Z-Files

P&G is in the process of making over Ivory Soap. The product remains the same – still “99 44/100th % pure," presumably – but the packaging is different and the…

An essay on National Public Radio today (text available here) tries to answer why John Wayne remains so popular in the United States. A recent Harris poll revealed Wayne is…

This story from the Wall Street Journal describes a vibrant niche market – stationery.   Although the U.S. Postal Service is on the brink of bankruptcy, there is a segment of…

British magician Derren Brown once played a trick on a couple of poor creatives at Saatchi, using them as foils to make a point about the power of priming.  This…

Heinz is replacing its little plastic ketchup packets with a small “dip and squeeze” container, like the one you see above.  McDonald’s and Burger King are testing these packets now. …

Here is an article from Ad Age about a new potato chip vending machine PepsiCo is testing in supermarkets in Argentina.  Shoppers can "see" their chips being "made" right before…

We love weird stuff like this – find the hidden image in these famous logos. I wonder if these hidden parts of the logo work on us subconsciously … or…

This is a fascinating interview about the psychology of eating.   It is a National Public Radio interview with Grant Achatz, who operates Alinea in Chicago, which was named best restaurant…

An article from Forbes about the cross-cultural power of metaphor.  The author references Jerry and Lindsay Zaltman's book, Marketing Metaphoria.

Here is an example of a brand that understands the importance of narrative, and appealing to the identity of its consumers. Red Bull tells its story across multiple channels, including…

Courtesy of Paulo Crepaldo at Resulta CNP, ZMET Global Partner in Brazil…an article about the psychology of fast food – “Seven Things McDonald’s Knows About Your Brain.”

In the United States, the newspaper business is dying a slow death with circulation and ad sales dropping and cutbacks hitting newsrooms in small towns and big cities. However, this…