Pants campaign is doing really well. It started by shocking and possibly confusing people with a Super Bowl commercial featuring some not-terribly-attractive men wearing less than you would want.
Next, it lured in Web users with a promise of free pants. Before you get a chance to win those pants, they acquire information about you that will be useful for marketing purposes. If you don’t unclick the default newsletter selection, they also get you on their newsletter.
Finally, there’s an interactive component. You click on pants and watch them slide away to see if you’ve won. Didn’t win? Why not buy a pair at 15% off, or just keep visiting their website for a week?
It’s a slick combination of TV, Web, and interactive advertising. And it appears to be working very well for Dockers.
ipad price
Posted by: | CommentsFinally after promotion, hype, rumors, the Apple Tablet named the iPad has finally been launched.
Steve Jobs announced the device at an Apple event, provoking more lust for eager Apple die hard fans.
The cost of the new device start at about $499 for the 16GB version, and the 32 GB version will set you back about $599, there is also the larger 64GB versions for $699. All of these models include WiFi, and to add 3G to these models will set you back about $130 to each model.
The standard WiFi version will start to be shipped out within 60 days, and the 3G model will be coming out in 90 days. While the International version is reportedly due out in early June.
There is also a keyboard dock for the iPad, although there is no price available yet for this product. Although the two products combined may start a bit of competition to the Netbook sales, but you won’t have to also purchase this product as your Apple Bluetooth keyboard also works with the iPad.
The iPad is not an iPhone, but does feature all of the other features of one.
There will new applications launched for the iPad, and it will also feature improved video and gaming features.
With a battery life of up to ten hours this will surely be a popular product, (while web surfing, watching videos or music) while on stand by up to one month!
It has built in iTunes and also You Tube in HD,
At .5 inches thin, 9.56 inches tall, 7.47 inches wide and weighing just 1.5 pounds, and with a 9.7 inch LED backlit screen, this will surely be the new must have product from Apple.
Obama proposes doubling of the child care tax credit
Posted by: | CommentsAmerica’s economic recovery may not be coming along as fast as you prefer. Since scoring political points is akin to sucking up Cheez-Its for hungry politicians, change cannot come fast enough. In other news, President Obama has proposed doubling the child care tax credit as part of his Middle Class Task Force. Depending upon who you ask, this has nothing to do with recent elections in Massachusetts, New Jersey and Virginia. It also has nothing to do with me selling payday loans to you.
Middle class “under assault”
President Obama equates expanding the child care tax credit with helping to restore confidence and security for Dick and Jane. By the numbers, CNN reports that the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit would increase from 20 to 35 percent for those families with an income under $85,000. The increase for families earning between $85,000 and $115,000 would also see an increase, apparently to a lesser extent.
Child care funding would also receive a $1.6 billion Cheez-Its distribution if Obama’s plan comes to fruition, which would be the largest such increase in 20 years. For students struggling with their federal loans, Obama also proposed lowering the payment to 10 percent of income “above a basic living allowance.”
Gartner Acquires Burton Group For $56M In Cash
Posted by: | CommentsGartner has announced that right at the end of 2009, it acquired competitor Burton Group for approximately $56 million in cash. Gartner financed the acquisition through the use of cash on hand and borrowings under its existing line of credit.
Burton Group is a Midvale, UT-headquartered research and advisory services firm that focuses on providing advice to IT professionals. According to the statement, Burton Group has approximately 41 research analysts, 40 sales and client service associates, and projected 2009 revenue of $30 million.
Gartner expects the acquisition of Burton Group to be accretive to its revenue, earnings and cash-flow over time. On a GAAP basis, the transaction is expected to be dilutive to income per share by ($0.12) – ($0.10) in 2010 and accretive to income per share by at least $0.00 – $0.03 in 2011.
consumer electronics show 2010
Posted by: | CommentsThe annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) will be held in Las Vegas this week, and more than 100,000 people are expected to turn up to see 20,000 new products and even more old ones. It’s still the main focus for the global electronics industry, though Google is expected to announce its Nexus One phone on Tuesday, before the show opens, and Apple will announce its iSlate/Tablet/oversized iPod Touch/whatever at a later date.
One of the main battles will be the one I reported through the second half of last year: between Intel-powered netbooks (which are selling like hot cakes) and ARM-based smartbooks (which barely exist, yet). The Intel-powered netbooks will take some big steps forward with the use of Intel’s new Pine Trail chipset — several dozen new machines are expected. But there should also be the chance to see some working smartbooks with ARM Cortex chips running one of the plethora of Linuxes.
Touch-screen tablet computers are also expected to appear again. Firms have been trying to flog them since the GridPAD, which — pre-Windows — ran Microsoft MS DOS, and the WebPads of the late 1990s. Microsoft has had several goes at the market with PC Companions running Windows CE, the Tablet PC edition of Windows XP, and its Origami design, without selling significant numbers. But it might be an idea whose time has finally come.
Following the success of Amazon’s Kindle ebook reader — another idea that goes back more than a decade — I’m expecting to see lots of ebook readers. In particular, MSI is expected to show a twin-screen model. I’m also expecting at least a couple of companies to try ebooks with colour screens, which look attractive but can greatly reduce battery life.
Yet another old idea, 3D, could also get some traction. There must have been some sort of 3D TV shown at practically every CES in the past decade. Thanks to the recent success of 3D movies, there should be even more this year. How many will reach the shops and be bought by grateful punters is another matter, but the market can’t really get any smaller.
But the real fun of CES is finding the oddball products you could never have anticipated. Of course, almost all of these disappear without trace. However, if you were only going to report the sort of Windows-based PC that’s actually going to take the vast majority of the PC market, it would be hard to justify going to CES….
zeo sleep monitor review
Posted by: | Commentszeo sleep monitor is part of a trend toward using technology to monitor our own bodies. It is an alarm clock that records electrical signals from your brain with a headband. In the morning it returns a chart of how much time you spent in light, deep and REM sleep, as well as a personal sleep score (which they call your ZQ). It can also make waking up easier to wake you if you ask it to, by choosing a lighter sleep moment to rouse you.
hoosier lottery
Posted by: | CommentsWell you can spend money to buy lottery tickets as it turned out a lucky decision for a couple. A couple won the $14 million jackpot in the Hoosier lottery. Albert and Drena George of Daleville registered their names in the list of millionaires. After taking the Hoosier lottery cash option, the couple walked away with $6.1 million. The Hoosier Lottery is run by the state of Indiana. It is the only lottery in the United States that uses the state’s nickname. It is a member of the Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL). Its games include Hoosier Lotto, Powerball, Lucky 5, and numerous scratch games.
The couple are regular buyers of lottery tickets and they typically buy Hoosier lottery tickets on Sunday and Thursday. They purchased their lottery ticket at the Gas America on West Commerce Road in Daleville, according to NewsLink Indiana reports. Drena realized the good news that they had won the lottery on Thanksgiving morning. The couple will never forget this lucky ‘Thanksgiving Day’ in their lives. Drena George said.
best cyber monday 2009 deals
Posted by: | CommentsA lot many retailers have come out with some of the Best Cyber Monday 2009 deals. A lot many digital cameras are also available in the Walmart Cyber Monday 2009 ads along with offers on TVs, Gaming consoles like PS3 xbox 360, laptops, mobile phones.
Shoppers who have missed out on the Black Friday 2009 deals, need not worry. Cyber Monday 2009 deals, ads, sales offers them the some of the best deals from a number of retailers.
A lot many retailers have come out with some of the Best Cyber Monday 2009 deals. Bascially this day is an ideal day for shoppers who wish to shop online and want to grab the best deals and offers as a number of items are at a discounted prices.
Walmart has listed 100 Cyber Monday ads on its website. A lot many digital cameras are also available in the Walmart Cyber Monday 2009 ads along with offers on TVs, Gaming consoles like PS3 xbox 360, laptops, mobile phones etc.
Walmart Best Cyber Monday 2009 deals includes:
Sony Bravia 32″ Class LCD HDTV, KDL-32L504 for $398
For $848 one can get a great 46 inch LCD HDTV: Sony Bravia 46″ Class 1080p LCD HDTV, KDL-46S504
Compaq CQ50-139QM notebook for just $498 along with a free HP printer, carry case and an 8GB USB flash drive.
Kohls Cyber Monday 2009 deals include:
Women’s Juniors’ Handbags Shoes ,Intimates Men’s Team, Shop Kids’ Baby Jewelry & Watches Toys & Games Bed & Bath Kitchen & Dining Furniture & Decor, Home Care, Luggage, Electronics and Beauty & Fragrance.
Some of the exciting deals are 60% Off on Selected Diamond Jewelry,
30-40% discount on Selected Toys
10-50% Off of on the Entire Stock
30-50% Off on a number of Selected Coats & Accessories for the Family
50% Off on Selected Boots for the Family,
33-50% Off on Selected Kitchen appliances
30-50% Off on Selected Watches
30-50% Off On Selected Sleepwear & Slippers for the Family
Discount of 30-50% selected Sweaters & Fleece Tops for the Family.
Lenovo and Dell have also come out with some of the best cyber Monday 2009 deals, ads, sales and offers.
One can get a 15% discount on the G series and the IdeaPad Laptops. The G450 is available at a price of $499.
Dell would be starting its sale at midnight of Monday, Novembe 30.
cyber monday deals 2009
Posted by: | CommentsRetailers are thinking beyond Cyber Monday – a holiday marketing promotion many push for the Monday after Thanksgiving – and trying to spin their discounts into into Cyber Weekends or even Cyber Weeks.
For example, Toys R Us is offering free shipping on orders $49+. BestBuy is offering 30 percent off select phone accessory orders, yes that is right you can obtain 30% off select phone accessory online orders with a click of a button.
The National Retail Federation said Monday nearly 9 out of 10 retailers plan specific Cyber Monday deals, up slightly from about 84 percent last year. Deals on specific products, one-day sales and free shipping are expected to be the most common promotions.
ComScore analyst Andrew Lipsman expects free shipping deals to be key, as companies this year are planning their promotions more carefully so there will be less discounting.
“Psychologically, consumers need to get some sort of a deal on almost every transaction, and free shipping tends to be pretty compelling,” Lipsman said.
Lipsman is expecting “marginally positive” online sales growth compared with a year ago.
