Tuning In: Diet Coco? Conan Embraces Diet Coke

• Just for the taste of it — Diet Conan: For those curious about Conan O’Brien’s new late-night talk show slated to debut next week on TBS, the comedian has posted a “warm-up show” online that he calls “Show Zero.” It’s not the four-minutes-and-fifty-seconds running time or the clever way the lanky comic and his crew pare the talk-show format down to one-line basics (one monologue joke, a brief exchange with a celebrity guest and a guest band that plays just a few notes from a song) that will raise eyebrows, but the methods by which the program’s sponsor, Diet Coke, injects itself into the proceedings.
• As the presenting sponsor of “Show Zero,” found at teamcoco.com, Diet Coke naturally accompanies the program with a brief pre-roll ad and a longer post-roll. Where the popular soda appears to tread new ground is when it shows up on the table in Conan’s conference room — in the form of multiple cans strewn about Conan’s desk — and in two humorous verbal shout-outs from sidekick Andy Richter (”Diet Coke — you should drink it. Often. And now back to you, Conan”). (www.adage.com)

NBCU Says Old Is the New Young

• NBC Universal wants advertisers to know that when it comes to consumer spending based on what they see in television ads, the 55-64 demo is the new 18-34 — or it’s just as important as that younger demo.
• NBCU on Tuesday gave the media a sneak peak at a major presentation it will make on Thursday to its advertisers, their media agencies and Nielsen officials. The presentation will offer data showing that the adult 55-64 demo is as vibrant as younger demos in ad spending, and should be targeted (and not ignored) when television marketing plans are created.
• Allen Wurtzel, president of research and media development at NBCU, presented evidence from assorted sources — including one-on-one interviews with adults in the demo — that dispel myths about how adults 55-64 respond to advertising and spend as consumers. (www.adweek.com)

For Millennials, It’s More About Personal Style Than Luxury

• The all-about-you brand approach can be found from the high-end jeweler Cartier, whose current slogan is “Your love is unique, so too should be your engagement ring,” to the affordable Michaels craft stores, which this year expanded their do-it-yourself wedding projects, urging people to “Personalize your special day your way.”
• “It’s all about self-expression. People are not so much saving money as they are showing their personal style,” said Paula Puleo, chief marketing officer for Michaels, which gets 200,000 monthly visits to its wedding Web page.
• “There has been a shift. People want something that is distinctively theirs,” agreed Millie Martini Bratten, editor in chief of Brides magazine. “They want to make the experience meaningful for the guests and themselves.”
• Tapping into the personalization trend, the jewelry wholesaler Gottlieb & Sons decided to abandon its nationwide advertising approach and, instead, link up with independent jewelry stores with a campaign intended to raise the stores’ profiles in their local markets — where most couples still buy rings. Partner stores will decide on local print ads, outdoor advertising or only in-store ads. (www.nytimes.com)

Emerald sponsors NY Marathon’s final five miles

• Packaged food company Diamond Foods has announced that its Emerald nuts brand will once again sponsor the final five miles of the New York City Marathon one of five World Marathon Majors.
• As part of its sponsorship Emerald will activate several on-site promotions including special tents, cheer zones and product sampling spots. Financial details of the deal were not released. (www.sportspromedia.com)

USA Water Polo signs fresh deal

• USA Water Polo, the national governing body of the sport in the country, has announced that Stemlit Growers is to be its official fresh fruit sponsor. The agreement with the Washington-state based tree-fruit provider will run from January to August 2011.
• The deal will see prominent USA Water Polo stars feature on Stemlit in-store displays and the company provide athletes with fresh fruit until next summer’s Fina World Championships in Shanghai in which the US men’s and women’s teams will compete. (www.sportspromedia.com)

WWE enter marketing partnership with THQ

• World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) has announced a new, comprehensive marketing agreement with leading worldwide developer and publisher of interactive entertainment software, THQ.
• Under terms of the agreement, THQ-developed, WWE-branded video games will be integrated into domestic and international events, pay-per-view and television sponsorships, magazines, WWE.com, WWE DVDs, and more. In addition, for the first time, THQ will host interactive gaming kiosks at 40 WWE live events.
• THQ president and chief executive officer Brian Farrell, said of the deal: “This strategic marketing agreement reflects the benefits of working more closely with WWE to maximise the interactive entertainment experience for fans of this leading sports entertainment brand.” (www.sportspromedia.com)

Wonderful Pistachios Goes For The Twitter Crowd

• Hoping to build on the success of its humorous “Get Crackin’” campaign launched last year, Wonderful Pistachios is investing $20 million on new TV creative and social media efforts that reflect a greater focus on the 20-to-25 demographic. 
• Most of the new campaign executions rely on what the marketer terms “Twitter-centric talent” to generate attention and buzz among young adults in particular. At the same time, the campaign quite intentionally follows the celebrity reality competition show formula of offering a “wide net of talent … with someone to appeal to everyone,” with the goal of influencing both the women who buy most snacks and the men who influence the types of snacks purchased, summed up Dominic Engels, VP, global marketing of Paramount Farms, producers of Wonderful Pistachios. (www.mediapost.com)

Chase Partners With DreamWorks For ‘Megamind’

• Chase has developed a new brand partnership with DreamWorks surrounding its newest animation movie, “Megamind.”
• Chase is offering its Chase Freedom (cash-back card) cardmembers exclusive access to screenings of the film, including the Hollywood premiere, before its Nov. 5 official release. Chase is now offering two-for-one tickets on the microsite: http://pages.yourchasefreedom.com/megamind/.
• Chase Freedom also rolled out its first-ever movie-themed execution inspired by the signature blue of its corporate insignia that integrates the creative elements from “Megamind.” The two TV spots also can be seen on Chase’s Facebook page.
• For the “Megamind” promotion, Chase provided more than 7,500 cardmembers with a sneak peek of the movie at 30 pre-screenings nationwide. The company allowed visitors to the microsite to bid on 50 spots at the movie’s Hollywood premiere, where they had the full VIP experience among the stars. Cardmembers could also bid a private screening of “Megamind” at his/her local IMAX theatre, to which he/ she can invite all his/her family and friends. (www.mediapost.com)

Sara Lee Promotional Sweepstakes Hits Home

• Sara Lee’s State Fair Brand of Corn Dogs recently gave away the grand prize in its 10-month promotional sweepstakes: a $500,000 “Dream Home” in Tennessee (where the winner resides). The company developed the promotion with Launch Creative Marketing as an effort to increase brand awareness and frequency at a time when competitors were cutting prices in the category.
• “Our issue was that competitors were resorting to aggressive pricing,” Jim Gelder, vice president of creative at Launch, tells Marketing Daily. “Our objective was to increase household penetration and market share. We knew in this economy [giving away a house] resonated really well with the public.”
• The agency determined the prize and the promotion through consumer research that showed moms (the brand’s primary purchaser) dreamed about home ownership, Gelder says. “We tested a few concepts with consumers,” he says. “The ‘Dream Home’ won overwhelmingly. It was something moms were going to be interested in partaking in.”
• The nine-month promotion was an interactive online game that challenged consumers to collect the six virtual rooms of a “Dream Home” microsite via promotional codes on product packaging. In addition to the grand prize, the contest included more than 10,000 instant-win prizes such as HDTVs, appliances, grills and other items. (www.mediapost.com)

JetBlue, HP Back LinkedIn; URLs Still Home Base

• Until now, LinkedIn was the only one of the top four social media sites that didn’t have a platform for companies and brands to create their own pages. No longer. The Mountain View, Calif. company was in New York on Tuesday to unveil a new Company Pages program intended to give brands a channel for generating recommendations — versus “friends” as on Facebook — from professionals. 
• Steve Patrizi, VP of LinkedIn’s marketing solutions, said 30 million people joined the social medium just last year, and 3 million are joining every month. The site gets 24 million uniques per month as well. Company Pages follows last year’s Custom Groups, where members could create a joint page based on a shared interest. (www.mediapost.com)

YouTube and National Geographic: “Planet Inspired” Video Contest

• YouTube and National Geographic are providing creative eco-minds from around the world to take part in a unique Planet Inspired competition focused on nature and win worthy prizes. The core idea of the initiative is to spread the word about the importance of eco protection among the video-hosting website visitors with the help of…  their own creativity. The participants of the contest are encouraged to submit their video collages highlighting one of the four themes—Oceans, Endangered Species, Fresh Water, or Exploration—to raise awareness about the problem and call the people who will be watching the film to active action.
• The entrants can use the images and video clips from the Planet Inspired website or make it using their own footage. The finished works (up to one minute long and no more than four spots form one person) are to be submitted by November 15—after that a panel of experts will shortlist the participants to 10, the finalists will be announced and public voting will be running December 3-12. YouTube is to name the winner on December 17—he or she will be invited to a National Geographic Weekend Photography Workshop in New York City, Washington, D.C., or San Francisco and also get a $1,000 gift certificate from The North Face. (www.popsop.com)

Nestlé Crunch and Paul Frank Launch First-Ever Holiday Confection with a Fashionable Touch

• Nestlé® Crunch® has partnered with fashion icon Paul Frank Industries to introduce the limited edition Nestlé Crunch Paul Frank chocolate bar for the U.S. market. The collaboration marks Paul Frank‘s debut in the confections retail environment. This one-of-a-kind sweet treat will be available only at Target beginning November 2010.
• The limited edition confection is an oversized Nestlé Crunch bar tucked inside a colorful gift envelope that doubles as a holiday card. The unique packaging features holiday-themed artwork complete with lovable characters from the Paul Frank collection, including Julius the Monkey and Worry Bear. The piece is finished with a special note including a blank section for a heartfelt message. (www.popsop.com)

Nike Women Explores the “I’m Making Myself” Theme

• Nike is encouraging women to share their strategy of becoming ‘the best versions’ of themselves. The sportswear brand is inviting women, who care about their physical form and are committed to improve it, to leave a comment on the dedicated “I’m Making Myself” wall on Nike Women’s Facebook profile in order to inspire other ladies to follow their example.  Nike also asked three celebrated female athletes to tell the world about their ways of reaching perfection.
• The wall which is located on the Nike Women page on the popular social-network website features statements and short explanations made by female Facebook users from all around the globe. They start the phrase with “I’m Making Myself,” finish it with adjectives such as “ageless,” “amazing,” “fit,” “stronger” and so on (it’s up to them to choose the word) and then give a short description of what helps them have the above-mentioned characteristics. The campaign was launched yesterday, November 2, and so far the wall features over 40 statements, which can be ‘liked’ or commented by other viewers. (www.popsop.com)