Sorry

I have been away for a week! But I will make my return to blogging tomorrow (Tuesday!) See you then!

christian

This Baby Is Out! - Nissan Rogue

I survived the exam and now I am back to real life. The only thing that is still the same is the hole in my pants; Yeah I am wearing those gray sweatpants again.
My romance with the Nissan Rogue grew even stronger when it debuted on national television as North America's favorite cheerleader's method of transportation in Heroes. Too bad the blond was dumb enough to have her car stolen. Coincidence? NO! I am sure this will play as a twist as the season progresses.
The first TV spot for the car is also out. Unfortunately, it does not include any of the scenes filmed in my neighborhood. This means that I will have to keep looking and you will have to keep reading.
Have a great day.

The "hole in my pant" theory

I have been working like a madman this past week because I have an exam tomorrow and some assignments that are due this week. The advancement of my professional career is keeping me away from the products I love to review.
The other day I had trouble remembering a theory about the "Adoption process" for new products. This is about how people choose to become regular users of a product. I was studying and I could not remember the damn set of steps. All of the sudden, I realized I had a hole in my pants. There it was, giving the pair of grey jogging pants some ventilation slightly below the zipper area. That is how the "hole in my pant" Theory was born.
The Adoption process for new products consists of 5 steps: Realization of Need, Information Seeking, Evaluation, Purchase and Post-Purchase behaviors.
As I was sitting on my chair, bearded and stressed, I realized that I had a hole in my pants and that these pants were getting old. I REALIZED that I needed new pants (Step 1)
After so much studying, I have become the champion procrastinator of the neighborhood. Therefore, I decided to go online and research Abercrombie and Hollister pants as potential replacements. I was SEEKING INFORMATION (Step 2) and PROCRASTINATING (not a necessary step)
After reading about the pants, I evaluated my options. I could fix my old pants, buy a pair of nice and sharp looking Abercrombie pants (Excuse me! Does it come with the six pack in the picture?) or settle for the decent and still very stylish, but cheaper Hollister pants. I am EVALUATING my options (Step 3) But really, I know I will not buy new pants. I am el cheapo after all.
This is where my theory reached the realm of fiction. This is the step where I would actually go and buy something. But I really will not. I will settle for the fictional pair of Abercrombies and matching six pack; I pretend to PURCHASE something (Step 4)
On the last step on the "hole in my pant" Theory, I hesitate with my fictional pair of pants. I am not sure if it was the best decision. Perhaps I should have gone for the Hollister pants and save the extra money. This is called "POST PURCHASE BEHAVIOR" or buyer's remorse (Step 5). After struggling with my decision, I decide it is best to return the fictional Abercrombie pants. All of the sudden, I am back on my chair, bearded, with a hole in my pants and even a little more stressed because I just wasted 30 min writing about fictional Abercrombie pants and matching six packs.
Wish me luck tomorrow!

Understanding Bubble Gum

I apologize for the delay in writing. I am still around, my guts are still angry and still have lots of complaining to do.
So the other day I came across a box of Wrigley's Extra Citrus Squeeze. It caught my eye because of the packaging. The bubble gum market is obviously a very old one. In order to keep the excitement going and the sales from dropping too too much, companies need to constantly develop new ideas. This can mean new flavors, new colors, new packaging or new endorsements by superstars. Anything goes, as long as it helps the sales increase.
The Wrigley Company was founded in 1891 and it only had two products: Juicy Fruit and Wrigley's Spearmint. Today, the company is in more than 180 countries and it is constantly branching out to new areas by acquiring other smaller players in the candy industry. The brand "Extra" is one of many in their portfolio and it recently launched a new set of flavors that come packaged in small carton box with 14 pieces of gum.
Extra Citrus Squeeze comes wrapped in the same thin transparent plastic wrapping that CDs have. So the first challenge to get to your gum is to find a way to open the package. It is the same issue as with CDs, only with the added urgency to chew. It is hard to open but you'll get there. Once you open the package, you will find 14 individual gums neatly wrapped in paper. Like soldiers lined up in front of their sergeant, two lines and no one is moving. That is the next problem: no one moves. Why? Because all the gum is stuck to the bottom of the package.
My patience was gone and I decided that some inexpensive Mexican force (yes, I am Mexican and I love making Mexican jokes) was required and I ripped one of the gums off. Two other pieces came out along with some white cardboard from the bottom of the package. Out of my post traumatic consumer rage, I ate the whole three pieces of gum. The taste? It lasted about two minutes and then it disappeared. I actually spent longer opening the box than eating the damn gum, three pieces at once. This consumer innovation is brilliant, make your consumer angry so he or she eats more!
So here is a photo of a similar package but for a different product. Have a great evening.

Overeating

Happy Thankgiving Everyone! I hope you are having a fabulous weekend!

Hope in a bottle, part II

The truth can be complicated. Sometimes lies seemed easier to believe than the actual truth. That is the contrived nature of our own being. Yeah, we are all a little stupid.
I am very excited about my new membership with a group solely dedicated to send people to do internships around the globe. I joined with the purpose of meeting people, learning something new and hopefully by next June or July, fly away to somewhere new. Who knows where I will end up, hopefully somewhere safe and with lots of alcohol. Oh yeah... and with an amazing employer that will provide me with the experience that will take my career to the next level. But I really hope the alcohol is cheap, because these internships do not pay really well. That is the truth and it is easy to believe it.
Lets try this theory again, you are in a super market waiting in line to pay for a cart full of groceries. You look at the shelves in front of you, filled with chocolates and candy that is screaming at you: "Eat me", "Buy me", "Tasty". You surrender to their demands and decide that you must have one. The line is moving and you are running out of time. You narrow your decision to a single serving of Cadbury chocolate or a bag of Mini Eggs. The chocolate costs $1.75 and the Mini Eggs cost $1.00. Which one do you think would give the grocer the most profits, the chocolate or the eggs?
A bag of Mini Eggs is one of the most profitable single serving candies in the market. This is the truth and yet I cannot believe it. Have a great weekend!

Christian's top three signs the US is going into recession

Here are my top three signs that the US might go into a recession sometime soon:

3) A cold housing market:

Housing is directly connected to the idea of wealth. Owning a house determines your status and it directly reflects how much money you have. So the moment the housing market goes sour, people start spending less, borrowing less and the economy starts slowing down. Furthermore, the fact that a burst in the housing market can lead to a recession is backed by historical data; housing booms and busts happened before the great depression and before the horrible Japanese recession at the end of the 1980's.

2) Job Loss:
When an economy starts slowing down, companies struggle and start cutting jobs. While nothing is simple when dealing with the economy, very few signs are a better indicator of the health of the economy than the labour market. The latest news from the US Labour Department is that 125,000 jobs have been lost since February 2007.

1) Consumer Spending:
The American economy, along with a big chunk of the world economy, depend on American people buying stuff. Let this Christmas be a sign of things to come; if sales this Holiday season are low, it will probably be the most serious indicator that the outlook is gloomy.

These are my choices for top three signs the US is going into a recession. Now, some people might speculate on the strength of the recession. There is no way of finding out how deep and long the recession will be. We can only predict how thing may look like in the future. It could be a slump or it could be a deep and lengthy recession. Only time will tell.

Hope in a bottle, part I

Here in North America, Coke and Pepsi seem to be fighting for number one. Fifty Fifty. There was crystal clear Coke and Pepsi clear. Cheeky cherry Pepsi and Coke. But once you move away from the North American market, you find that Coke is number one. Growing up in the third world (which after an ideological change, is now known as the developing world) I was surrounded by Coke. Red and white metal folding chairs and tables were a fixture in every local restaurant. Sitting on top of these metal tables would be red plastic napkin holders with Coca-Cola written across them. Coke was the mainstream. Pepsi not so much. For anybody growing up away from North America, Pepsi is like your best friend's brother. He looks like a little like your friend, acts similarly than your friend but some reason, he is just not as cool as your friend.
Destined to be occupying the second place, the other brother needs to find ways to distinguish himself. He wears different clothes, hangs out with different people and dances to a different tune. All in the hopes of breaking away from the "It looks like coke, it tastes like coke" attitude. It is my believe that, in the hopes of becoming a little cooler, Pepsi launched Jazz - Pepsi Diet Caramel Cream. Pepsi is inviting you to "Indulge your senses" with this new product.
In terms of the product, this is a hard sell. It is hard to find a bottle of pepsi indulging. Indulgence comes from exotic colors and flavors that stimulate our senses. A caffeinated drink in a plastic bottle is not going to cut it. People are looking for experiences. For a product to be indulging, it has to offer a whole experience to a consumer. It has to be memorable.
The first thing you will taste in Pepsi Diet Caramel Cream is caramel. It is immediately followed by that peculiar taste of sweetener. But the caramel flavor is strong enough to dominate and it manages to create a pleasant light caramel aftertaste.
The package is a strange combination of golden tones and blue. The golden color of the label and the blue on the plastic cap do not match. If the goal was to indulge your senses, the color mismatch in the bottle does anything but that. Furthermore, a golden label in a Pepsi bottle that is claiming to be indulging, is like a car salesman trying to sell me a golden Ford Focus as a luxury car. It just does not work.
After all, I can point out all the things I may not like about this product. But at the end of the day, a product like this must deliver in what is most important for people buying something to drink. It has to be tasty. And Diet Pepsi Caramel Cream is tasty. It is a little too sweet for my taste but, if you like any of the sugary drinks and you like caramel, you will like it.
Once again, the other brother is trying something new and exciting. Hoping that people will start realizing that he is not just a oddly similar version to the popular brother. Today, hope comes in a bottle with poor color combination and a taste of caramel.

Is it too late to apologize?

I have to admit that, when I first tried them, I really liked them. I am aware that my taste sometimes fails to appeal to the mainstream. But when I first tried Maynard's Milkies, I actually thought they were O.K. Maynard's Milkies are "milkshake" style gummies with flavors like vanilla, strawberry and banana. The consistency and flavor are pleasant, but they were different. They were a new twist in the old gummy.
So I went about my life thinking how tasty this gummies were, and how I thought they may do really well in life. One day I "accidentally" wondered into a dollar store. I was browsing through the candy aisle when I realized that, between all the dated candy, were my Milkies. The only one product from the Maynard's new line of gummies that had landed in the dollar store. Maybe it was there for consumer product rehab. Maybe it was a sign that this product was sheer crap. But yours truly failed to notice anything more than a good deal. The sad part is that I decided against purchasing a large bag of Maynard's Milkies for $1 because of my health conscious behavior.
The final blow came a few weeks ago, when my insider source at Cadbury arrived at my home. She does not know that she is my insider source yet, but she will be aware of it soon. But that is not the point, what I am trying to say is the following; when she arrived to my place and I told her about my respect for Maynard's Milkies. She looked stunned and said "I have a whole truck filled with that stuff, nobody wants them" I decided to drop the topic immediately (and did not even ask for a free bag of gummies)
The whole point of this story is that you need to have your own well inform opinion. I was ready to give this product a good review, but the general population gave them the boot. There has to be a product development manager, somewhere in an Maynard's Product Development office, sitting behind his desk thinking about this issue. Just like I am doing right now and I am sure we are thinking the same: "Is it too late to apologize?"

Try This: Vivani's Bitter Chocolate with Chili

Life is full of surprises. When you think you have it all figured out, in a second something happens. Then you realize that you do not really have anything figured out and life gets a little brighter.
This weekend I came across Vivani's Ecuador Bitter Chocolate with Chili. This is truly an amazing and indulging product. The experience begins when you first notice the product. The packaging is exotic; it announces that this is an organic chocolate that was made with cocoa beans from Ecuador. This indulges your mind by inviting you to travel to an exotic destination by trying this product. The packaging is inviting you to connect with a distant and exotic place. If you choose to accept the invitation, the product does not fall short of any expectations. The chocolate is dark and bitter without being too violent to your mouth. The taste is natural, raw and has the perfect combination of bitterness with a bit of sugar that makes for the perfect dark chocolate.
It is when you think that you have this chocolate figured out that something happens. In a second, a mild trace of chili appears. It is strong enough to be noticed, but not strong enough to bother your senses or make you want to do any of those crazy things people do when eating spicy foods. This chocolate is truly remarkable. It takes you somewhere exotic and in an instant, it reminds you that life is full of surprises.

Sweet Gray Skies

Clouds of gray. The world sits still for a day. Everyone wonders when the sun will come back again. In days likes this, I enjoy drinking coffee and wearing sweatpants. It is cloudy and rainy and all I want is comfort.
I find my refuge from the gray world in coffee; some other people find it in chocolate. If you like comfort through chocolate, then you are going to love Cadbury's Burnt Almond Dark Chocolate. The flavor is rich and comforting. The sweet and bitter taste of dark chocolate is contrasted with the near neutral taste of almond. What results of this mix is both soothing and comforting. Perfect for a rainy day like today. So next time you find yourself trapped under gray skies, pick one of this sweet chocolates up.
We all seek comfort in different ways; some people find it in coffee and sweats and some others find it in chocolate. But ultimately, all we are hoping for is the next sunny day.

Drivers Just Want To Have Fun

I am in love with the new "Musical Chairs" Kia television ad. Here is a link to the ad, if you have not had seen it yet. Everyone is free to disagree with me, but I think this is a great ad. These are my reasons why:

- We all know about safety. We have been bombarded with ads emphasizing safety.

- We all have seen a car crashing into something and a dummy bouncing happily off an airbag.

- We have seen a car driving through a curve at a race car track.

- We are tired of the "We are family" Ford car ads. Who wants to be part of a family facing near bankruptcy, with quality issues and that needs to be replaced every three years?

The "Musical Chairs" Ad is relaxed. It takes driving off the road and takes it to the parking lot. It does a good job at showing the car in many angles and a great variety of colors. Furthermore, It also shows the handling of the vehicle in tight places, a parking lot, without having to emphasize it with a voice over. Best of all, It is also fun to watch! As Consumers, we are aware that cars come with safety devices and that tests are performed to measure and regulate the safety of a car when it is involved in a collision. These are all very important issues and I am not trying to ignore them. All I am trying to say is that it is time for drivers to have more fun.

Skip this: Blitz - worst tasting energy - Gum

When I first saw this product, I was intrigued. Blitz Energy Gum - Original Flavor claims to be a high energy gum. My eyes were instantly drawn to the metal packaging; the metal was shining and it stood out from any other gum around the store. It caught my eye. Maybe the shinny metal is designed to hide one major flaw in this product: it's taste.

High energy gums are being slowly introduced to the market. Their goal is to compete against the high energy drinks. I am not sure how many high energy gums are out there, but Blitz Energy Gum is the most advanced product until now. While the rest of the energy gums pack all the caffeine in the hard shell, which only delivers caffeine once (when you first eat the gum) Blitz has caffeine packed directly into the gum. Therefore the product delivers a constant dose of caffeine that lasts longer and is more effective than a one time delivery.

Priced at $2.76 for four servings (8 pieces of gum), this is definitely more expensive than regular gum. However, this is way cheaper than having one energy drink. Also, for about the same price than one energy drink (one serving) Blitz Energy Gum gives you four servings. This is a more economical alternative than a high energy drink.

Blitz Energy Gum has two major downsides. First of all, it cannot be mixed with alcohol! A large section of the "high energy products" consumer uses these products to get them through a night of partying and drinking. This is a big downside... I am not impressed.

The second, and a huge downside to this gum was it's flavor. Blitz Energy Gum - Original Flavor has a horrible taste, it is strong, sour and very very unpleasant. When I first started chewing the gum, the strong taste hit me like a wall. It was disturbing, but I decided to waited out. The strong taste lingered, my patience did not. I ran to the closest garbage can and disposed of the nasty gum. My mouth was numb and the taste stayed in my mouth. It was so strong that I had to have some water and another better tasting gum. Unbelievable.

Next time that you are feeling short on energy, skip this horrible tasting product and go to the energy drink fridge. You will not regret it.

Car Ad Evolution, Part V: Right here, right now

So we have finally reached the end of the Car advertisement evolution. This very unsuccessful but highly entertaining (at least for me) series set out to educate the world in the art of car ads.
I chose this car ad from Saturn because it highlights the main trends affecting the car industry today: The high price of oil, the pressure to reduce pollution and safety. It is also a very emotional ad; but this ad is not using the "pleasure of driving" appeal, the ad reflects on the history of Saturn. It also dwells their desired to evolve; to move forward and to design cars that look pretty. No mention of quality control ( lemons everyone?)

exit note: Friday! You will have to excuse me, but my brain seems to have gone partying and I cannot concentrate. Let us all hope for the brain's safe return next Monday; freed from anything that might come back and make Tuesday a very, very complicated day. Have a great weekend.

Making Smart Decisions About My Munchies

I was at the supermarket when I came across the intriguing green bag. I would like to say that I am the type of person that skips the chips aisle, but I am not. I love that aisle and I walk by it every week. The green bag happened to be a new product, Muchies Snack Mix - Reduced Fat.

Before I get into the details; I want to explain that, when a new product becomes relatively succesful, people start thinking about ways of adding new products under the succesful product's name. The goal is to create a product line that is benefited from the original product's success. Munchies Snack Mix is the perfect example. The original product was very successful; it is now a basic item at any of my parties. Due to that success, now we are seeing new types of Munchies, including the BBQ flavored mix and the Reduced Fat mix.

Munchies Reduced Fat Mix has 25% less fat than the regular munchies. The bag has a logo indicating that this is a "Smart Selection" . This is part of the Smart Spot campaign designed by PepsiCo to assist families in making smarter and healthier decisions about food. It is also a way of riding the health trend happening all across North America. But how healthy are these chips? Let's be honest, chips are not healthy and Munchies Reduced Fat is no exception.


This little bowl of chips contains one serving, or 50 grams. It has 9 grams of fat, 230 calories and 34 grams of carbs. It does have a little less fat than regular chips, but it is not healthy by any means. So if you plan on buying Munchies Reduced Fat because they are healthy, you are better off enjoying your favorite chips. One serving (50 grams) of your favorite chips will have about 10 - 15 grams of fat, but the rest of the contents would be very similar. My point is, do not be fooled by products claiming to have reduced fat, the difference is minimum. If you want to eat healthier, just skip the chip aisle next time.

How about taste? Munchies Reduced Fat taste pretty good! The mix contains Sun Chips, Baked Cheetos, Pretzels and Quaker Oat Squares (which are these tasty cheese flavored oat squares) Overall, the dominant taste is cheese and salt. If you like the taste of the regular Munchies, you will definitely like the reduced fat version. Just remember, you are not making any healthy, smart choices by eating this so called reduced fat chips. If you want to be a healthy eater, skip the junk food aisle and spend more time hanging around the produce department.

Car Ad Evolution, Part IV: 1990's price equation

Car Ad Evolution, Part III: USA 1985

So far we have only looked at Korean cars. I was wondering what the Americans were up to those days. That is why I decided to include the 1985 Ford Tempo ad. It is interesting to see the similarities between the Korean and American ads. They both seem to emphasize the driving experience in different weathers. Both ads have shots of the car driving through a curve. It is also funny to see how little things have changed throughout time; the 1985 Ford Tempo comes with a "5 year Duraguard warranty at no extra cost!" American cars now come backed by the "best warranty ever", a 4 or 5 year powertrain warranty. The only twist in the 1985 Ford Tempo ad is that we have the voice of an expert. Jackie Stewart supports this car. He is a 3 times world champion driver. He must know a lot about cars. He is telling me that he likes the car; that it is "A real driver's car" Once again, this ad is appealing to a person's emotional side. The pleasure of driving (backed by Jackie Stewart)

Jackie also touches on quality, he says that he is impressed by the quality of the car. And well, since he was won a world championship race 3 times, he must have seen a lot of cars. Never mind the fact that Ford paid him to appear in the ad. No pressure there.

To Learn To Say No

For the first time, I found myself in a position where I am not under pressure to make decisions. For a long time, I had to keep the end goal in mind, as someone very special once told me: "Begin with the end in mind". It was necessary for me to keep going, to sacrifice my likes and dislikes for the long term plans. To let things slip and ignore those little insults life brings. I am sure we all had to go through times like this. A few weeks ago, I realized that I did not know how to decline an offer, I had to learn to say no.
I spent two weeks preparing my resume and some cover letters. The goal was to land an internship in an advertisement agency in Vancouver. My first interview landed faster than expected, a lady that owns a very small agency sent me an email. A one liner that said "Come meet me ASAP, let me know when you can come in". No hello, no introduction, just one line and the prefabricated email signature. I was not impressed.
I arrived early to the interview. I waited for a few minutes and the one-liner lady came in, introduced herself and started asking me questions. All the questions she asked had one thing in common. All those questions could have been answered if she had read my cover letter and resume. Clearly, she did not bother to look at them. Once again, I was not impressed. But still, I took the internship.
Things happened, I started receiving one-liners from this woman at 10:00 pm, 11:00 pm and midnight. And I was not even officially her intern! There was one email that would become my lesson. I had to learn to say no and this email facilitated that. The email had a bunch of data, details about a plan that someone else had sent to the one-liner lady. As usual, I had the one-liner email with the prefabricated signature. This one-liner had the form of "Organize it as a workback plan" I had no idea what a workback plan was. I did some research online and I failed to find any relevant information. So I replied to her email, asking for a template or an explanation about what the hell she wanted. The one-liner lady did her thing and replied: "Google It" This was my lesson. I had to learn to say no. So I replied to her email, I told her that I was no longer interested in being her intern. I said no. It felt so good. I can do better than a one-liner woman agency. I will do better than that.
We all need to say no sometimes. Even in the smallest decisions. Take Trident's Splash Apple Raspberry. You should all say no to this one. The combination of fake apple flavor and sour raspberry does not perform. I do not like the fake apple flavor, it lingers in your mouth for a while, leaving your mouth feeling far from clean. I said no to the one-liner lady and fake apple flavor. Would you?

Car Ad Evolution, Part II: 1985

This is an ad for the 1985 Hyundai Pony Excel. The ad first shows the car's mechanical advantages, then moves on to show the new style and spacious interior. The last bit of the ad depicts a group of Hyundai Ponies running on the racing track. This is an emotional appeal directed at a driver's heart, it is the pleasure of driving a Pony.

Update on the Nissan Rogue

Ever since that lovely afternoon when a film crew rolled into my neighborhood, I have developed a bond with Nissan's new SUV, the Rogue. The crew visiting my street was filming an ad for the Rogue and I was lucky to have a living room with a window facing the shoot. In an instant, a bond was created. I am excited to announce that, according to the Toronto Star, the Nissan Rogue will be replacing Nissan's Ugly Stick, oh sorry, I mean Nissan's X Trail (please see below for picture) It seems that we will be watching the Rogue's debut on TV sometime soon. I am definitely keeping an eye out for the commercial; and when it arrives, you will be sure to find an excellent ( and unbiased) review about this amazing new vehicle.

Car Ad Evolution, Part I: 1974

Car advertisements have barely changed throughout the years. Technology has played a great role by allowing creative teams to design eye appealing imagery. But besides that, not very much has changed when it comes to car ads. They seem to emphasize safety, technical advantages and well, of course, the pleasure of driving. I decided to come up with a brief advertising timeline for car ads. Lets have a look at a 1974 Hyundai Pony commercial. I do not speak Korean, but I am assuming they are promoting safety in accidents since they are showing a crash test of their "latest" (in 1974) model. They also have a few seconds of the car driving in snow, which is probably promoting safety during winter driving conditions (but this is just my opinion).

Try this (if you haven't yet): Trident Splash Strawberry with Lime

Trident Splash Strawberry with Lime was one of the first flavors to arrive on the shelves. It was an innovation. I cannot recall when It was first I noticed the gum sitting on one of the impulse buy shelves at any grocery shop. Strawberry with lime is probably the most popular flavor within the Trident Splash line; this is partly due to the fact that it was the first one to arrive. The product is very attractive: the bright red and green packaging is eye catching and the gum's flavor meets the expectation. The flavor is a bit sweet and sour, strawberry dominates the scene and the lime takes the background. It makes for an amazing combination. So if you have not tried this gum yet, I suggest you do so.

An example of poor taste.

The Mexican media was having a party (or perhaps should I say, a fiesta?) over this poster. Newspapers like Mural and Reforma were featuring this poster on their front pages. This poster was distributed to clinics around England by a group called Marie Stopes. It is part of a campaign to reduce trips to Mexico. Oh! Wait no... It is a campaign to create awareness and prevention of sexually transmitted diseases. A spokesperson for Marie Stopes issued a statement saying that they never intended to insult Mexico, or Mexican culture, in any way.

Nocturnal Struggle

I have been offered a position as an unpaid intern at an advertising agency. My main project would be promoting a concert for Unicef. I wonder if I am taking on too much. I am divided between my responsibilities for school and the demands of the new position as an intern. I want to make sure that I do my best at anything I do.
Have you ever been to Marble Slab? These guys have the freshest and most delicious ice cream I have ever had. This franchise of ice cream shops (or creameries ) was founded in 1983 and has enjoyed great success ever since. The first store opened in Houston, then it expanded across the US, Puerto Rico, Canada and the Arab Emirates. They have over 500 stores and they are expanding. Marble Slab is a big success. I have been to Marble Slabs in London (Ontario), Calgary and Vancouver. My last visit was about three weeks ago. During that visit, ordered my favorite flavor (called birthday cake) mixed with fresh strawberries. I was very excited about it. When I received my cup, my excitement was quickly changed to confusion when I realized that the portions had been reduced. I was disappointed. That is exactly what I do not want to be. I do not want to be anyone's half empty ice cream cup. I do not want to disappoint.

A new week, a new flavor: Tridents Splash Spearmint with Watermelon.

I had a very interesting last few days. They were filled with those twists and turns that make this life so entertaining. One of those twists came on Friday, in the form of an email from an advertising and media company inviting me to come in for an interview. It looks like it is a good opportunity. So full is this life of twist and turns that I cannot even keep up. I would like to explain all the details, but that would make for a long blog (and nobody wants that)
A similar exciting twist, but in the world of bubble gum, is the new Trident Splash Spearmint with Watermelon. The flavor is a nice mix between Watermelon and Mint. The first taste is of sweet and tasty watermelon followed by refreshing mint. The watermelon flavor is not too sweet or too sugary. After a few minutes, the mint flavor takes over and lingers for a while. If you like Jolly Ranchers, watermelon candy and mint gum, this one is for you.

Try this: Trident Splash WinterWave

Another day at the beach and another type of Trident Splash. This time is I chose Trident Splash Winter Wave. The day at the beach was perfect again, sunny and a few clouds in the sky. The gum? A whole lot better. I like gum that refreshes my mouth; gum that gives me that nice clean feeling. It is almost like the feeling after brushing your teeth. If you like that, Trident Splash Winter Wave is for you. The first taste is refreshing mint flavor that is not too sweet nor to strong. After that, the flavor seems to stay for a while, making your whole mouth feel refreshed.
I am off to the beach again. Would another day at the beach mean another Trident Splash flavor? Come back and find out!



Trident, If you are going diving they have all your diving gear:

Trident Gone Sour: Trident Splash Citrus with Blackberry

The liquid flavor inside a gum is supposed to extend the gum's flavor. I am not sure if this is entirely true, but thats how the companies are selling these types of gum to the retailers. We have so many type of liquid filled gums, some of them are very good flavors and others, not so much. An example of a flavor gone wrong is Trident Splash Citrus with Blackberry; this gum is nothing special. The first taste is really sour and after that it is pretty much tasteless. I was really not impressed with this one. So Skip this gum and use the $1.50 on something more productive.
On a side note: I spent the day on the beach today. It was a beautiful sunny day and I had a great book with me. After an hour at the beach, I started craving a piece of gum. I opened my backpack and I realized that I only had one type of gum. Guess what type of gum? Yes! It was this lovely Trident Splash Citrus with Blackberry. I hesitated for a moment; I already knew that this was not a fine tasting product. Then I thought "What the hell! It is only gum!" and I took two pieces. After a brief splash of sour, all that was left was the stale taste of fake citrus. I disposed of the gum after 5 minute, but the lovely taste of fake, stale citrus stayed with me for the rest of the sunny day.

Shooting an Ad: Nissan Rogue

These are some photos from a film shoot that took place in front of my house yesterday. They were filming a TV ad for a new Nissan car, 2008's Nissan Rogue. The ad will feature a young couple with their kid. My guess: It will probably advertise as "Younger Parent who loves the thrill of driving, but is responsible for his/her family's safety" The filming took place in a corner of downtown Vancouver, the place was covered with snow and a tall crane held some equipment that sprayed snow while filming. I cannot wait to see the final product air on TV.

Oh Henry! vs Oh Henry! Pro

To advertise a product successfully, there has to be an exchange between the merchant and the consumer. If you buy my product, then you get this benefits out of it. If you buy certain detergent, you get the cleanest clothes. If you buy certain brand of cat food, your cat will have the best digestive track in the neighborhood. Sometimes the product cannot offer you a clear benefit (like the cleanest clothes or the best digestive track for your cat), marketers then associate the product with certain groups that are popular within their target market. Oh Henry! Pro happens to be a perfect example of the latter. Oh Henry! Pro is being advertised as "high protein candy", the TV ads show a group of kids doing some (extremely cool) mountain biking and they look confident and they are having fun (because they are pros) So the message going out to the public is " If you buy a Oh Henry! Pro, you will be part of the extreme-pro-sports crowd. Oh! and tell your parents that it is healthy because it has 12 grams of protein" To further reinforce the message, Oh Henry! Pro has a website where kids can go and play the "Oh Henry! Pro Big Air Snowboarding Game" But how different is the new Oh Henry! Pro? Is it really a better option than the regular Oh Henry!? Let's compare ( In a little segment I'd like to call: Oh Henry! vs Oh Henry! Pro)

Taste: Oh Henry! is definitely the sweetest. The sweet taste seems to linger for a while after you eat the chocolate. Oh Henry! Pro is not nearly as sweet, this is partly due to the fact that it does not have as much nougat as a regular Oh Henry!.

Packaging: Oh Henry! Pro is a smaller bar, it weight 2.5 grams less than a regular Oh Henry! bar. However, the packaging is designed to make it look bigger (because this chocolate bar is a Pro!, and well it has to look bigger than an average chocolate bar) There are two reasons why the Oh Henry! Pro looks bigger: first, the carton inside the wrapping is larger (making the whole thing look bigger) The second, the right side of the wrapping is dark blue, which creates a contrast of colors that "tricks" the eye, making the chocolate look bigger than what it actually is.

Nutrition Facts: Oh Henry! Pro has to 12 grams of protein. There are different types of protein, some better ( better = your body can absorb them more easily than other proteins) and some worst. We do not know what type of protein the Oh Henry! Pro has. Furthermore, the regular Oh Henry! has 6 grams of proteins. So really, 6 extra grams of protein is no big deal.
When it comes to fat, The Oh Henry! Pro has 21 grams of fat! Which is 4 more grams than a regular Oh Henry! And both of them have .1 grams of trans fats!
Carbs: This is the biggest difference between the two bars. As I mentioned before, the regular Oh Henry! was sweeter than its Pro! Counterpart. This is reflected in the carbs, a regular Oh Henry! bar has 36 grams of carbs, where a Pro! bar has only 25 grams.

As you can see, both bars have pretty questionable nutrients. The main difference between the two bars is that the Oh Henry! Pro is not as sweet as the regular Oh Henry! Besides that, the two of them are pretty much the same thing. So how do you make these two bars different? Easy, throw a bigger wrapping, add a little color and emphasize the only benefit that will not hurt the image of the other brand: Oh Henry! Pro has 12 grams of protein! They will never advertise the fact that the Oh Henry! Pro has less carbs than the regular Oh Henry! (11 grams less to be exact) If they were to do that, some people would stop eating the regular Oh Henry! and switch to the Oh Henry! Pro. Which would cannibalize the sales of the regular Oh Henry! And nobody wants that!

Handle with care: Doritos Fiery Habanero

Have you ever been to a restaurant that gives you the option of adding a certain number of chili peppers to your meal? They usually have a scale from 0 chili peppers to 10 peppers, or something along those lines. The different levels of spiciness usually come attached with a short, sometimes witty (sometimes stupid) line; it goes like this:

" 0 peppers, because no means no"
" 1 peppers, white men beware"
"2 peppers, too lame to handle"
" 3 peppers, cause three is always better than two"
" 4 peppers, nice and spicy"
" 5 peppers, for those into extreme sports"
" 6 peppers, to impress the latin ladies"
" 7 peppers, feels hot going in and going out"
" 8 peppers, Osama yo mamma"
"9 peppers, for anyone who voted for Bush"
" 10 peppers, you crazy?"

There are several chips out there that claim to be spicy. Some of them are better than others; if I was forced to use my great chili pepper scale (please see above), I would give them a 2, or " Too Lame to Handle".
Doritos Fiery Habanero come packed in a neat bright orange bag. The flames that decorate the bag are a warning of the extremely hot product found inside. The flavor is strong, a little salty and very very HOT. This is definitely the hottest chip I have tried, at least in Canada. Going back to my scale above, I would give them a whole 8 peppers or "Osama yo mamma". Doritos Fiery Habanero are HOT. If you eat jalapenos or enjoy a big chunk of wasabi in your soya sauce, this one is for you.

Hey Dentyne, leave the chocolate alone!

The time has come for me to review the Dentyne Blast Chocomilk. I have been thinking about this product a lot and I do not know where to start. So lets start by the facts, Dentyne is one of the leading brands of gum in the country; the brand is experiencing some growth and in order to keep the growth going, they are introducing new flavors. Dentyne has a very strong portfolio of flavors like the line of Dentyne Ice Mint flavored gum and the newer Dentyne Tango Mixed Berries. Owned by Cadbury Adams, Dentyne has added a new line of liquid centre pellet gums under the name Dentyne Blast; this line of gums is designed to compete against Trident's Splash gum.
One of the flavors supporting Dentyne's new line of gum is Chocomint. This is a very original and distinct product and might perform well in the future, but only if it manages to find a niche between people who love Mint Chocolate Flavor. The product tastes just like the real deal. The problem is that, if I want to have something that tastes like Mint Chocolate, I would rather have the real and much more pleasurable experience of eating chocolate. I had a couple of people sample the gum, and they all felt it was strange not to eat something that tasted like chocolate and struggled with the idea of just chewing chocolate gum.
My suggestion: If you feel like chocolate, go for the real deal. Skip this gum and Dentyne, leave the mint chocolate alone.

Lesson from the gurus, Part 1

Lately I have been reading two books. The first one is the latest and final book from the Harry Potter series; the other one is called "Hey Whipple, Squeeze This: A Guide For Creating Great Ads" by Luke Sullivan. This book has had a huge impact on the advertising world because it has provided a guide for people starting up in the business. I came across an interesting bit that I thought it would be nice to share, it is about Idea generating. Mr Sullivan presents a five-step process that was created by James Webb Young, a copywriter from the 40's. Yeah this Idea Generating process has been around for more than 60 years and it still holds; it is simple but then it is also very powerful. So here it is:
1) Gather as much information on the problem as you can. Underline as much as you can, ask lots of questions and do a little field trip. Collect lots of data.
2) Sit down and actively attack the problem
3) Stop doing the work and go do something else; totally unrelated to the issue at hand. Let your subconscious work on the problem
4) Eureka! The idea appears
5) You figure out how to implement your idea

The message (advertisement) that comes out from the idea generation process becomes a promise. You tell your audience that if their consume/utilize the product, they will receive something back.
The 5 step idea generating process is great for any type of problem, not only advertising. That is why it is so great, it works for anyone. So next time you have to generate an idea come back and write this quick five steps down.

A convenient truth about bottled water

I was traveling in Whistler about a week ago when the topic of bottled water came up. Bottled water has become a fashion accessory and was quickly adopted by many people. There are so many different types of bottled water out there, they appeal to our personalities and our lifestyle, they are advertised by famous people (see ad featuring Lance Armstrong at the end) and they come in cute colored bottles. Some people choose a “type” of bottled water that fits with their image and their lifestyle (or with the image that they want to convey to the world) Not to mention that all these bottles come with a nice price tag, which is usually another way of defining your lifestyle.
The Japanese seemed to have figured out how to work the “Bottled Water” system. A brand of water called Hamakko Doshi became the best seller at convenience stores in Yokohama City. Another brand of water called Sapporo No Mizu became a hit in convenience stores in Sapporo; Tokyosui was an overnight success in the city of Tokyo. North Americans have Aquafina, PepsiCo’s branded water. So what do all these brands of water have in common? That they are all taken from the same sources as public water; yeah they are all tap water.
So maybe you do not buy water because of lifestyle choices. Maybe you are like me; when I buy water, I usually look for the cheapest one I can find. Why do we buy water then? One of the reasons is convenience. It is so easy to pick up a bottle of water when we need it. They are inexpensive and very accessible. This convenient access to bottled water is hurting the planet; we are disposing millions of plastic bottles all over the world. Companies are shipping heavy containers of water across the world; this is wasting energy and resources. And well, who wants to piss off our friend Al Gore.
According to the World Health Organization some types of bottled waters contain so many minerals that they are not classified for consumption as water but as food. These types of bottled mineral waters should be consumed carefully, especially when giving them to kids and babies. This is more accurate when referring to some of the European mineral waters. Furthermore, we need to consider that the majority of the world does not consume bottled water because of taste, lifestyle or convenience. A large portion of the world consumes bottled water because there are no clean water sources in the region or because there is no infrastructure in place to provide clean water.

Just for fun: Which are the three countries with the highest consumption of bottled water in the world? 1) United States 2) Mexico 3) China (source: National Geographic)

And now: Mr. Lance Armstrong promoting water. He is also doing a little product placement; please note the yellow livestrong wristband on his hand, which also happens to be holding the bottle of water. What a coincidence Mr. Armstrong.

Skip: Chili Cheese Lime Doritos

Surprise suprise! Another Doritos flavour. This time the flavor is a combination of cheddar cheese, chili pepper and lime. The result? Well, if you like mild flavors with a little bit of twist, this one is for you.
The problem with a product like this is the following: when I read "Doritos Chili Cheese Lime" and I see a bright yellow bag, I am expecting something good, damn good and exciting. Like when you meet someone with an exotic name and then you expect them to have some exciting life story. You may think they have come from an exotic destination, perhaps to study and experience our culture. This Doritos evoked the same feelings; but then you meet this person and then you find out he or she was born in your neighborhood and never left the country. Boring. The same thing applies to products like Doritos Chili Cheese Lime, the name and the package are very appealing; but when you open the bag and taste them, you find the same old familiar taste. Which is not necessarily bad, but it is not exciting at all. So if you are seeking for a thrill, skip the Doritos Chili Cheese Lime.

Deluxe or Not Deluxe: Try this, Caramilk Deluxe

Cadbury Schweppes is one of the world's largest producers of candies and beverages. The company has factories in over 20 countries around the globe including: Poland, England, New Zealand and United States, they also employ more than 50,000 people. Cadbury Adams is the Canadian subsidiary of Cadbury Schweppes. They are the people in charge of filling all those 7-11's and convenience stores across Canada with chocolates, gum and pop. They are also the people that brought us Caramilk, the fastest growing brand of chocolates in Canada and one of the strongest brand names out there. In an effort to continue building the brand, Cadbury has released Caramilk Deluxe.
Caramilk Deluxe comes neatly packaged and it contains four small pieces. Each piece is filled with a blend of caramel and dark chocolate, all wrapped in the signature Cadbury milk chocolate. I asked a couple of people to test the chocolate, and rate it from 1 (worst piece of chocolate ever) to 10 ( one Great chocolate!) After sampling the chocolate, Cadbury Deluxe was rated at an average of 8.5. This is a good one! So try this: Cadbury Deluxe.

Try This: Excel Tangerine Freeze

I am usually not a fan of Excel gum. This very popular and profitable brand (rumors say it is one of the most profitable products in a grocery shop) has always failed to attract my curiosity. But Wrigley has delivered a new flavor: Tangerine Freeze; this is an interesting mix of Citrus and Mint that is perfect for the summer. There are so many new flavors of gum around that is hard to keep up. There is a splash of new flavors, I should say. But when some of these flavors are just a disaster (Pomegranate Blueberry Tridents anyone?), Wrigley's Tangerine Freeze delivers. Enjoy.

Calling out to fellow advertising newbies

Hello everyone!
The whole purpose of this blog is to share my experiences and to connect with advertising students or people who decided to make a career in advertising. Please feel free to drop me a line anytime.
I live in Vancouver, I just recently moved here and I love it. The city hosts a fireworks competition that is known as "the largest fireworks competition in the world" It is pretty amazing. It was while attending one of competitions that me and a group of friends were discussing career paths. I expressed my concerns regarding my future professional life, to which someone responded: "You have to find something that ticks!" "That Ticks?" "Yeah, you have to find something that you are excited about, that makes you happy"
See, this is the issue at hand. I like lemons. I like ads that are smart or that are original. I love going into stores and looking at the new products on the shelves. I observe them and then select a few of them. Take them home and try them. I judge them. Then I tell my friends. So soon, you will experience some of these rants about products too. Feel free to comment on them and criticize!