Butterball Goes Web 2.0

… With Turkey Texts, Blogs Nervous Cooks Can Get Advice, Reminders About Their Birds Sent to Cellphones

Thanksgiving staples are going high tech this year, as marketers look for new ways to ingratiate themselves to a new generation of consumers. Shoppers can now get turkey advice on their mobile phones in the grocery store and get a free pizza through Facebook on Thanksgiving Eve. Butterball’s “Turkey Talk-Line,” the beloved backup plan for millions of first-time turkey chefs, is going Web 2.0 by way of blogging and “turkey texts.”

“We know that consumers are looking for information on the go and on demand,” said Bill Klump, senior VP-marketing, Butterball. “This includes the new audiences we want to reach, such as first-time cooks.” So far, he said, responses to the enhancements have exceeded expectations.

Great marketing tool
The hotline, which was one of the first national, toll-free consumer help lines, started in 1981 when a staff of six was overwhelmed by 11,000 callers. Now a staff of more than 50, the team coddles more than 100,000 consumers each year. Of course, it has served as an unparalleled marketing tool for the company, even playing a starring role in a Thanksgiving episode of NBC’s “The West Wing,” in which Martin Sheen, as President Josiah Bartlet, called the hotline for advice.

The updates are designed to advise a “new generation of cooks” whenever or wherever they need help, be it in the grocery store or at the stove. Consumers can sign up for text messages that give thawing reminders and temperature guidelines, read blogs written by “seasoned home economists,” participate in live chats or watch how-to videos at Butterball.com.

“When the Turkey Talk-Line started 28 years ago, the phone was the best way to give people the important turkey-cooking information they needed,” Mr. Klump said. “This year, Butterball continues to evolve and reach new cooks with initiatives like turkey text messages, a new mobile website and web chats, so that we can provide Butterball’s expert holiday advice the way modern cooks want it, anytime and anywhere.”

Butterball turkeys will also star in a Thanksgiving episode of Bravo’s reality series “Top Chef”. Contestants will be charged with creating their own unique take on the iconic meal.

But it isn’t just about the main event. The Wednesday before Thanksgiving is one of the biggest pizza-delivery nights of the year. While the Super Bowl is still the top pizza-delivery night, Halloween and the night before Thanksgiving round out the top three for Papa John’s.

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BBDO Loses Brand Pepsi

After Nearly 50 Years, BBDO Loses Brand Pepsi in U.S. TBWA Will Take Over Communications; Arnell to Handle Design

The beverage giant today named TBWA/Chiat/Day, Playa Del Rey, Calif., communications agency for the Pepsi brand in the U.S. The agency already has responsibility for PepsiCo’s Gatorade label and will now handle advertising duties for the trademark.

“We decided to appoint TBWA/Chiat/Day to refresh Pepsi’s communication across multiple consumer touch-points and to reinvigorate Pepsi’s legacy of leading-edge advertising,” said Dave Burwick, chief marketing officer, PepsiCo North America Beverages, in a statement.

Pepsi’s new identity
Pepsi also tapped Arnell Group, which created Pepsi’s much-talked about new logo, as its design shop. Arnell will be responsible for brand identity and packaging innovation for Pepsi. The agency already handles PepsiCo’s SoBe brand.

“This is fully complementary with our ongoing relationship with Arnell, who has created the new Pepsi identity and packaging and is responsible for the ongoing design and brand identity development,” said Mr. Burwick.

BBDO will retain responsibilities for several core businesses, including Pepsi Max, Mountain Dew, Amp Energy and the North American Coffee Partnership. The move does not affect BBDO’s PepsiCo business outside of the U.S. A BBDO spokesman declined to comment on the move.

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The No-Brand Burger Joint

To launch the Quarter Pounder in Japan, McDonald’s leaves out the Golden Arches, Ronald and even the chain’s name. The McDonald’s Quarter Pounder made its debut in Japan with no trace of the Golden Arches, bright yellow plastic or McAnything. Temporary shops set up to sell the signature sandwich in Tokyo don’t exhibit the fast food giant’s name, logo or any other McDonald’s signifier—so Japanese diners only get beef and no branding.

Part of a limited-time promotion, two McDonald’s stores in fashionable Tokyo neighborhoods were closed, remodeled and reopened as unbranded Quarter Pounder shops on November 1. The minimal black and red shops, said to be operated by the “Quarter Pounder Secretariat,” feature Le Corbusier sofas and only two menu items: meals with the Quarter Pounder with cheese or Double Quarter Pounder with cheese at a little more than $5.00 and $6.00 respectively. Extending the motif, all food is served in solid red packaging with black block lettering.

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Chasing Consumers

…  Into Planes, Hotels and Cruise Ships A 3 Minute Ad Age Video Report

In their quest for new captive audiences, out-of-home marketers are leaving no tray table unturned on planes, resorts or cruise ships. These venues, once largely ad free, are becoming the specialty of a growing number of marketing communications agencies like Brand Connections. Recently bought by private equity firm Veronis, Suhler Stevenson, the $40 million-a-year company is now expanding even further into the space.

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Death of Detroit

… Would Wallop Ad World

A Failed Bailout Would Pain Media, Agencies — Some More Than Others

General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler together accounted for 3.3% of 2007 U.S. measured ad spending, according to Ad Age DataCenter’s analysis of TNS Media Intelligence data. Big deal? Yes — as in $4.6 billion in measured spending.

Motown’s share

3.3% of total U.S. measured spending

5.9% of total U.S. network TV spending

49% of total (foreign and domestic) automakers’ U.S. measured spending

2.8% of total U.S. magazine ad spending

8.0% of total spending in Sports Illustrated

9.2% of total spending on Fox network TV

2.5% of total U.S. cable-TV ad spending

6.8% of ad spending on ESPN

The world’s top four agency companies — Omnicom Group, WPP Group, Interpublic Group of Cos. and Publicis Groupe — count on Detroit’s Big Three for as much as 6% of revenue.

If one or more of Detroit’s carmakers goes away, gets smaller or goes into bankruptcy, “all media companies need to be concerned and there will be an impact on agencies, which derive a substantial amount of their income from [Detroit],” warned Bob Liodice, president-CEO of the Association of National Advertisers. “These are substantial, heavyweight players. You’ve got some of the largest marketing spending companies in America.”

The Big Three’s measured ad spending tumbled 14% in the first eight months of the year — even before a credit freeze, freefall in October auto sales and dwindling cash made bankruptcy reorganization a real prospect for at least some of Detroit.

Some media are especially vulnerable. The four major TV networks last year generated a hefty 5.9% of revenue from the Big Three, according to TNS data. Most reliant was News Corp.’s Fox: 9.2% of the network’s measured ad revenue came from Detroit.

A Fox spokesman said the network has only two hours of national broadcasting daily, so its percentage of Detroit ads would be significantly higher than those of the other national broadcast networks, which offer many more hours.

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Video from IDEA ‘08:

DJ Earworm The mashup maker leads our post-IDEA video offerings. We’re rolling out the first of the video from this year’s IDEA Conference, and leading the way is our afternoon musical interlude courtesy of DJ Earworm, Jordan Roseman. Watch as Roseman deconstructs his chosen genre and explains the art of the mashup. Stay tuned, as we’ve got plenty more Idea Conference footage to come. Check back at our photos from the event as well. » Read more

Can Coppola’s Kung-fu Puppets

…  Help Scion Regain Traction? With ‘Fist of Oblivion’ Web Series, Carmaker Keeps Chasing Youth Target That Some Say Can’t Save Brand

Madison & Vine

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) — Despite a lineup of hip, thrifty gas-sippers, Scion sales were down almost 40% in October, and down 6.4% year to date from 2007. And that’s after Scion finished last year with sales 25% below 2006 figures. Its solution? Send in the clowns. Or, at least, send in the kung-fu puppets.

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Smartphones Could Fuel Surge

… in Video Gaming Studies Reveal Growth Potential for In-game Ads

The video-gaming and mobile industries have been on a collision course for years, but Apple’s iPhone 3G and its video-game-laden AppStore has pushed mobile video gaming to the edge of a possible mainstream breakout. And that means not only a surge in video games played and developed for the iPhone — and similar phones such as those being built on Google’s Android platform — but also more potential for in-game advertising.

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Hewlett-Packard Launches

… Global Media Agency Review

Publicis Groupe’s ZenithOptimedia Has Handled Account Since 2004

Hewlett-Packard is conducting a review for the media planning and buying business for two of its core business groups. Publicis Groupe’s ZenithOptimedia has been the company’s global media agency of record since 2004.

HP’s TouchSmart

This review comes on the heels of the news that the technology giant was launching an agency consolidation for its technology solutions group, a multimillion-dollar ad account.

In a statement sent to Ad Age the company said: “HP has significant relationships with many marketing companies that contribute to our success. HP currently uses ZenithOptimedia for media planning and buying. We are continually seeking ways to be more effective across all aspects of our business, and media planning is no exception. However, it’s our policy not to comment more specifically on business negotiations or plans with suppliers, partners or customers.”

The review is for HP’s corporate, personal systems group and image and printing group businesses, and is not connected to the holding company review being done for HP’s technology solutions group.

ZenithOptimedia referred calls to the client.

Schwab CMO Raves

About Rotoscope Ads

A 3 Minute Ad Age Video Report

Videography: Steve Raddock

Charles Schwab CMO Becky Saeger said the company’s long series of rotoscoped ads have drawn some of the strongest reactions she has ever seen. Speaking at the recent Association of National Advertisers conference, she recounted how many viewers would later repeat the scripts verbatim to her. Prior to the current economic crisis, the campaign, by Euro RSCG, drew wide attention as a visual standout.