Cherryflava

Coca Cola did not invent Santa Claus

Posted on 22. Dec, 2006 by Jonathan Cherry.

Don’t believe everything your read in a newspaper…or a newspaper’s website, ’cause IOL have got this one totally wrong.

Everyone’s heard of the urban legend that it was Coca Cola’s marketing team that invented the modern image of Santa Claus, right?

But with just a little digging around on Wikipedia and Snopes – its quiet apparent that this article about the Santa / Coke connection on IOL is completely wrong.

This year the quintessential old man, whose modern image dates back to
Coca-Cola’s early advertising campaigns, celebrates his 75th
anniversary. [IOL]

In fact Coca Cola had nothing to do with the creation of the modern image of the overweight, cookie munching gift merchant.

This legend is not true. Although some versions of the Santa Claus
figure still had him attired in various colors of outfits past the
beginning of the 20th century,
the jolly, ruddy, sack-carrying Santa with a red suit and flowing white
whiskers had become the standard image of Santa Claus by the 1920s,
several years before Sundlom drew his first Santa illustration for
Coca-Cola. [Snopes]

Coke did however pump large amounts of media budget into their campaign linking the bearded one with their brand – and hence the confusion.

Tut, tut. Come on IOL – get it right.

The Claus that refreshes – Snopes [the truth]
Santa to embark on Santa’s new voyage – IOL [the BS]
Santa Claus – Wikipedia [the whole story]

News: American Apparel sold out

Posted on 21. Dec, 2006 by Jonathan Cherry.

• Controversial t-shirt / risque advert maker, American Apparel is to be sold for an estimated $382.5 million.

Not bad for a brand built on basic clothing and shockvertising. But what will Dov do now?

American Apparel to be sold to investment firm – NY Times

• That fake Sony blog thing just won’t go away. Spoofers have now climbed all over the thing, and plan to work the Japanese gadget maker over for their poor judgement.

Warning to marketers…this Internet thing is not for sissies.

All I want for Christmas is a PS3 [spoof]
Original stupid Sony mistake blog [Consumerist]

• An ad for Windex has been voted as America’s favourite ad for 2006.

South Africa’s favourite for ‘06 – we’re thinking this one might take game.

Another GIANT billboard

Posted on 21. Dec, 2006 by Jonathan Cherry.

Not to be out done by Britain’s super-sized Pretty Polly hording; Austrian textile company Palmers, have erected this massive thing to promote their Autumn-Winter 2006 collection.

Notice how the little people walking in this shot are completely ignoring the enormous women.

More Luis Maram
[via]

Previously: Britain’s super-sized billboard – Cherryflava

[...]

News: The global perception that Africa sucks gathers more speed

Posted on 20. Dec, 2006 by Jonathan Cherry.

• Poor Africa. Dusty, full of famine and stupid, pathetic losers like this guy.

At least that’s what this ad campaign for the Kamitei Foundation
(“Kamitei”), a non-religious charity that aims to make an effective
contribution to the education of children in Tanzania through small
scale investments in facilities and teaching aids and through the
granting of individual scholarships, is saying.

Isn’t this the kind of thinking that started all the problems in the first place? More here. [Thanks Shane]

• Check out what $1 million [R7 million] will buy you in real estate around the world. The palace in Joburg looks very flash compared to the garage you’ll get in London. [Forbes]

• Who knew – the largest cash crop in the USA is marijuana? [CNNMoney]

• Could the success of 70’s bubblegum pop supergroup; ABBA – be the result of something that we go on about around here all the time. Check out this video to see marketing genius at work for yourself. 

5 things

Posted on 20. Dec, 2006 by Jonathan Cherry.

The Scott has listed 5 things about himself…that no normal mortal probably would have known about The Scott by just reading his blog, and has tagged / challenged us to throw our own 5 little secrets into the pot as well.

After having avoided this silly chain social networking game / meme thing for so long…we’ll play.

So here are 5 things you probably didn’t know about us here @ Cherryflava:

1. On 1 January 2007, Cherryflava will be 3 years old. The predecessor to this blog, was a small free ‘idea generating’ newsletter called GOnews.
Check out one of our back issues:  Download gonews_no. 7.pdf

2. Early 2007, we’ll be extending the Cherryflava Media network by launching 2 brand new, super sexy websites.

3. We’re big fans of online shopping, although a bit trivial; the best thing we’ve bought was a Foof bag from Australia.

4. We subscribe to only one printed publication – that being National Geographic.

5. Best live concert we ever attended was Marilyn Manson in Seattle WA. back in 1997.
Second best was one of the Springbok Nude Girl’s first shows in the Stellenbosch University art department’s basement. They played to a sellout crowd of about 50 people.

Now to dish the dirt:

The Muso
Live Alchemy
Coda

Back to school: Giant street stationary

Posted on 19. Dec, 2006 by Jonathan Cherry.

Just in case you’d forgotten about work and all the substance sniffing that goes along with getting through your day, some clever ‘back to school retailer’ has gone and strategically positioned giant Tippex bottles around NYC to make sure people don’t forget about the grindstone for too long.

We haven’t seen one of those bottles in years – thought that’s what the backspace button was for.

[via]

The marketing of the Jew

Posted on 19. Dec, 2006 by Jonathan Cherry.

A new trend is emerging in America’s Jewish society – the marketing of being Jewish.

Brands like He’Brew beer and Heeb magazine are now attracting more than just those, they were originally intended for.

He’Brew is just one of a number of brands, along with others such as Heeb
magazine and Jewish Fashion Conspiracy apparel, that have built a brand
identity around a particularly tongue-in-cheek celebration of Jewish
culture. And culture is the key word. These products have about as much to do with the Torah as a plate of pork chops.

An interesting and brilliant strategy considering the amazing amount of free publicity generated by movies like Borat and celebs like Mel Gibson.

Why drink a normal beer – when you can have a ‘chosen beer’.

Read: What’s the Schtick with ”Chosen” Brands?  – Brandchannel
Website: He’Brew

Google phone home

Posted on 19. Dec, 2006 by Jonathan Cherry.

Even at over $500 a piece, Google shares are looking cheap for a company determined to own the world’s media market.

In their latest roll of the dice – rumour is circulating that Google are teaming up with UK cellphone giant, Orange, to develop a Google phone.

The collaboration between two of the most powerful brands in technology
is seen as a potential catalyst for making internet use of mobile
phones as natural as on desktop computers and laptops.

And you though the Google phone meant that you could easily search for it when it got lost.

More: Guardian [via]

In other news that could drastically change your life forever – Skype [the people that allow you to have arguments on the telephone with your relatives in Sweden for the price of a Fizz Pop] are already testing a system which allows you to watch HD TV via broadband Internet.

Apart from the fact that you’ll need about a 20Mb connection to get that right – its exciting news. Don’t cancel the DSTV subscription just yet.

More: DailyTech

TIME magazine’s person of 2006: YOU

Posted on 18. Dec, 2006 by Jonathan Cherry.

Well done.

Time Magazine have overlooked the remarkable achievements of leaders like George W. and Tony Blair – and have rather declared you; the person of the year 2006.

Thanks to the global explosion of user-generated content in 2006, the real winners….everyone.

Car companies are running open design contests. Reuters is carrying
blog postings alongside its regular news feed. Microsoft is working
overtime to fend off user-created Linux. We’re looking at an explosion
of productivity and innovation, and it’s just getting started, as
millions of minds that would otherwise have drowned in obscurity get
backhauled into the global intellectual economy.

Ironically – we wanted to comment on Time’s leading story, but their website lacked that particular facility.

Read: Person of the year: You – TIME.com

Free product idea: The picnic wine bottle

Posted on 15. Dec, 2006 by Jonathan Cherry.

Drinking in public is a hassle.

If you’re going to be posh about the whole thing – proper glasses along with an appropriately chilled Chardonnay are required to be carefully transported in a wicker picnic basket. Bottles roll, glasses break, caviar spills – its disaster dot com.

An Australian winery has come up with the Shuttle, which "features a 187ml (single serve) acrylic wine bottle securely
sealed by its own acrylic wine glass. The tamper-proof bottle is opened
by a simple twist-top action, which also releases the glass in which
the wine is poured."

Great idea – perfect for concerts at Kirstenbosch. Which South African wine brand is going to be the first to totally differentiate themselves?

[via]