What would you trade for coffee?
A cup of coffee in the morning is important to many consumers, but exactly how important is it to them? Gas and convenience store retailer Cumberland Farms conducted a survey to determine what consumers would do or give up in order to get their daily coffee fix. The results showed that 56 percent of respondents would be willing to be late for work and risk getting scolded by their bosses; 69 percent would prefer to give up alcohol for a week; and 51 percent would rather be on jury duty for a week. Furthermore, when consumers were asked to choose between drinking iced or hot coffee year-round, 65 percent chose iced coffee, the survey reported.
Florida’s superhero gets a makeover
In an effort to empower kids to make smart choices about nutrition, the Florida Department of Citrus redesigned its Captain Citrus superhero character. Originally created in 2011 as a life-sized orange, the new Captain Citrus has been transformed into a man mysteriously powered by the sun. The new comic book hero is traveling from Florida to restaurants across the country to teach children about nutrition and the benefits of drinking Florida orange juice. To support the character’s efforts, the Florida Department of Citrus offers Captain Citrus menu placements, digital comic books, table tents and more.
Inspiring 20,000 acts of kindness
This holiday season, Noble Vines is bringing the “noble” in its name to new heights with a social media campaign designed to deliver 20,000 acts of kindness before the end of the year. In partnership with nonprofit organization Random Acts, Noble Vines is using the hashtag #NobleActs to inspire one act of kindness for every dollar of Noble Vines’ $20,000 donation to Random Acts. Consumers can share their own “noble acts” with the world through Noble Vines’ Facebook, Twitter or Instagram accounts as well as on their own personal social media pages. To amplify the campaign, the company launched a Random Acts of Kindness Generator, a digital and mobile interactive platform that encourages and inspires consumers to share their acts of kindness.
More than a package
This summer, Red Bull challenged fans to convert its cans into works of art. Now this fall, the energy drink brand brought the Top 30 pieces of more than 300 entries in its Red Bull Art of Can competition to Chicago’s Millennium Park. A panel of judges revealed the Top 3 entries on Nov. 7, and then fans were invited to visit the exhibit through Nov. 16 to vote for the People’s Choice winner and admire the other pieces. Red Bull also hosted special events during the exhibition, including an opening gala and after party, industry nights, collegiate nights, and a closing party.
Corks for a cause
For the fifth consecutive year, Gallo Family Vineyards is collecting corks to help fight senior hunger. In addition to collecting physical corks, this year the winery is collecting photos of its wine corks. Consumers are invited to take pictures of corks and email them to gallo@everycorkcounts.com or text the word “Gallo” to 8111. Gallo Family Vineyards will donate $1 to the Meals on Wheels Association of America for every cork or cork image collected through the end of the year. Gallo Family Vineyards made an initial donation of $100,000 to Meals on Wheels at the start of the campaign and hopes to donate an additional $50,000 through the initiative.
Large-scale marketing
Although packaging is a brand’s primary tool for standing out on the retail shelf, Labatt Blue is using its packaging to stand out in its U.S. hometown. The beer brand gave a blue makeover to six former grain silos that now are part of the 9-acre Buffalo RiverWorks sports and entertainment facility in Buffalo, N.Y. The 100-foot-high silos were decorated with a mix of huge blue vinyl panels and painted to look like a giant six-pack of Labatt Blue beer. Buffalo’s newest six-pack is among the largest in the world, the company says.
Selfies for Seattle
Fifty Shades of Grey Wine is offering fans a chance to live like Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele, the main characters from the “Fifty Shades of Grey” literary trilogy and upcoming movie, for a weekend. The VIP Fly Away Sweepstakes invites fans to take selfies of themselves with Fifty Shades of Grey Wine in-store displays and bottles and submit them through social media for a chance to win a trip for two to Seattle. The grand-prize package includes airfare, a two-night stay at a luxury hotel, “Fifty Shades of Grey” premium merchandise, tickets to the opening-night showing of “Fifty Shades of Grey” in Seattle, and a private party at a secret location from the “Fifty Shades of Grey” stories.
Share the cheer
Heineken is encouraging consumers of legal drinking age to spread holiday cheer by sharing a Heineken with their friends and loved ones. The “Share the Heineken. Spark Your Holidays.” campaign, which launched Nov. 1, includes a range of custom-designed display and point-of-sale materials to remind consumers to choose Heineken for their holiday celebrations. To capture the attention of shoppers before they enter the store, the brand partnered with Ziplist and Evite to provide fans with tools to help them plan their holiday gatherings and remind them to buy Heineken for the festivities. For additional savings and value for their holiday shopping, the brand also is offering instant redeemable coupons and mail-in-rebate offers on other holiday items, including fresh or frozen turkeys, gift cards and Korbel Champagne.
