Float: Energizer Bunny
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Most of us remember the Energizer Bunny television advertisements that started in the late 80s. The bunny, wearing oversized sunglasses and flip flops “interrupted” our commercials in all of its bunny glory. What started as a parody of Duracell’s commercials developed into Energizer’s own breakthrough campaign. The storyline was easily incorporated into other advertisements and the Bunny endured for years to come. It has consistently symbolized the idea of perseverance and endurance, ironically describing both the product (long –lasting batteries) and the brand strategy itself. By the 90s, the Energizer Bunny became recognized as a national symbol. Today, this marketing icon is known as one of the top signature characters of the 20th century.
Not surprisingly, the Bunny was introduced to the renowned Macy’s Day parade in 2006. For its third parade appearance in 2008, with Macy’s permission, Energizer celebrated the Bunny’s 20th birthday by bringing the commercial to life. What is now known as the “Great Escape” involved pre-meditated police involvement for a surprise at the end of the parade route. As the rest of the precession turned north onto Seventh Avenue, the Energizer Bunny continued its way down 34th Street and kept “going…going…and…going”. Attendees were very entertained and the campaign as a whole has continued to translate well to the nature of the brand. Watch the Bunny’s Thanksgiving Day Parade video here.
By: Ashley Popham
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
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What better way to generate brand loyalty than by hosting one of the biggest annual events of the year? As the longest running show on Broadway, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has become a brand itself since its inception in 1924. It was created to stimulate the economy by lengthening the holiday shopping and is now internationally recognized as the official start date of the holiday season. The compelling event includes three hours filled of balloons, floats, live music and other performances. Each year, an estimated three million people attend and more than 44 million people watch the parade on television.
Macy’s celebrated its 150th birthday last year. Their annual Thanksgiving parade has become a long term corporate promotion that has likely given the brand its long standing national recognition – and probably saved it today from the fate of dozens of other retail stores.
In the following days, brand salsa will feature several of the balloons and floats that have made the event special over the last eighty years. Floats of many different themes have made the march through the streets of Manhattan. Some are tradition, while others change every year, successfully promoting their brand identity.
By: Ashley Popham
Recipe: Libby's Famous Pumpkin Pie
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Face it. You just can’t celebrate Thanksgiving without indulging in a Pumpkin Pie. In fact, even America’s pilgrims thought so when one early celebration was delayed pending the arrival of a supply ship carrying molasses, an essential ingredient for baking pies of the time.
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Recipe: Mallow-Topped Sweet Potatoes
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Kraft, the world's second largest food and beverage company is one of the world's most trusted food brands. For over fifty years, Kraft's Jet-Puffed Marshmallows have been a part of traditional American cooking as a key ingredient in seasonal sweet potato recipes. Add some sweetness to your Thanksgiving side dishes with this classic holiday food.
Prep Time: 10 min
Total Time: 30 min
Makes: 6 servings, about 1/2 cup each
Ingredients:
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine, melted
1/4 cup orange juice
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 cans (15 oz. each) sweet potatoes, drained
15 Jet-Puffed Marshmallows (about 2 cups)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix butter, orange juice and cinnamon in lightly greased 1-qt. baking dish until well blended.
Add sweet potatoes; mix lightly. Top with marshmallows.
Bake 15 to 20 min. or unitl sweet potatoes are heated through and marshmallows are lightly browned.
Enjoy!
Contributed by Ashley Popham
Recipe: Apple Cobbler
Apple cobbler is traditionally a dessert favorite, especially around the holiday season. For those of you who can relate to not being an expert chef, you may share my excitement in finding a quick, delicious recipe for apple cobbler on the back of a NillaWafer box.
I must point out that this recipe only makes one serving, so if you’re hoping to add it to the Thanksgiving buffet this year you may want to multiply the ingredients and add to the overall expected prep time. The Nabisco brand also paired with Kraft’s Cool Whip to co-promote this dessert. Below is the recipe, and if you have any nutritional questions check out more info here (http://www.nabiscoworld.com/recipes/recipe.aspx?recipe_id=75605). Feel free to try it, and let us know how it turns out.
Prep Time: 3 min
Total Time: 3 min
Makes 1 Serving
Ingredients:
6 NILLA wafers
¼ cup applesauce
1 Tbsp. thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping
Dash ground cinnamon
Preparation:
Place wafers in microwaveable bowl; top with applesauce
Microwave on high 15 sec. or until hot. Cool 1 min.
Top with COOL WHIP; sprinkle with cinnamon.
Contributed by: Ashley Hollingsworth
Candy Brands: Wonka
As you can probably guess, the Willy Wonka Candy Company began as a tie-in to the release of the film, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. Breaker Confections licensed the name “Willy Wonka” in 1971 to capitalize on the film’s merchandising potential then changed its name to Willy Wonka Brands in 1980. Nestlé then bought the company in 1988 and has owned it ever since. It is now known simply as Wonka.
The official WWW (Willy Wonka website) is wonka.com, but, much like the elusive Candy Man himself, there’s not a lot of information to be gleaned regarding the company. You can, however, learn what candy’s out now and what’s coming up next, or you can paint pictures using Nerds in their NERDoodler studio.
Wonka has perhaps some of the most recognizable non-chocolate candy varieties: Everlasting Gobstoppers®, Fruit Runts®, SweeTarts®, PixyStix®, LIK-M-AID® Fun Dip, Laffy Taffy®, Spree® and BottleCaps®. You can also find Wonka® Bars in Europe mostly but sadly no Scrumpdiddlyumptious Bar.
Ah, Willy Wonka. Bless him and his sweet, sweet candy. The company’s slogan captures our thoughts exactly: What will he think of next?
Candy Brands: Tootsie
All I want is a piece of chocolate candy that won't melt easily in the heat ... lucky for me, and millions of other candy consumers, Leo Hirshfield had the same idea! Hirshfield founded Tootsie Roll Industries in a small shop in New York City. The Tootsie Roll candy got its name after the nickname of his daughter, Clara "Tootsie" Hirshfield.
Originating in 1896, The Tootsie Roll Industries is now based in Chicago, Illinois as one of the country's largest candy companies. Among some of Tootsie's most popular candy names are:Read more
Candy Brands: Brach's
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What would Halloween be without candy corn? It has been enjoyed for over 100 years. According to Brach's, the top branded maker of candy corn, each year Americans buy enough Brach's candy corn that if the kernels were laid end to end, they would circle around the Earth 4.5 times. Brach's candy pumpkin, known by the trademark name "Mellow Cream" is the most popular candy pumpkin. They are popular both for their unique texture and for being fat free. Candy pumpkins are made using the same process used to make candy corn. The ingredients include corn syrup, real honey, and sugar.
Amusingly, candy pumpkins played a role in the U.S. Implementation of Daylight Saving Time. Since the 1960s, candy makers had wanted to get the trick-or-treat period covered by Daylight Saving. They believed if children had an extra hour of daylight, they would have more time to collect candy, which would boost candy sales. During the 1985 U.S. Congressional hearings on Daylight Saving, the candy industry went so far as to put candy pumpkins on the seat of every senator, hoping to win a little favor. Soon, Daylight Saving Time was extended through the first Sunday in November.
By: Ashley Popham
Candy Brands: The Foreign Candy Company
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From the creators of Rips Licorice, Eiffel Bon Bons, Big Fat Hissee Fit, and many more, I present to you… The Foreign Candy Company, Inc. This brand thrives on delivering fun, flavorful, and unique candies that are loved by both kids and adults.
The story behind this brand is one that began in 1976 when Peter W. De Yager stumbled onto an overnight success. Yager, who was a high school German teacher at the time this adventure began, started taking his students on trips abroad. After one trip to a gummy bear factory in Germany, the students decided to sell their candy as a fundraiser to raise money for the next year’s trip. It turns out that selling foreign candy was a huge success, so Yager decided to begin selling the candy across the country.Read more
Jumping on the Brandwagon
As a Charlotte resident and pseudo Carolina Panther’s fan, it’s basically required by Mecklenburg County law as an excuse to drink to watch their games on Sunday afternoons (well that is if you can’t get into a good marathon of America’s Next Top Model). Recently though, I’ve noticed that many players’ wardrobes have added a certain splash of color to their usual blue and black palette: pink. These “Pink Panthers”, as they have been trademarked, have been sporting everything from pink wrist bands to pink towels to even pink gloves. What makes the average 250 lb beefy staple of an athlete accessorize with the world’s most feminine color? They, like many other athletes across the U.S., have been showing their support for Breast Cancer Awareness. Read more