Hasta La Creative!

Are you one of the many health buffs into bodybuilding? Well if you are, don’t forget the one most important thing to make those muscles strong and healthy…protein. They are one of the many supplemental additives that help people build bodies into the envious builds that many people dream of today.

Liquid Morph+ combines 45 grams of three high-quality types of protein (whey, casein, and hydrolyzed collagenic)–along with some extra nutrients for strength, pumps, and recovery. The all-new Liquid Morph+ is the latest scientific innovation from iSatori Technologies. According to iSatori, not only does Liquid Morph+ deliver 45 grams of anabolic, muscle-building protein, it combines the latest technology to make muscular workouts as intense, powerful, and effective as possible!

“Liquid Morph+ was engineered to make it ultra-convenient to prime the body’s anabolic environment in a three-ounce shot,” explains Stephen Adele, CEO of iSatori Technologies. He goes on to say, “it [Liquid Morph+ provides hard-working muscles with 45 grams of protein plus carnosine for strength and power, nitric oxide for skin-splitting pumps, glycerol for mind-blowing vascularity, and citrulline for instant recovery. All in an easy to slam three-ounce vial. And the taste is wicked good.”

(Source) PR Web

Apparently most of us will sooner or later come to think, what happens when all of mankind comes to a stop? Will the world still be around? While we don’t have the answers to that, we can always visualize in our own little way what the world would look like. Apparently you can use your iPhone do somehow foresee how the world would look like in the distant future given those constraints.

HISTORY has today launched its first iPhone and iPod Touch application, the Life After People Photo Ager, which helps to answer that question. The free application is available for download at Apple’s iTunes store and allows users to “age” images by adding cracks, holes, mold, dirt, vines, plants and even stray animals and rusty bicycles to photos that can be saved for later and shared with friends.

The Life After People Photo Ager is simple to use. Photos can be imported from the user’s own photo library, or users can take their own new photos to “age.” Also part of the application is a “Location Explorer” that lets users page through a unique photo gallery of famous locations – all accompanied by historical descriptions – and then slide a finger along a scroll bar to visually progress its aging process in order to see what it would look like after people. Customizable postcards allow users to share an aged photo, along with a personalized message, with friends.

(Source) History.com

Cereals are a great breakfast meal. However, it looks like Cheerios can do more than satisfy our hunger. They can lower our cholesterol levels! Research presented at the Experimental Biology Meeting revealed Cheerios can help lower cholesterol by 10 percent in one month.

The study, which was conducted and presented by Provident Clinical Research, found that eating two 1 1/2 cup servings of Cheerios daily, as part of a reduced calorie diet low in fat, lowered LDL or “bad” cholesterol about 10 percent in one month. Cheerios is the only leading ready-to-eat cereal clinically proven to lower cholesterol.

The study also showed eating Cheerios as part of a reduced calorie diet low in fat lowers bad cholesterol twice as much in 12 weeks than a reduced calorie diet low in fat without Cheerios. In addition to the cholesterol-lowering benefits, the study found that eating Cheerios as part of a reduced calorie diet lowered weight by five pounds and shrank waists by three centimeters (1.2 inches) in 12 weeks, both of which can help reduce risk for heart disease.

Cheerios is made with 100 percent natural whole grain oats, which contribute to its cholesterol-lowering benefits. The whole grain oats in Cheerios contain soluble fiber that act as tiny sponges to soak up and remove some cholesterol from the body. Additionally, Cheerios contains only 1 gram of sugar and has no artificial colors or flavors.

(Source) Press

Flip Flops have their share of followers and because of this, Fitness Footwear has come out with a new batch, particularly in time for Summer. Fit Flops are just one of the answers. Styled to resemble a comfortable flip flop and now with a new range of winter slipper designs, they are the perfect footwear to stay slim and trim all year round, from going about the daily routine to relaxing at home.

Fitness Footwear MD Luke Barlow said: “This is the time of year when everyone goes mad for sandals. Suddenly the sun comes out and all our stocks of Birkenstocks and Fit Flops are flying out the door.”

Fit Flops have been a massive hit for women with neither the time nor the money to attend gym classes by giving them a better workout while taking the kids to school, doing the weekly shop or simply walking about. This is thanks to the unique micro wobble board midsole which is designed to slightly destabilise the foot with every step, mimicking the effect of walking barefoot on a soft surface. While Fit Flops take a little getting used to at first, the effects are very noticeable as the midsole activates the slow twitch muscles in the legs and buttocks for an extended period of time, burning off more calories for a rapid toning effect.

The new range of Fit Flops, including the best selling Fit Flop Oasis is now available to buy at http://www.fitnessfootwear.com with free UK delivery and 365 day returns policy.

(Source) Press

Have you ever diligently searched for some information, or at least several sources, and come up empty handed? Happens to me all the time…I’ll get a “great” idea and try to substantiate it, only to find that there is no accessible data. It is frustrating and a bit degrading. Recently, I wanted some hard numbers on the state of the Ad Industry, and wasn’t coming up with much besides geusstimates and hype: I wanted data on damage done to date; total layoffs, shops that closed, account spending cuts, etc.

Enter AdWeek. Usually a good source; not one that I would consider as a supplier of inane (lacking sense, significance, void) information. AdWeek usually does a decent job covering the industry, and when I saw a piece done by Mark Dolliver, “How Will Downturn Impact Advertising?” I almost peed in my pants. Finally! I excitedly dug in, expecting some hard-hitting insights from a professional publication and journalist that would leave me much better for reading it.

Wrong! Basically, the article is an opinion-based couple of paragraphs derived from a survey completed by approximately 4500 LinkedIn users. The headline is catchy, and Mr. Dolliver’s hook is that “If the Recession doesn’t kill advertising, it could make it stronger.” There were no answers, just opinion. No data, just speculation. No scientific study…just a poll that is sketchy with vague answer choices …one being, “Less Advertising.”

What in the hell does “less advertising” mean? Less revenue? Physically fewer ads? With spot costs declining, couldn’t we have more advertising? If we’re basing “less” on volume, the rapid unraveling of the print industry would definitely mean “less advertising.”

Stay tuned…as soon as the hard facts come in, I’ll get back to you.

Jeff Louis is a Strategic Media Planner, Project Manager, and New Business Coordinator. His passion is writing, contributing to BMA as well as freelancing.
He’d love to hear from you: www.linkedin.com/in/jefflouis or on twitter @jlo0312.

Most of us just happily blog-along, with no worries, really. We try to do our best, tell the truth, and use correct punctuation. We don’t try to misquote, and do work to give credit where credit is due. These practices, however, will most likely be changing in the near future as the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) looks at plans to regulate viral marketing and blogs.

As part of its review of its advertising guidelines, the FTC is proposing that word-of-mouth marketers and bloggers, as well as people on social-media sites such as Facebook, be held liable for any false statements they make about a product they’re promoting, along with the product’s marketer. This could present a significant issue for marketers, including the likes of Microsoft, Ford, and Pepsi, who spend billions on word-of-mouth and social media. PQ Media projects that marketers will spend $3.7 billion on word-of-mouth marketing in 2011.

Luckily, this monitoring will only apply to those who blog and are compensated for reviewing and promoting products. That would NOT be me. (So, if you have any questions regarding my policy, please send me an email…I’ll get some good juice going for your business…shh!) The best example currently is Ford’s Fiesta plan, where the automaker is giving 100 automobiles to influential bloggers for a six-month review.

The current FTC guidelines in the “Advertising-Practices” divisions are over 30 years old, and even prolific viral advertisers, such as Pepsi, agree that some sort of monitoring is necessary. One of the other items concerning the FTC are TV spots that make grandiose promises for making money or losing weight, and then scroll the words, “Results not typical, Individual Results May Vary” across the bottom of the screen in tiny 7pt type.

Everyone that uses the Internet is minimally aware of various scams and fraudulent business practices that thrive online, so it is surprising that the latest FTC move is coming relatively late. It is not policy yet, though. The FTC will vote this summer, taking the 4A’s and PCPC (Personal Care Products Council) comments into consideration.

Once they do get rules implemented, I have a couple sites I want them to look at that are hawking software bots that can break in to profiles on MySpace and Facebook. (Like this one…)

Jeff Louis is an professional Senior Media Planner, Project Manager, and New Business Coordinator. His passion is writing, contributing to BMA as well as freelancing. He’d love to hear from you: www.linkedin/in/jefflouis or on twitter @jlo0312.

Mexico, offended by this Burger King Whopper spot (click on Read More), cites that the world community is given “a bad impression” of the country. The spot, which ran in Spain and Europe, has been pulled by Burger King Corporation, who obviously didn’t get it “Their Way.” Mexico believes the spot portrays Americans as superior to Mexicans, and took exception to, “The taste of Texas with a little spicy Mexican,”

The newspaper La Jornada ran a front-page story under the headline “Denigrating advertising,” and said the ads “show Mexicans as notably inferior to all Americans.”

But an editorial cartoon in another Mexican newspaper, Reforma, showed a short Mexican dressed in a wrestler’s mask holding a hamburger, with the caption “The only thing more insulting than deceptive ads are the ones that expose the truth.” Both professional wrestling and fast food are popular in Mexico.

Mexico, to no one’s surprise, has much to worry about these days. The Mexican government risks collapse at any moment, the country is flat broke, and her people are leaving in record numbers. Not to mention that there were 5612 murders in 2008 resutling from a violent drug war. The drugs in question are being shipped the United States, causing the Obama administration to pledge $700 Million to help Mexico fight the drug cartels.

So, it’s a good thing Mexico’s watching out for their REP; otherwise, we might get the wrong impression…

Jeff Louis is an professional Senior Media Planner, Project Manager, and New Business Coordinator. His passion is writing, contributing to BMA as well as freelancing. He’d love to hear from you: www.linkedin/in/jefflouis or on twitter @jlo0312.

Kentucky Fried Chicken has been known to come up with the craziest concept dishes and apparently there is a new one coming out. KFC announced a second secret recipe added to its menu – the Kentucky Grilled Chicken (KGC). The announcement made today, at New York City’s famed Friars Club marks the launch of this revolutionary new non-fried menu item, which is available in KFC stores nationwide beginning today.

KFC’s Kentucky Grilled Chicken is packed with flavor. It’s marinated and seasoned with a savory blend of six secret herbs and spices and slow-grilled to juicy perfection. The cooking process includes a blend of spices that is proprietary to KFC and utilizes custom-designed, patented ovens, making it KFC’s second secret recipe.

With between 70 to 180 calories and four to nine grams of fat depending on the piece, Kentucky Grilled Chicken provides a non-fried option from a brand America knows and loves.

(Source) Press

Kimberly Clark has unveiled a new super premium diaper under its Huggies brand that includes natural, organic materials and ingredients to provide gentle protection for new babies, as well as initial steps toward environmental improvements, without sacrificing performance.

The new Huggies Pure & Natural diaper is hypoallergenic, latex and fragrance free and features a breathable outer cover that includes organic cotton. The liner includes natural Aloe & Vitamin E and materials from renewable sources, and the product’s outer packaging is sourced from 20 percent post-consumer recycled materials. The new diaper will be offered in 6 sizes, from newborn through size 5.

K-C expects the Huggies Pure & Natural diapers will help the brand build inroads with those moms who are most interested in products that include natural materials to provide the best care for their babies. According to a K-C consumer research study, the moms surveyed expressed a strong interest in purchasing Huggies brand diapers that included organic and natural materials.

Huggies Pure & Natural diapers will be widely available in North American retail outlets later in April.

(Source) Press

With a proven brand marketing tactic bringing in the bacon, Church’s Chicken has placed a positive outlook for its brand. The latest tactic is their 99-cent value menu offering launched in January during a period typically slow for most restaurants in the quick-serve industry, the new value menu offers eight items for under a dollar. The success of the value menu especially during a down economy only re-enforces the effectiveness of their multi-layered marketing approach to drive value while staying true to the brand’s core essence of authenticity and time-tested great products offered at a value.

Church’s Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, Farnaz Wallace said, “The introduction of the value menu gives customers an affordable option in stretching their dollar while satisfying their taste. The new value menu is just one more way to stay true to Church’s no-frills positioning. It underscores Church’s price-value position of providing good, authentic juicy marinated fried chicken – the menu serves comfort foods without premium costs.”

As a key ingredient to the brand’s marketing strategy and success, the value menu was developed to drive traffic while sustaining the brand’s positive same-store sales. Church’s domestic system experienced a growth of 3.4% and a rise of customer transactions of 6.3% during the month of January. The brand also averaged an 8.3% sales mix and continued to maintain over 6% sales mix during a 10-week time span.

By offering a variety of flexible and affordable menu options for customers, Church’s has maintained a sales growth momentum of 2.6% year-to-date. “The move to an even lower price point of these selected items only re-enforce our brand’s commitment of value during these tough economic times,” Wallace added.

(Source) Press