AdZone 2010...because the ads are so much cooler than the game itself!

Miss that last Coke ad because the fat guy at the bar spilled your drink right as the ad came on? Relegated to pick up the pizza during a commercial break because your friends know you don't care for football?

Yes, these are some of the indignities you must face when you care more about the ads than the game itself.

But have no fear, instead of putting up with CBS's slow video stream speed tomorrow morning, you can view (and vote) on the Superbowl XXXIV ads RIGHT NOW with Hulu AdZone 2010.

I know. It's too amazing. So stop reading. And check it out now!

Sweethearts Candy embraces Twitter for Valentine's Day

Sweethearts is a classic Valentine's Day tradition for me. Even though I'm not in love with the candy itself, there's nothing more fun then getting a couple of "miss you" and "xoxo" treats glued to a homemade Valentine's Day card.

This year, customers weighed in their opinions and "Tweet Me" will officially replace the now outdated "Text Me" message (oh how time flies...)

 

Twitter co-founder Biz Stone told USA Today: “It’s even more proof that people can say anything in short messages. A 140-character message may seem short. Sweethearts are even smaller.”

Augmented Reality is freakin' awesome!

Shaq is hilarious. I'm not a big sports fan, but I think his show "Shaq VS" is hilarious and his tweets are also jovial and fun. That's why I was excited to hear about his new augmented reality campaign with Muscle Milk.

Pop the bottle in front of your webcam and Shaq will pop out like a genie with a song and dance routine to match. Pretty neat. Is augmented reality the way to go? Hm.. still a little inconvenient, but the novelty is fun for now. Check out this cool video about Topps baseball trading cards:

Pepsi - What are you doing?!!?

Ok Pepsi, 2009 wasn't a very good year for you and we all know you've made quite a few marketing flops lately. Starting with the botched redesign of the Tropicana carton that made it nearly impossible for brand loyal customers to find it on the shelves, to the leaked Arnell report about how Pepsi's new logo compares with the golden ratio, the Mona Lisa, the earth and its magnetic fields, and will have its own gravitational pull... I mean come on!

And now, what's this I hear about you giving up your SUPERBOWL spots so you can waste $20M on a social media campaign??? EXTREME FAIL.

First of all, I'm all for social media. It's a fast, cheap, and effective way to get the word out and connect with customers. Does it compare with the hype you pull from a Superbowl ad? Not unless you're a natural disaster along the lines of the recent Haiti earthquake.

Yeah, TV ad effectiveness has dropped in the past few years thanks to TIVO and general audience malaise but the SUPERBOWL is the one time that viewers are on edge, staring at the screen to not miss a touchdown, turnover, fumble, or the like. One of the highest watched programs (consistently!) and the ads are a favorite side dish to the game.

Come on Pepsi. Why blow it again? I thought 2010 was gonna be a fresh start for you! This "Pepsi Refresh Project," on the other hand, is assuredly not a refreshing choice (or worth $20M at that).

*Update: on Adweek's "Sizing up the Competition" about Superbowl commercial face-offs, Coke's competitor is DR PEPPER. I mean HONESTLY.

Domino's is good again?

Ok, I admit it, Domino's was and has been my least favorite pizza chain for all of...forever. I'm a Pizza Hut kind of gal and there's something about pizza dripping with grease and filled with cheese goodness that gets me going. I'm not all about Papa John's either, which is usually rated the classier of the three, because - hey, if I want artisanal pizza I'll go to a local joint. Also I don't like their sauce.

So...boy was I excited to see Domino's new commercial which gracefully acknowledges all the haters and reveals their new found dedication to improvement. Couldn't find the actual commercial but here's a longer version of their "turnaround."

I full-heartedly agree with incoming CEO Patrick Doyle's take on the situation:

"The old days of trying to spin things simply doesn't work anymore... Great brands going forward are going to have a level of honesty and transparency that hasn't been seen before."

And did I mention their website features a live stream of tweets about the new pizza? Bold move, I'd say!

I haven't tried it yet myself, but it sure seems like Domino's efforts have started to pay off.

"It takes alpha meat balls to stand up and say 'America, we suck,'" comedian Stephen Colbert said while lampooning the campaign on his show last week.


For the record, after taking a bite he declared: "Is that a pizza or did an angel just give birth in my mouth."

So congrats Domino's Pizza! It may be too early to tell, but sure looks like you've made a successful brand turnaround! I may still think of myself a Pizza Hut kinda gal, but the next time I see a Domino's Pizza, I might just reconsider.

*UPDATE: Decided to jump on the bandwagon for the Superbowl with Domino's 2 Medium pizzas with 2 toppings for just $5.99 each deal. And, since we originally wanted one Medium pizza with 4 toppings and that came out to be $14, we opted for the 2 pizzas just for the 2 of us!

!!!RESULT!!!

Pizza WAS much better, great crust, and decent sauce. This is the kind of pizza for people who like to wipe grease off their pizza (not me) because honestly it was not greasy at all. My health nut boyfriend didn't even feel guilty chowing down a whole pizza by himself.

I also love the new pizza tracker:

Although it's a double edged sword because I saw that "Alyssa" left the store at 5:53pm for a 6:00pm delivery and I didn't get it until 6:24pm AKA the pizza was barely warm. Also, they forgot to add one of my toppings (spinach)!

So... the pizza - GREAT. The service - MEDIOCRE.

Is it enough for me to forgo the artisanal pizza place down the street? No. But will I order Domino's the next time I order for a group? Yep!