Two decades ago, toy inventor Ron Dubren heard giggles coming from a playground. It was a bunch of kids tickling one other. Inspired, Dubren created Tickles the Chimp. Tickles didn’t make it very far, but after Tyco Preschool combined Dubren’s invention with a Sesame Street licensing deal, the toy became Tickle Me Elmo–so popular that…
Picking the Best Platform for Your Influencer Campaign
Marketers have always chased eyeballs. Now, they’re chasing influencers across the far corners of the internet. Better to fish where the fish are than to cast a line into the void. And where these fish are–the social platforms–marketers are finding that the water is welcoming if they understand how influencers treat each platform. “Right now,…
The Starbucks “PIG” Cup: A PR Nightmare or Opportunity?
After a photo of an Oklahoma police officer’s venti hot chocolate–labeled “PIG”–went viral on Thanksgiving, a Starbucks barista was fired and a local police station is working with the coffee chain to organize a “coffee with a cop” event. “It happened at the worst possible time for them,” said David Johnson, CEO of Strategic Vision…
Here’s Why Ads That Celebrate Eating in Secret Work
Chances are you’ve come across this scenario in a commercial: A woman, weary from the demands of modern life, finds a quiet place to recharge by indulging in a pint of ice cream or bag of chips. The moment she’s alone and able to pop off the lid or tear open the packaging, the exhaustion…
Cyber Weekend Yields $7.5 Billion in Digital Sales
U.S. consumers spent nearly $7.5 billion online over the weekend between Black Friday and Cyber Monday. That’s according to data from Adobe, which found Super Sunday yielded $3.83 billion, followed closely by Small Business Saturday with $3.6 billion. It’s slightly less than the projected $7.6 billion, but still sets records for these dates sandwiched between…
Twitter Introduces Twitter Privacy Center for Users and Partners
Twitter unveiled the Twitter Privacy Center Monday, a single destination for information about its privacy policies for both its users and its partners. Data protection officer Damien Kieran and product lead Kayvon Beykpour said in a blog post that the Twitter Privacy Center will host all information about privacy-related initiatives, announcements, new products and details…
See How Burger King Transformed Into Call of Duty’s Burger Town
Call of Duty fans recently had a chance to enjoy food from the video game’s Burger Town restaurant in real life. To celebrate the release of the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare reboot in October, video game publisher Activision partnered with Burger King to turn one of its locations in Long Beach, Calif. into the…
Tumblr Shares Its Year in Review for 2019
Artists on Tumblr was the top community on Tumblr in 2019, while the most popular meme for the year on the microblogging platform was Area 51. Tumblr took the wraps off its 2019 Year in Review Monday, and highlights follow: Tumblr’s overall top 10 for 2019: Good Omens, television BTS, music Marvel, comics/film Steven Universe,…
Super Bowl 2020 Ad Tracker: All About the Big Game’s Commercials
With Super Bowl 54 approaching, it’s time to start keeping an eye on which brands are planning for the biggest advertising event of the year. Adweek’s Super Bowl 2020 Ad Tracker is a one-stop shop that provides updates as brands announce their plans for the game, release teasers and reveal their full spots. We are…