Skip navigation

ADVERTISING WATCH

WINNING NOTHING INSTANTLYOur lives are filled with contests and sweepstakes of every kind -- from scratch-and-win tickets to mail-in sweepstakes we never even knew we entered. It's particularly easy, then, to be dismissive about the bizarre promise of "winning nothing instantly" since "nothing" doesn't exactly allow our imaginations to run wild with thoughts of fancy red sports cars and backseats

WINNING NOTHING INSTANTLY

Our lives are filled with contests and sweepstakes of every kind -- from scratch-and-win tickets to mail-in sweepstakes we never even knew we entered. It's particularly easy, then, to be dismissive about the bizarre promise of "winning nothing instantly" since "nothing" doesn't exactly allow our imaginations to run wild with thoughts of fancy red sports cars and backseats full of dollar bills.

But here comes Snapple's under-the-cap summer promotion to make the thought of nothing almost better than the thought of something. Can it be true?

The company, based here, is currently conducting a "Win Nothing Instantly" campaign on specially marked 16-ounce bottles of Snapple. Winning messages include "No Rent" ($1,000 a month for a full year), "No Car Payments" ($300 a month for a full year), "No Credit Card Debt" ($1,000), "No Cheap Seats" ($200 for concert tickets) and "Nothing But the Best Stuff on Earth" (a coupon for free Snapple).

The campaign will run through October 31, and will be supported with television and radio advertising, as well as various point-of-sale displays. But where is the Snapple Lady?

NO LAUGHING MATTER

MINNEAPOLIS -- Who can forget the image of a finger poking the Pillsbury Dough Boy and his famous giggle? Well, that giggle takes center stage in The Pillsbury Company's summer promotion, the Doughboy "giggle-off" contest.

Pillsbury here is inviting consumers to enter their original giggles in the contest by calling the giggle hotline, 1-888-WE-GIGGLE. Giggles will be judged by a panel of "giggle experts" and 50 semi-finalists will be selected. Judges will then choose 10 finalists, with the help of a questionnaire, to participate in the actual live giggle-off. The live event will take place in Los Angeles in September and the grand prize winner will receive a $50,000 cash prize, not to mention the "America's Best Giggler" title.

DON'T GO THERE

SOMERS, N.Y. -- Zooming in on the universal language of a generation, Pepsi Cola Co. here is unveiling its new "Pepsi Pop Culture" summer marketing campaign.

The Pepsi pop culture game lets consumers build a series of pop culture inspired phrases that include the Terminator's "Hasta la vista, baby!," Taxi Driver's "You talkin' to me?" or the endlessly useful "Don't go there." The game is played by finding words under the caps of Pepsi bottles or at the bottom of Pepsi cups and using them to match the preselected pop culture phrases. You match, you win.

Game prizes include various "celebrity experiences" such as dinner with "Terminator" Arnold Schwarzenegger, a shopping spree with actress Alyssa Milano and a VIP pass to the MTV Music Awards with Bill Bellamy. Other prizes include a trip to the New Zealand set of the TV show "Xena: Warrior Princess," and 2.5 million instant win prizes such as Harley Davidson Motorcycles, Jeep Wranglers, free HBO for a year, and a special Warner Special Projects music compilation CD.

The campaign is being supported with television, radio, print and outdoor advertising, as well as an MTV promotion, and in store point-of-purchase efforts.

BEER LABELS GETTING PERSONAL

MILWAUKEE -- For those of us who have always wanted a kinder, gentler, more personal beer, that day had finally come.

Miller Lite here is unleashing its new packaging design this summer, to be supported with a heavy advertising and promotional campaign. The labels, which the company described as "interactive," include such lines as "This beer has your name on it. No wait, it has our name on it. Whatever.," and "Cerveza." Twelve-ounce cans now feature a "Cal-O-Meter," which lets the drinker know how many calories he or she has consumed at any point on the can. (Just what America needs!)

In all, the brand has seven different can designs for its product, as well as two bottle and three bottleneck labels.

The new packaging release will be supported on and off premise with point of sale merchandising and display materials that include neon signs, aisle spanners, floor decals, shelf displays and more. There will also be a multimillion dollar advertising campaign that includes print, radio, television and outdoor advertising, and a Latino market campaign.

JOHNNY MAC SERVES HEINEKEN

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. -- From flamboyant and aggressive tennis star to contemporary painter, and now, to spokesperson for Heineken USA. John McEnroe will be using his artistic talent, along with his athletic celebrity to help promote the beer company's U.S. Open advertising and promotional activities.

McEnroe's painting of a tennis court, along with the Heineken green bottle and red star, will make its way onto a limited-edition T-shirt to be promoted through the Heineken U.S. Open television commercial, on- and off-premise point-of-sale material and publicity appearances by the man himself.

T-shirts will be sold at the tournament from August 31 to September 13 and through a toll-free number.

All proceeds from the T-shirt will benefit the John McEnroe Foundation, which makes donations to various charities worldwide.