By suppressing the existence of its main competitor, Whole Foods will install itself in the comfortable seat of a monopolistic status. With this significative position on the market, it will ensure the company of a sufficient control on a product or service and thus be the only one determining its accessibility. In this economic concentration of power, Whole Foods will capture the lion’s share of a booming market (the organic market makes up nearly 3% of the overall food market). In the lack of competition linked to a monopoly, the price tends to naturally inflate and the democratic face of a liberal economy to tarnish, to smear.

The US competition laws, also called antitrust laws, on the matter are clear. Gates in 2006 in Microsoft v. Commission, paid a consequential price for violating them, conformably to the Sherman and Clayton Acts that regulate any form of abuse.

Roughly summarized, the laws prohibit agreements that restrict free trading and competition, ban abusive behavior by a firm dominating a market (through the pricing tool). The motto “No person shall acquire… to lessen competition, or to create monopoly” is expressed through the RFC’s voice asserting that the consumer welfare and the entrepreneurs’ freedom are at stake in that precise case.

In this punitive intervention, the RFC’s role as a shield against any harmful anti-competitive business practices is to promote consumer protection. So far, by opposing the Whole Foods’ attempt to monopolize the natural foods sector, the FTC guarantees the consumer of its independence and also comfort the consumer with its omnipresence on the market, by monitoring the illegal activities of the economy, as for the actual merger.

When it comes to communicate with its potential customers, Whole Foods encourages the dialogue through twitter. When it comes to give a feedback to a relevant question. Silent is kept. Is it part of the communication strategy to deny information to curious consumers?

When confronted to reality, the company hides behind a wall of silence, pulls the ties of the influence sphere… Doesn’t it say long about the identity of the company? Who would associate themselves to such irresponsible behavior?

A precedence was made with Microsoft, Apple and to their example, Whole Foods will bite the dust and feel the pain of contrevening competition laws.

This is the question posed by Digital Family Reunion (DFR). jungle [8] has taken on the task of bringing the molecular level into a unified visual field. It began with Creative Director Lainie Liberti giving the visual interpretation of what a tech holiday party would want to stir in the consciousness of its attendees.

You will not find images of dreaded Christmas sweaters from grandma nor will this party leave you cringing from the onslaught of lackluster, forced, and drunken conversations about office politics and gossip. The goal of DFR is to synthesize 1.0 + 2.0 and create a platform for collaboration, discussion, and innovation for our communities, while of course, having a great time in the company of like-minded individuals.

One look at the website and invite for DFR and you will know this is not your typical holiday party. As with all things jungle [8] takes on, causes run the gamut of our affections. We aim to unite, to create, to empower, and leave in our wake a trail of limitless possibility.

On a cellular lever, we are molecular energy working in brilliant formation. The visual depiction created by jungle [8] for DFR is a flow of energy created by the visible light spectrum. Each of us vibrates on different energy levels, and we merge to create a community reflective of our unified energy. Out of this energy field, bursts of solar power emanate indicative of our social selves, active, powerful and radiant.

The task of translating this image into a live installation rests on the design concept of jungle [8]’s graphic designer Tuan Vutran. With creative genius beginning a steady knock on the door of perception, the installation takes on an earthy form. A week from today, at 8:15 PM, DFR will begin a yearly tradition known as the Business Card Installation Ritual.

Tuan is piecing together the Business Card Installation one Styrofoam ball at a time. Like planets, connected through clear, plastic umbilical cordlike tubes, reflecting prisms of rainbow light, the balls will appear to take flight with wings made from 2000 business cards from the original dot commers. The molecular representation symbolizes all of our talents fusing to herald a new year, a year of collaboration, change, and interconnectedness.

All in attendance for DFR will be asked to add their business cards to the Card Installation and become immortalized in a tangible reflection of our ever changing molecular bonds.

Be sure to see: Magnifying Connections: creating an installation, episode 1

from Patrick Davis Partners, the six priorities for the post-agency market:

1. Find your voice.
2. Engage with the semantic marketplace.
3. Return to humanist marketing.
4. Live the renaissance.
5. Champion social agenda marketing.
6. Build brand integrity.

And if I were to add a seventh priority, it would be to simply cultivate each of the previous six.  Finding, engaging, returning, living, championing, and building are wonderful starting points, ideas to help shift a brand in the right direction, but without cultivation, care, attention, and sustainability ideas can and will die.  So, hold true to the future of a more honest, more conscious, more open environment for us all.  Cultivate that ideal.  We can make it prosper.

POW! Campbell’s struck first.  Wanting to position themselves as the healthy, natural option in the canned soup vertical, Campbell’s released a series of television and print ads (seen above) chastising Progresso for including MSG in their soups.  Campbell’s, of course, uses all natural ingredients and TLC (tender love and care).  Damn! No they didn’t!

BLAM! Progresso counters.  In a full page ad in The New York Times, in large, block letters, Progresso asserts, “Campbell’s has 95 soups made with MSG.”  Oh, SNAP! That. Just. Happened! So much for tender love and care, Campbell’s.  Even more so, Progresso announced along with the ad that they have removed MSG from 26 of its soups.  Quite the left hook.

But Campbell’s is resilient.  And it’s going to take more than body shots.  So… KABLOOM! Again, in a full page ad in The New York Times, in large, block letters, Campbell’s strikes back: “Campbell’s proudly offers 124 soups with NO MSG.”  Wassup, Progresso? Get your facts straight, fools! Looks like the haymaker has landed.  And in Campbell’s’ corner, wiping the collective brand’s brow, is the one and only Stephen Colbert.  On last night’s episode (November 17th 2008) of “The Colbert Report” Stephen covered the Soup Wars and was even presented his own Campbell’s Soup, known now as Easy Street.  Seems that without the negative political attack ads that had been consistent on all of our televisions we’re continuing to seek out this negativity.  It just so happens that now, it involves soup.

Have your say!  Are these ads resonating?  Are they too negative?  Do you all even eat soup?! Or, just enjoy Mr. Colbert below!

As for that descriptive definition, we are impressed with the ad campaign created for 7Eleven by BBDO Guerrero in Manila. They capture so vividly the act of “Brain Freeze!”

Credits:
Advertiser: Pepsi Cola/ 7Eleven

Brand: Slurpee
Agency: BBDO Guerrero, Manila
Chief Creative Officer: David Guerrero
Executive Creative Director: Joel Limchoc, Simon Welsh
Copywriter: Rey Tiempo
Art Director: Gary Amante
Producer: Al Salvador
Country: Philippines
Retoucher: Manny Vailoces/ Joy Panaguiton

Accounts: Chookie Cruz

Foundation Nicolas Hulot – Our destinies are linked. Protect biodiversity

ProWildlife – Help mother nature to fight back

Eukanuba – Everybody wants to be a dog

To see the full collection of 21 ads, please visit this site.

Fruits are battling for recognition on the American soil. Through an impressive battery of TV spots and billboards, the agro-industry, the medical corpse, the government urge the American Public to consume the healthy ailments.

“Five portions of fruits and vegetables a day” is the leitmotiv for whom wants to be healthy. “Five portions of fruits and vegetables a day” is according the marketers’ voices better for our diet! Better for the fresh or the processed produce industry? For the industry, the allegation is not arguable since it increased the volume of the sales of the agro-business.

Figures show that among regular fruits such as apples, grapes, oranges, the consumption of fresh fruits augmented very slightly since 1986. Per capita, in 2008 apples represent 17.9 pounds, grapes 9.4 and oranges total a timid 10.9 pounds. Nothing that could reflect or assert a consequent consumption, an improvement of the nutritional behavior!

Maybe my understanding of the definition of fresh fruits is erroneous! By fruits consumption do they exclusively include processed fruits? As I study the U.S. consumption report, ciphers are staggering and tend to valid my theory!  For 2008, processed apples registered 39.7 pounds, grapes and oranges respectively reached 72.8 and 79.7 pounds. To summarize, the consumption of fresh fruits gained ONE POUND in 28 years whereas processed fruits boomed attaining 192.2 pounds. In their jargon, fruit consumption clearly means processed fruits!

The disparity between the consumption of fruits and vegetables is enormous. The consumption of vegetables barely reached an average of 3 pounds. Every green (broccoli, cauliflower, peas…) experiences a slight (not new) one pound of positive inflexion. In the American mind, vegetables are definitely not associated to greens. The only exceptions remain the head of lettuce and the tomatoes, faithful accompaniments to the unalterable “sandwich”!

By vegetables American fantasize on potatoes, with a predilection, once again, for processed ones. As fresh potatoes fight to reach the 50 pounds bar, the “processed” ones flaunt a consumption of 143.8 pounds!

When the media refers to the increase of the American consumption of fruits and vegetables, they apparently keep under silence the prevalence of the processed fruits and vegetables consumption which amounts for 405 pounds versus 208.1 for fresh produce.

Facing those facts, I can’t help but wondering, since they consume preferably processed fruits and vegetables, doesn’t it spoil the data on their daily nutritive supply? Does the over consumption of processed produce over fresh correspond to a cultural behavior or is it the result of a fast pace lifestyle where everything is prepackaged and easy to use?

It is taken for granted now, that processed produce are plunged in ascorbic acid, treated with vitamins and minerals (NatureSeal), covered with bacteria to keep their freshness! Here are the elaboration of chemical processes that will guarantee the freshness to produce that we don’t want in their natural original state! The world upside down!

Few months ago, ready-to-use lettuces were the fertile ground for food-poisoning outbreaks and their packages were denounced to be the vector of 6 % of food poisoning.

Nowadays doctors debate on the nuritive values of such produce! From cutting to storing fruits nutrients get lost in the process as well as their rate of vitamin C. Contrary to the common thinking fruits are mainly constituted of sugar, water, vitamins, and not as many nutrients as we thought!

With the mass production came the introduction of chemicals affecting the quality of produce, accusing consequently a deficiency in their nutritive values.

The demistification has come : dieticians in concert agree upon the wrong ideas proliferating on packaged, commercialized “superfood” produce. As for the antioxidants, their efficiency only operates for an hour in the body. The detoxifying chlorophill in the popular wheatgrass is no exception since the chlorophyll isn’t absorbable by our bodies…

Our perception of fruit juices, smoothies is idealized. Who would have guessed that liquidized fruits bring more sugar and calories as their natural state?

The choice between fresh and processed depends on our knowledge. The more you know, the more you go back to Nature. Unfortunately, health has its cost, its name : organic!

Whatever taste, aspirations are yours when choosing the car of the, your future, the constant in the equation will be its green properties. In the 2008 Paris, Detroit Motor Show, the diversification of the designs, technologies and creativity displayed incontestably the full range of environmental awareness of the car manufacturers.

Aligned with the desiderata of industrialized countries’ consumption, the values of the car industry shifted with in the back of their mind, to maximize the good on earth. From luxury to ordinary cars, the competition is sharp to present excellence in fuel economy, in gas emission reduction : The paradigm of the Millennium!

If Toyota with its famous Prius enjoys its leading position among the diesel sales (hunted by Honda, Nissan, Ford…), the appearance of new technologies as the Blue Tec for Mercedes, or the hydrogen power for BMW expresses the eagerness of brands to overthrow any supremacy in surpassing the market expectancy. Performance is now synonymous with respect of the environment, the clean energy is the common denominator.

Since the mass consumption opts for ordinary cars, luxury cars responding exclusively to the high-end market, developing a car that corresponds both to the financial affordability and the eco-consciousness of the nowadays tendency will be the coming challenge. For that matter, the “agile and zippy” Jetta TDI designed by Volkswagen has already won people’s heart over the Prius!

Without disarming and on the offensive track, Toyota, once again, started the electric vehicles race by proposing to the public in 2010 its “plug-in hybrid electric” prototype, twin version of its popular Prius, bearing (I guess!) in mind for its conceptualization that it will follow its elder sister’s glorious steps!

Powered with its lithium-ion battery pack, the motor generates 50kW allowing an autonomy of 7 miles at 62mph. Electrifying isn’t it?

Its fierce competitors Chevy Volts, GM plug-in are sparkling, right behind! Soon, cars like computers will become obsolete as launched on the market!

Only problem in this clean energy picture : what is the end of life of lithium-ion batteries?

Some consider Benjamin Rogovy a humanist and others call him a philanthropist. In 2005, at the age of 22, Benjamin became president and chief economist of Front Door Enterprises. Based out of Seattle, his website Bumvertising.com arms “bums” with a laminated sign created by Rogovy to be attached to their existing sings. The catch? The signs by Rogovy will advertise a company. At the moment they are advertising for Strategicdomination.com, a web based, real time game of virtual global conquest. Suddenly through Rogovy’s eye, his street teams of working “bums” have somehow recovered a part of their long, lost, human dignity, thanks to his divine intervention! They have another mission statement attached to their need to survive.

In spite of the flow of good feelings, Rogovy as an entrepreneur did not forget to pick the “bums” that have the best corners to advertise for his clients. What about the others? Are they ostracized, or simply not worthy the attention? Does his “generous” move respond to the needs of society? If you are strategically posted, in high volume traffic for eight hours a day, you could become part of Rogovy’s team. The amount earned by each “bum” is not disclosed, but they do freely speak about the water and food provided. Videotaped, and photographed, the “bums” reach glory, they have a face, a nickname, they have a life believe it or not!

As a well-bred young entrepreneur in the service of his clients, Rogovy doesn’t omit to enumerate all the brands that are given to his little soldiers as a snack when he refers to the deployment of his pawns in this chess game known as life! Right Ben?

In times of economic devastation, the numbers of homeless people begin a steady incline. Help is always welcomed in any way it can be given, but Rogovy’s living advertising signs, seem to become even more deeply entrenched in their respective street corners. Water and food are vital components to the sustainability of life, but whether the quality of life is truly raised through bumvertising.com is yet to be seen. The ‘bums” at the heart of this new advertising campaign, confess no ill feelings towards the opportunity presented to them as they talk to Rogovy’s cameras. You’ll find their profiles posted on the website, each holding up their respective, handmade signs with a small part of their story and a plea. Something in me cringes, and shies away awkwardly from the idea that a corporation whose claim to fame is a game of world dominion, is advertising on the lives of those who seek to simply survive. Maybe the website will bring awareness. Perhaps some motorists will give a little more, as they are reminded of the game they enjoyed playing in the comfort of a warm home last night.

Bumvertising.com is another example of how to sell your company through altruism, where the cause marketing speaks louder in the name of the company, than the cause! Well maneuvered! I guess the poker player experience is to be considered in his choice of strategy! Is he a bluffer or a risky maverick? Your turn to play!

It was last June when we saw our first Cabana Cachaca ad, and triggering our first blog in response. The dramatic black and white ad features the model’s completely bare ass as the centerpiece, making it a startling ad to find in a magazine that featured a child star on the cover.

Since then, the campaign has raised eyebrows with its racy ads, some of which had to be taken down and cropped to make them suitable for the public. All of the ads feature totally naked models posturing in high heels, leaving nothing to the imagination as they flashed tan-lines and Brazilian wax jobs. The website is even more graphic, and it starts to seem ironic that the only part of the model they won’t show is her head. Faceless models sound familiar? Yeah, it reminded us of Tom Ford and one of his perfume ads, too.

But there’s a difference here. Tom was selling cologne, a beauty product, and he didn’t try to classify the product as a depiction of a national identity. He could equate the product with whatever ideal he wanted, and not worry about offending the truly authentic.

Apparently when the folks that branded Cabana Cachaca penned the slogan “Authentically Brasilian”, they didn’t think the truly authentic Brazilians would mind being equated with a waxing procedure. Apparently, when their client New York business man Matti Anttila said he wanted to make a distinctive, high-quality spirit that showcased the best in Brazilian technique and tradition, they didn’t think that mission was good enough. “Authenticity and quality”, were the exact words their client used when he described what his product stood for. “Nah, let’s throw some naked ass in there to get attention!” must have been the logic they used, and it caused them to stray so far from the brand’s original, truly authentic Brazilian identity as a traditional product only made in Brazil.

In the debate over the ads, some have argued that Brazilians have no problem being associated with a beautiful woman. They are known for their gorgeous women, and proud of it. But the ad isn’t celebrating the woman and her beauty, it’s objectifying it. The model is headless, need we say more? And the problem with objectifying something is it can turn to a stereotype fast. How can we Americans pride ourselves on being politically correct and respectful of other cultures if we’re equating an “authentic” national identity with girls groomed for sex? Cabana Cachaca features the slogan above a girl’s bare ass: “When you want nothing standing between you and a good time”. On a socially-conscious level, this ad campaign sucks.

A reader left this comment in response to the ads:

“As an American married to a Brazilian and having traveled many times to that country, I can definitely say they are a lot more open there than here when it comes to sex, but this is such a stereotype that is ridiculous and insulting. It is the same as using Tony Soprano’s stereotype to advertise Italian products.”

A lot of brands throw around the term “authentic”, and the word is slowly losing its meaning. We can say one thing for sure: Brazilian-waxed booty arched in the air to sell alcohol certainly doesn’t count.