First siestas, now sex toys with your breath mints, Spain’s got game. The breath mint brand Smint recently started a Spanish promotional campaign that rewards customers with sexy prizes.
The “freshness was never so hot” marketing ploy features print codes on the mints’ packaging which people can enter online to redeem points. Points are redeemable for a range of adult toys from the sex shop Bijoux Indiscrets.
Two points will earn you a mobile game that promises to ‘make you vibrate with joy’. For 10 points you can get a candle or a pocket vibrator. (Personally, I don’t see how those two are comparable.) Fifteen points scores you a snazzy pair of fluffy handcuffs or scented body powder, and 20 points wins you striptease set; complete with feather boa and nipple tassels.
Sounds like the perfect gift… for every woman and gay man. Regardless of your sexual orientation, everyone who redeems a code will be automatically entered into a sweepstakes for a trip to Bali for two.
Back in the home skillet of NYC. My trip to Chicago was wonderfully quiet. I picked a hotel in the middle of nowhere so as to avoid people; I didn’t want to risk running into the paparazzi and all! Twas quite enjoyable getting away from the masses. There are far too many people here for my taste and in all honesty, I’m rather sick of ‘em all up in my snuffaluffagus everywhere I turn. Time for the Sabs to 23 skidoo? Perchance to dream…
On a completely unrelated topic, I’ve been increasingly interested in the Subway/Quiznos showdown. Who hasn’t suffered from the Subway’s $5 foot long jingle ear worm? Impossible to exterminate! 
Subway is the recognized leader in this market and Quiznos’ attempt to stake claim on a piece o’ that market share pie is a coy lil’ marketing campaign promoting their Toasty Torpedo, “12 inches of flavor” promised by a smoky-voiced toaster that asks a chef to “Put it in me.”
This is a little too close to when George Costanza tried to mix food and sex and “flew too close to the sun on wings of pastrami“, “combining food and sex into one disgusting uncontrollable urge”… Hotness.
$@bs
Refresh Everything (Including Your Campaign)
I had seen the campaign everywhere: outdoor postings, subways, posters, etc. It was weeks until I finally figured out what the hell was being promoted: Pepsi. I thought the logo looked familiar, but I also thought it had something to do with the inauguration since this campaign features a re-designed corporate logo that mimics the distinctive Obama “O” campaign logo, and refers to the president-elect as “the man who is about to refresh our nation.”
The ads also feature single words or phrases such as “Optimism,” “Yes You Can,” “Together,” and “One for All.” The re-designed Pepsi logo replaces the “O’s” in the words on the ads, shares similarities to Obama’s 
presidential campaign logo. For a second I thought maybe Obama was doing Pepsi ads…
This was a major mistake in my opinion and one that happens a lot: marketers relying too much on brand recognition and getting the message lost in translation.
Another example: Who can forget the “Be Kanye” campaign, when taking just two pills turns you from a white honky into a cool black rapper? I really wondered how many people knew that was an Absolute Vodka campaign?
$@bs
