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Spokesperson fiasco #14: Slowhand pukes on Michelob

Tom Barlow — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 07:00:00 EST

Filed under: Marketing and Advertising, Activision Inc (ATVI)

This post is part of a series on celebrity spokespeople who ended up doing serious harm to the brands they were hired to promote, or vice versa. See how we rank the 20 top spokesperson fiascos.

In 1987, Anheuser-Busch (NYSE:BUD) was featuring renown musicians such as Stevie Winwood and Phil Collins in a "The Night Belongs to Michelob" ad campaign. I'm sure the ad hacks in charge thought they'd had a stroke of genius when they conceived of using Eric "Slowhand" Clapton, performing his hit "After Midnight", as part of the series. 1 a.m., guitar god, and Michelob; seems like a natural, right?

I can't help but think that someone should have checked on Clapton's habits before launching the ad. Having fought well-publicized heroin addiction and a taste for cocaine, Clapton revealed to Rolling Stone that at the time of the ad's release he was in a detox facility. Battling alcoholism. His nights belonged to imaginary snakes rather than dirty-dancing runway models.

My suggestion? I'd steer clear of junkies as spokespersons, unless I was selling needles, smack or size 0 dresses. The image of spokespeople puking their guts out doesn't make me yearn for a beer.

Read the entire series

Spokesperson fiasco #14: Slowhand pukes on Michelob originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 19 Jul 2008 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Energy drinks? Coffee, please

Kevin Shult — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Starbucks (SBUX), Coca-Cola (KO), PepsiCo (PEP), Hansen Natural (HANS)

A study in the September Consumer Reports (subscription required) shows that the amount of caffeine found in eight ounces of 12 popular energy drinks ranged from 50 to135mg, with most in the 75 to 80mg range, reports Reuters. That compares to the amount of caffeine in an eight ounce cup of coffee, which ranged from 65 to 120mg, with an average of 85mg, says the National Coffee Association.

The study attempts to surprise consumers by proving that many energy drinks have the same caffeine as a similar cup of coffee. What the study didn't highlight, according to Reuters, was exactly how many energy drinks and coffee people consume during a typical day. The likelihood of people drinking only eight ounces of an energy drink, or coffee, is absurdly low.

Visit any Starbucks (NASDAQ: SBUX) or 7-11 store, and consumers will notice that the smallest size cup in most franchises is 12 ounces, and the largest, 24 ounces. Only Dunkin Donuts provides coffee-drinkers with a smaller version.

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Energy drinks? Coffee, please originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 07 Aug 2007 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Britain bans sales of Take-Two's Manhunt 2, but what's next?

Kevin Shult — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 17:15:00 EST

Filed under: Bad News, Industry, Law, Consumer Experience, Rants and Raves, Sony Corp ADR (SNE)

Take Two Interactive's (NASDAQ: TTWO) Rockstar Games was expected to release its latest game, Manhunt 2, on July 10 for Nintendo's (OTC: NTDOY) Wii and Sony Corporation's (NYSE: SNE) PlayStation 2 consoles. However, Britain, America's friendly Democratic neighbor, has banned sales for -- get this -- "unremitting bleakness and callousness of tone."

I think that is how my mother referred to my dress code back in high school.

The banning comes after a 14-year old British schoolboy was murdered by a friend, Warren Leglanc, age 17. The parents of the schoolboy blamed a video game for their son's death. Patric Pakeerah, the father of the murdered boy, welcomed the decision, saying "It's a video instruction on how to murder somebody; it just shows how you kill people and what weapons you use."

I'd hate to see if Mr. Pakeerah ever watched prime-time television. Or the news, for that matter.

Continue reading Britain bans sales of Take-Two's Manhunt 2, but what's next?

Britain bans sales of Take-Two's Manhunt 2, but what's next? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 20 Jun 2007 17:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lawsuit against cancer-causing cola allowed to go forward

Zac Bissonnette — Wed, 30 May 2007 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Law, Coca-Cola (KO), PepsiCo (PEP), Scandals

A Kansas federal court has ruled that a lawsuit accusing soft drink makers of selling drinks made with ingredients that can form cancer-causing benzen can go forward. The lawsuit asks that makers remove the drinks from stores, change the recipe, and offer refunds to customers who bought them.

Coca Cola Company (NYSE: KO) had been a defendant, but settled earlier this month, offering refunds and reformulating the soda. PepsiCo Inc. (NYSE: PEP) said the suit is without merit, and other defendants include Sunny Delight and Rockstar.

Here's what I don't understand: If the drinks really can cause cancer, shouldn't customers be entitled to a little bit more than a refund? It seems bizarre that all that the plaintiffs want is a refund. The soda companies involved have not conceded that their products can cause cancer.

The relatively minor requests (refunds and new formula) make this suit a pretty insignificant risk for shareholders in the companies.

Lawsuit against cancer-causing cola allowed to go forward originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 30 May 2007 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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