Daily Buzz

By Abbey Klaassen

The biggest debut of the week came from Victoria’s Secret; its intense Michael Bay-directed spot notched just shy of a million views last week, good enough for the No. 2 spot.
Gap’s much more wholesome holiday spot (apparently a favorite among shoppers) dropped in the No. 3 spot.
NYC Health’s gross-out ad encouraging people to curb their sugary soda and beverage intake came in at No. 5.
Toyota notched more than 400,000 views of its innuendo-laden Yaris spot, good for the No. 7 ranking.
Koodo arrives drops in the No. 9 spot with the kind of choose-your-own-adventure-style campaign we first saw from DropTheWeapons.org.

By Karen Egolf

To show its commitment to the Chicago community, Bank of America took a giant wallscape it inherited when it took over the local LaSalle Bank and launched a competition for local teenagers to display their artistic talents.
The artwork will be up through June. Project updates are available through the After School Matters website and on Twitter.

By Wayne Friedman

BIA/Kelsey, a financial advisor to local media companies, estimates that TV stations’ ad revenues will rise 3% in 2010 — or $500 million — to $16.1 billion.
The media group now says 2009 will end at $15.6 billion, down 22.4% from last year’s $20.1 billion mark.
TV stations reached an all-time ad revenue record in 2006, when it was at $22.8 billion.
BIA says 2011 will see negative growth again — in part because it is a non-Olympic, non-political year.
BIA estimates by 2013, stations will only inch forward to $16.4 billion; however, it notes that TV stations have not been at such levels since the mid-1990s.

By Tanya Irwin

With the economy remaining tepid, consumers are looking for “rewards” for as many purchases as possible, according to Mintel Comperemedia.
The Chicago-based company reports that in the first three quarters of 2009, nearly a third of checking direct mail offers (31%) promoted rewards for everyday banking. This compares to just 13% of offers tracked in 2007.
Taking a cue from credit card issuers, many banks have started offering rewards for daily purchases. “Consumers feel tapped out financially, so they want more bang for their buck,” says Susan Wolfe, VP of financial services at Mintel Comperemedia. “Banking rewards programs are yet another deal for bargain-hunters to find.”

By Karlene Lukovitz

On Monday, Denny’s Corp. announced the resignations of EVP/Chief Marketing and Innovation Officer Mark Chmiel, who joined the company in April 2007, and EVP/COO Janis Emplit. A national search to replace them is already underway.
This year’s $3 million Super Bowl commercial and $5 million Grand Slam breakfast giveaway drove more than two million customers into Denny’s 1,600 North American restaurants. They also generated an estimated $50 million in publicity, including coverage by 2,300 local TV stations and 500 newspapers. (Denny’s has planned a similar double play around the 2010 game.)
Family restaurants as a whole — the largest subgroup within “mid-scale” restaurants (mid-scale comprises formats that are a step above fast-casual and a step below casual dining), “have been in decline for a long while, and that’s been exacerbated by the economy,” says NPD Group restaurant analyst Bonnie Briggs.

By Aaron Baar

Phones powered by Google’s Android operating system are catching up to the iPhone in terms of consumer awareness and desirability.
According to comScore, 17% of consumers who said they were in the market for a smartphone said they were considering purchasing an Android-powered device in the next three months, compared with 20% who said they planned to purchase an iPhone.
Consumer awareness of the Android phones is only growing, thanks in part to Verizon Wireless’ heavy promotion of Motorola’s new Droid phone. According to comScore, 22% of mobile users had heard of the Android system in August. But by October, that figure had jumped to 37%.

Rolle, who is entering the 2010 NFL Draft, hopes his Rhodes Scholarship translates into marketability.