We’re back with an issue of Branding News! If you’re curious about what major, well-known companies are doing in the marketing arena, wondering about the latest trends in branding, or looking for inspiration and stories of creative, unique branding moves, then this post is for you!
These are the top interesting branding stories to come out recently that have caught our eye:
Neutrogena’s interactive advertising
Neutrogena launched a creative new campaign in Brazil recently. A Brazilian weekly, “Caras”, has a special cover that features actress Giovanna Ewbank. Here’s the thing: the cover is interactive; readers can use the included sample of Deep Clean wipes to rub the makeup off her face! It’s a brilliant way to put a product sample to good use.
Studies have shown that when you actually touch and handle a product, you feel a connection to it and are even willing to pay more for it.
“This is a practical product that eliminates skin impurities as well as make-up products, including those that are waterproof. These are features that are evident from this stunt, as the consumer is actively involved by trying it, by feeling it in action and witnessing the result. Our goal was to help and incentivize women about routine skincare”, according to Juliana Sztrajtman, Beauty, Baby and Suncare brand manager from Johnson & Johnson Brasil, which owns Neutrogena.
Stubhub’s new logo
StubHub, the world’s largest ticket marketplace, has unveiled a new logo for the first time in 10 years. The new logo, which launched at the end of July, removes the two tickets from the exclamation point.
“This logo update reflects StubHub’s evolution away from a purely transactional ticketing company,” said StubHub Head of Brand and Creative Bridget Burton. “We’re not just about selling tickets anymore.”
The company is expanding its content and would like its website to be a destination where consumers can find information like where to eat or stay, recommendations on transportation, and weather forecasts. Essentially, StubHub wants to help people with everything relating to the event in question.
StubHub’s new look is a more mature, updated version of the existing logo; elements have been subtly refreshed with a custom typeface and an official exclamation mark, which is a departure from the anachronistic ticket stub, indicating the company’s broader business, beyond just tickets.
Whole Foods Asparagus Water
We couldn’t do this issue without mentioning Whole Foods Asparagus Water(gate). Apparently, a shopper in a California Whole Foods found them selling a bottle of water with three stalks of raw asparagus inside and calling it “Asparagus Water” – with a $5.99 price tag.
L.A. resident Mariel Wakim found the water and posted a photo to Twitter. The photo quickly went viral and the internet went crazy. Whole Foods addressed the outlandish item shortly after, saying “We actually don’t sell asparagus water in our stores. We looked into this right away and found that this item was being carried in just one of our stores in California. It was meant to be water with the essence of vegetables and/or mushrooms to be used as broth (similar to a bone broth), which are typically made over a long period of time soaking in water. The product was made incorrectly and has since been removed from the one store where it was carried.”
So the whole thing was apparently a snafu on Whole Foods’ part, but it was another misstep in the ongoing troubles they have had recently. Whole Foods has been under scrutiny for over-pricing and mislabeling ever since New York City’s consumer chief released details on an investigation in June that showed the chain’s supermarkets have been routinely overcharging customers by overstating the weight of prepackaged meat, dairy and baked goods.
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