Here’s a video from a Volkswagen campaign. They took an ordinary subway staircase and transformed it into a piano. Might not have *much* to do with driving a VW, but it is about brand awareness. They try to put the FUN in FUNCTIONAL. Plus, they video taped it and now the campaign has a viral component. Good work.

While I won’t be stepping on any giant piano keys this weekend, I am going to my high school homecoming football game (go Lancers!) and rock-climbing with a friend!

Not because it won a ton of awards. Not because every blogger and Twitterer writes about them. Not even because Banana Republic launched a line of clothes inspired by the show.

Mad Men has rocketed in the uber phenomenon status because cute little muppets are now teaching kids about emotions (and advertising) on SESAME STREET.

See it for yourself:

I thought so too until I found out that the company wanted me to blog about their clients products and how fabulous they are. And while I’m all for evangelizing the stuff I like, I think it’s crooked when people get paid to talk about said stuff. It’s a little something I like to call conflict-of-interest.

I turned down the job because, while I like blogging and money, I do not like to get paid money to sway what I blog about.

And it turns out that the FTC feels the same way. They are now proposing new laws to mandate disclosure of financial relationships between bloggers and products they review.

Read this Phillip Givens Law Blog post to learn more about the proposed FTC changes.

In advance of pending legislation, I’d like to disclose that rather than get paid to write anything on my blog, I, in fact, pay to blog. Between domain registration and hosting, this site costs me about $25/year. I have no paid advertising or sponsorships. How’s that for full disclosure?

Today I was zoning out, when I heard, “Celebrate Shell’s thirty second anniversary.” Immediately I thought to myself what’s a 30 second anniversary?! I was waiting for some sort of marketing schtick about how Shell stations pump gas 30 seconds faster than other gas stations or some other meaningless claim.

As the commercial goes on, they say “it’s been a great 32 years.” OH! When they said thirty second, they meant 32 years, not half a minute!

I just wonder if they could have said the same thing, minus the early morning confusion. Did anyone from the Shell advertising team even think about the fact that the two phrases sound the exact same?

And the worst part about this? I’m probably the only one who noticed.

So here’s my question – with all the talk about how our water supply is now contaminated with chemicals from prescription drugs and cleaning supplies and the greater push for Method “enviro-friendly” cleaning products – why isn’t there a bigger marketing push for the return of baking soda as a simpler cleaning product?

When baking soda first hit the mass market in 1846, it was advertised as follows: “Not only does baking soda neutralize odoriferous fatty acids but it also attacks grease by turning it into — believe it or not — soap.” Now most people just keep a box in their fridge to keep it from smelling bad. What happened?

I visited the Arm & Hammer baking soda web site to see what else they’re doing to market baking soda as the best thing since sliced bread. There’s some creepy video lady named Jill that shares the “secret” powers of Arm & Hammer through a micro site and disseminates not-so-special special offers. (Side note: why can’t marketers just call a “special offer” a “coupon”?)

I am totally convinced that baking soda is the super hero of home and personal cleaning products. It’s not even that hard of a sell. That’s why it completely ticks me off that I don’t hear about it. Sure, there are a couple of magazine articles here and there… but I haven’t seen any online, television or radio ads about it. I haven’t seen any on-premise demonstrations or contests to create the next great home cleaning product solution using readily available products from grocery stores.

There’s a serious lack of promotion for the brand – coupons don’t count. Half-assed viral/word-of-mouth marketing (via a “e-mail to a friend link) and branding pre-made toothpaste and deodorant are not enough. I have no clue who Jill is. Get a real spokesperson. One that people have heard of – and like! Even a spokesperson that the public hates would be well enough if it got you some publicity. I feel like the world is just waiting for someone to openly sing the praises of baking soda! (I’m available if you get really desperate…)

Get on your toes, Arm & Hammer (is there even another baking soda company out there?) and get to work so little marketing blogger evangelists aren’t the only ones singing the praises of the miracle maker known as baking soda!