Dove tries to clean up with anti-scum approach
— -- "Soap scum" is more often discussed in ads for bathroom cleaners — not body cleaners. Print, online and TV ads for Dove's "beauty bar" aim to make folks feel uneasy about supposed residue some soaps leave on the body.
In one commercial, two women lather up and rinse. A special light then reveals that the Dove user rinsed clean, while the other soap left "scum" all over its user. Dove acknowledges it took liberties with the image, adding the disclaimer "artistic dramatization."
Dove also paid for a recent skit on Late Night with Conan O'Brien. Band member LaBamba appears in a towel with a gross white film all over his body.
Stomach distress
Folks in the restaurant industry had better tighten their belts: Four of 10 consumers are eating out less often than they did six months ago, according to a study by consultancy Booz & Co. Nearly as many say they're opting for cheaper eateries when they do dine out.
On top of those troubles: A majority say they'll cut out-of-home dining back more if the economy continues to tank.
There was one morsel of hope for restaurateurs in the survey of nearly 1,000 adults: A majority say eating out would be the first area in which they'd increase discretionary spending when the economy turns up.
Stock market bubbles
Sure, the restaurant industry results look as bleak as the Ad Team's 401(k), but Chicago eatery Pops for Champagne is keeping optimism alive with its latest promotion. Every weekday through the end of the year, it will knock a penny off every patron's check for every point that the Dow Jones industrial average rises that day. It's another reason to cheer if the Dow goes up 100 points: a buck off the check.
The folks at Pops were kind enough to send us this toast: "Here's to Champagne, the drink divine, that makes us forget all our troubles. It's made of a dollar's worth of wine, and three dollars worth of bubbles."
Head-on coffee clash
It brings to mind the old Pepsi challenge: Dunkin' Donuts takes on coffee king Starbucks in a head-to-head blind taste test (476 adults drinking each brand's house blend black). The Dunkin' brew was preferred by 54.2% vs. 39.3% for Starbucks; 6% didn't care. Dunkin is crowing in TV and print ads and at DunkinBeatStarbucks.com, where users can send e-cards with sayings such as "Friends don't let Friends drink Starbucks."
