The Force or Asgard:

Last year during the Super bowl this adorable advertisement was premiered and really had Star Wars fans raving, which honestly has to be everyone.

And later that year Marvel released this, also adorable, parody.

Now, I don’t know how many Passats were sold in result to this advertisement but I do know that Volkswagen brought me to their dealership, and a year later I am a proud owner of a ‘Snap Orange New Beetle Turbo’.

Does a brand need to sell itself or its product? Volkswagen didn’t sell me on the Passat, though I did look at one, but their adorable Star Wars angle and generally great reviews brought me into their dealership when I was looking for my first car. And Marvel didn’t need to sell me on their product but I was overjoyed and more excited for the new movie when I saw the Thor parody to VW’s ‘The Force’ spot.

So two questions: The Force or Asgard? & Does a brand need to sell its product or itself?

Back to the Start

'Green is the New Green' according to Chipotle Mexican Grill. This ad was released at the 2011 Superbowl and it still gives me chills. The combination of Willie Nelson’s song “The Scientist” and Chipotle’s message is just awe inspiring. Chipotle works closely with farmers and ranchers to ensure that their operations create as small an impact as possible on the environment. They also strive to make each of their restaurant locations as ‘green’ as possible.

Chipotle Mexican Grill is staying current while also ‘Going Back to the Start’ of farming. They use social media to stay in contact with their consumers, they have a @ChipotleTruck1 that travels around Texas and you can find out exactly where it is headed next by following their Twitter feed. They also have a company Twitter feed @ChipotleTweets where they manage customer questions and concerns in an open forum.

Even their website is current and engaging. When you visit their website they have a store locator and a link to download their mobile app, but when you go deeper they have character and life on that screen. You can learn about the business through an interactive timeline. “We’ve Got History: The Life & Times of Chipotle” takes you from 1993 when the first Chipotle restaurant opened at a former Dolly Madison ice cream location, and brings you through their history of turning Green. In 2002 they started serving only free range chicken, and their fight in 2009 where Steve Ells (The CEO) testified before Congress to try and eliminate the use of antibiotics in ranching.

I hope more companies follow suit with Chipotle Mexican Grill and Steve, he is paving the way for a Greener future, and setting his brand apart from the greasy money grubbing fast food joints that don’t care about the environment and our world.

Showing Some Skin in Time Square

Ever wanted to watch a Peep Show in Time Square? Sounds too absurd, a pleasure left for older times? Not now that Daffy’s has come to town! Want to see a beautiful women remove 80% of her clothes while dancing for your pleasure? Come down to Daffy’s and see how much 80% off really is!

That is the call to action for a new clothing store that opened up in Time Square. Daffy’s (Italian for Savings) carried extensive selections of fashionable ladies, men and children’s clothing with an emphasis on the unique, especially international fashion. All of this at ‘irresistible’ prices. Daffy’s promise; “to provide exceptional value for its customers on sophisticated, high quality, fashionable merchandise, to be a good corporate citizen, to provide a rewarding work environment and of course, to have fun in what we do and to remain true to our irreverent heritage.”

So what did they do when they entered the competitive market of Time Square? They looked at its heritage. They had to find something to set them apart from the crowd, they needed to find something that Time Square didn’t have, or at least something it didn’t have anymore…Peep Shows!

Talk about an attention grabber, who wouldn’t stop to look at a gorgeous lady removing articles of clothing to sultry music, OK maybe the music is a little old fashioned, but you get the picture. Daffy’s found a way to make themselves sexy and standout from the crowd, but don’t let me bore you with the details any longer and take a look for yourself.

Do you think Daffy’s went too far? Or are you just glad their promotion was only 80% off!