The holidays are coming, the holidays are coming and Coca Cola have unveiled there new marketing strategy, which I have to say is questionable to say the least. Coca-Cola has hired Peter Andre as a celebrity busker as part of its sponsorship of London Underground busking spots. No I haven’t just made that up.   Andre commented: “I love Christmas and everything associated with it so I jumped at the chance to help bring a little extra festive cheer to shoppers. To be honest this news has actually put me off walking down Oxford Street on the off chance I bump into him.   On a serious note the...

 Yesterday I touched on promotional products with the Fairtrade logo, but what exactly does this mean?   Fairtrade is all about ‘decent working conditions, local sustainability, and fair terms of trade for farmers and workers in the developing world.’ The fair trade market in the UK is growing, and has a estimated retail value of £493 million in 2007.   The Fairtrade Foundation is the UK member of Fairtrade Labelling Organisations International (FLO). It helps improve the position of producers in the great scheme of things, by assuring a fair price for their goods. How does it achieve this? By...

Controversial confectionery supplier Nestle has announced that Kit Kat bars will be Fairtrade certified from 2010. They have launched a print ad campaign to coincide with the certification, carrying the line ‘Have a break, have a Fairtrade Kit Kat’.   The ad explains Nestle’s on-going sustainability drive, ‘The Cocoa Plan’, through which it promises to invest £65m over the next 10 years to increase agricultural assistance, promote sustainable farming methods and improve social conditions for farmers working in the Ivory Coast.   Funnily enough it doesn’t mention their;...

A major direct mail campaign is about to start from ‘The Dogs Trust’, who are the good people who look after many an abandoned dog. If you’re a lady over the age of 45 who’s known for her love of dogs, then you may well be receiving a pack soon. The Dogs Trust is the UK’s largest dog welfare charity, catering for over 16,000 dogs every year via its 17 re-homing centers. This promotional campaign is geared up to ask for help to re-home larger dogs in particular. The ladies will be sent a loveable A3-sized poster featuring a number of dogs reading: “Why is it hard for big dogs like...

You may have seen the recent controversial TV ad run by Barnardos, depicting scenes of violence and drug abuse. Despite complaints from the public calling for the advert to be taken off the air, the Advertising Standards Authority has allowed the advert to stand.   The official figures from the ASA show that 48 viewers has challenged whether the ad should be shown when large numbers of children may be watching, while 29 viewers – some of whom who had  been reported of having been abused as children themselves questioned that the ad could cause serious distress.   The ASA allowed the advert to...