As thousands of people come to New York City to see the largest ball drop in the world, they don’t expect to be bombarded with brands that are working hard to gain some attention! As the battle of the brands continue, Nivea, a skin and beauty care company, launched a campaign in hopes of getting smooching consumers to ring in the New Year wearing its Nivea Lip Care.

According to Brandweek, the “Kiss and Be Kissed” campaign included kissing couples captured on camera; pamphlets that offered tips on how to turn first-time kisses into “sizzling smooches;” and consumers who visit Niveaxoxo.com will be able send a free digital kiss that will arrive to recipients at midnight.

Nivea was also a major sponsor of the New Years Eve evening in Times Square, which included the Nivea Countdown Stage, where major artists like Taylor Swift, Ludacris, and the Jonas Brothers, shined on stage; and a Nivea Kiss and Be Kissed Platform, where couples practiced their best midnight kiss.

As you can see, Nivea was really trying to create a buzz for themselves for 2009. Considering that they are not really known for their lip care products, I think that this concept was well thought out and works extremely well with all the smoochers on New Year’s Eve. Coincidentally, I bought a Nivea lip care product this past weekend to protect and moisturize my lips on the ski slopes, and I must say that it is the best lip product I’ve used in a very long time.

©2009 Mediashop PR Blog. All Rights Reserved.

             

“In the final countdown of one of the worst holiday retail seasons in decades, more retailers have extended hours and are staying open for 24-hour periods or more in a last-ditch effort to capture sales. Macy’s Inc., L.L. Bean International, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and Hennes & Mauritz AB’s H&M chain added extreme hours at select locations this year, they said, as a way to enhance customer service, reduce congestion and compete for last-minute sales.”

I always felt that part of the allure of late-night shopping is the novelty of it. Perhaps not so much in New York City, but I’ve been to the L.L. Bean store in Maine at midnight, not because it was a necessary trip, but just because I could. Of course now these late night hours come as a necessity to retailers in the lat shopping hours before Christmas.  The article goes on to say:

“Snowstorms across the country during the last shopping weekend before Christmas are expected to make the already-dismal retail season even worse, some retailers said. Numbers weren’t available Sunday, but ShopperTrak RCT Corp. said that the final weekend before Christmas typically accounts for 11.5% of holiday sales. Last year, Super Saturday brought in $8.7 billion in retail sales. Retail sales for the six weeks to Dec. 13 are down 2% from a year earlier.”

There is no doubt retailers are trying extra hard this year.  As I was typing this entry an e-mail popped up from Apple reminding me that their stores are open late so I can “find something for everyone on my list.”  I would hardly be surprised if I get another one of these emails tomorrow and probably another on Christmas Eve.  This may be a dismal shopping season, but it’ll be interesting to see what that means for the after Christmas sales.  Until then — have a happy and safe holiday!

©2009 Mediashop PR Blog. All Rights Reserved.

             

BEHAVIOR: Obsessed with Cuteness — Athens Banner Herald (GA)
I am looking for experts to discuss why the modern Internet surfer is so obsessed with cute animals. Why do videos of someone bathing their pet guinea pig, a pug twirling in response to the sound of a blender, or a water-skiing squirrel rack up thousands more hits than videos about Bush’s auto rescue plan? What’s up with us and our love of cute? Contact: XXXXXX, xxxxxxxx@onlineathens.com

RESTAURANTS: Doggie Bagging — Freelancer
I am writing an article — in the query stage (possibly for the New York Times, Los Angeles Times and/or Washington Post) — about doggie bagging. Today, with our economy in the dumps, we all feel poor. Are takeaways and doggie bags more prevalent than ever? Are guests not just taking away “little stuff,” but stealing? Are they lifting articles that may surprise us? What are restaurant owners/managers doing to thwart and discourage this activity? What *can* they do — arrest you? I will focus on doggie bagging in the modern age. I will interview people who take stuff, as well as restaurateurs, managers, psychologists and the police. I’ll include information about the origin of doggie bags — how it got started as a bag for unfinished dinners to take home for a customer’s dog (often a pretense to just take it home). I hope to find celebrities who are notorious for doing this. Contact: XXXXXXX, xxxxxx@aol.com

MEMBER INQUIRY/TODAY: Celebrities Who Recovered from Caffeine Addiction — Caffeine Awareness Alliance
For a book published by our non-profit organization, the Caffeine Awareness Alliance is seeking celebrities who have recovered from caffeine addiction and would be willing to be profiled to help create awareness and support the efforts of our organization. There may also be host committee opportunities with gala events and future editorial opportunities. Contact: XXXXXXX, xxxxxx@yahoo.com

BEHAVIOR/TODAY: Why Are Men Such Techno Geeks? — Reader’s Digest
I only need one response on this one, so I apologize in advance to anyone I do not get back to. I just need one amusing, insightful shrink or shrinkette who can explain why men like high-tech gadgets, extra buttons and anything cool that requires a manual. Contact: XXXXXX, xxxxxx@yahoo.com

©2009 Mediashop PR Blog. All Rights Reserved.

             

Brandweek reports that this is a major step for Coca Cola considering the tax proposal that Governor Patterson recently announced, a plan that is trying to fight obesity. Reb-A will allow the beverage giants to bypass Patterson’s proposed beverage tax for full-calorie beverages.

Coke’s bitter enemy PepsiCo, has also introduced products containing PureVia, also made from the stevia plant, such as SoBe Lifewater in three flavors (Black and Blue Berry, Fuji Apple Pear, and Yumberry Pomegranate), and a new orange juice drink called Trop50, which will contain 50% less sugar and calories than regular orange juice.

Without question, a number of other beverage distributers will probably be reformulating their existing line of drinks to compete with the other major brands. According to Brandweek, “Sprite is the seventh largest carbonated soft drink brand in the land. It sold half a billion cases in the U.S. last year, per Beverage Digest. Sprite Green will likely receive massive distribution and massive trial.”

I can picture this either going really sour or really sweet for Sprite since they play such a major role within the beverage industry but at the same time some taste testers say that this sweetener has a licorice aftertaste. As for the future imitators, it may not look as sweet for them.

©2009 Mediashop PR Blog. All Rights Reserved.

             

TO PREMIERE AT 2009 SLAMDANCE FILM FESTIVAL

Vampire Comedy starring Jake Hoffman, Devon Aoki and John Ventimiglia;
with Ralph Macchio & Jeremy Sisto

New York, NY - December 17, 2008 - C Plus Pictures, a production company that specializes in creating character driven independent features, is proud to announce the acceptance of ROSENCRANTZ AND GUILDENSTERN ARE UNDEAD to the Slamdance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. The film will have its world premiere at the festival on Monday, January 19 at 8:30 PM.

ROSENCRANTZ has an all-star cast including: Jake Hoffman (Arrested Development), Devon Aoki (Sin City), John Ventimiglia (The Soprano’s), Kris Lemche (Final Destination 3), Ralph Macchio (Karate Kid), Jeremy Sisto (Six Feet Under), Joey Kern (Lucky You) and Waris Ahuwalia (The Darjeeling Limited). Sean Lennon is scoring the film.

Worldwide rights to the film are available through Traction Media.

This independent feature film is the debut of Director Jordan Galland, who also penned the original screenplay. The film was shot using a Red Camera, the revolutionary new camera known for its jaw-dropping imagery. The Red Camera is capable of recording resolutions up to 4520 x 2540 using a Super 35-sized CMOS sensor, and will level the playing field for independent filmmakers.

ROSENCRANTZ centers around Julian Marsh (Hoffman), an out of work lothario, who scores a break as the director of an off-Broadway play. The play is a bizarre adaptation of Hamlet written by a pale Romanian (Ventimiglia) who is actually a master vampire. A perfect combination of low-brow humor and high-brow aesthetics, the film follows an eccentric cast of characters to explain the connection between Hamlet, the Holy Grail, and some very hungry vampires.

The Slamdance Film Festival, now in its 15th year, celebrates the independent works of first-time filmmakers. This year’s festival has approximately 100 films screening between January 15th and 23rd. ROSENCRANTZ AND GUILDENSTERN ARE UNDEAD will be screened on January 19th at 8:30 PM and January 22nd at 12:30 PM at Treasure Mountain Inn in Park City.

About C Plus Pictures:
C Plus Pictures specializes in creating uniquely voiced independent feature films. Founders Mike Landry and Carlos Velazquez approach filmmaking from an actor’s perspective - striving to produce character-driven projects, cast them with unconventional choices, and give well-known actors an opportunity to take on unusual roles. For more information, please see: www.cpluspictures.com

Media Contact: Jill Feldman, jill@mediashoppr.com
Mediashop PR, (212) 867-8778 x228

Sales Contact: Maren Olson, mo@traction-media.com
Traction Media, (310) 385-0770

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©2009 Mediashop PR Blog. All Rights Reserved.

             

Kickbee is a belt that uses sensors to track an unborn baby’s movements and sends updates via Twitter. Future versions will update such sites as Facebook, too. I would love to learn more about Kickbee from anyone who’s knowledgeable about it — and if anyone has used it, I would love to hear from you. I’m also interested in talking to medical experts/tech experts. Are there other such inventions? Are they harmful to a developing fetus? Contac: xxxxx at xxx xx@nydailynews.com

This was one I just had to see for myself. According to the Kickbee Twitter page, the device supplies updates looking something like this:

I kicked Mommy at 12:18PM on Thu, Dec 11! 9:21 AM Dec 11th from web
I kicked Mommy at 12:04PM on Thu, Dec 11! 9:05 AM Dec 11th from web
Wow I’m being very active! I kicked Mommy 13 times at 03:44AM on Thu, Dec 11! 12:49 AM Dec 11th from web

According the Kickbee creator’s blog he came up with this idea for his personal use.

“My original idea was to have Kickbee connect to my wife’s mobile phone and send an SMS message directly to me. But my wife and I have iPhones, so using a Sparkfun Bluetooth module and an Arduino microcontroller would not have been possible. (The iPhone’s bluetooth functionality is locked down to all but the most basic “headset” features, which prevents creative exploration such as this.) As an avid Twitterer, I realized that I could just use Twitter to send SMS messages to my phone.”

I have to admit I already feel a little weirded out when I sign on Facebook and find friends of mine posting their fetal ultra sound photos, but I guess it is a new day and age, right? While Kickbee seems a little over the top, the creator reminds us in his blog:

“But the most important point to make about using Twitter is that the updates are completely voluntary by the RECIPIENT. Those who complain about having to receive incessant messages about our baby kicking its mother must not understand Twitter. If you don’t care to know, don’t “follow” Kickbee! I would never presume to impose our baby’s activity on an unwilling public.”

The Kickbee is still in the development phase, and currently looks a bit unwieldy, but already has the bloggers talking. You can check out some of what they’re saying here:

Endgadget
http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/13/kickbee-omg-this-twitter-baby-tracking-hack-is-so-great-kee/  

Gizmodo
http://gizmodo.com/5109297/kickbee-now-the-world-can-know-what-your-fetus-is-up-to  

Mashable
http://mashable.com/2008/12/14/baby-twitter/  

The whole idea of this is a bit frightening to me and leads to the usual “what will they think of next” clique. However I do give this guy kudos for an interesting invention, and who knows, maybe it will have a medical usage somewhere down the line. At this point, what I really want to know is what happens when the baby is born….or maybe I don’t?

©2009 Mediashop PR Blog. All Rights Reserved.

             

To prepare yourself for the ever-dreaded inquiry, SingleEdition has put together a list of top 20 responses for when someone pops “the question” over turkey and eggnog. The full list is pasted below and is also featured here at SheKnows.com.

Twenty Quick Comebacks From SingleEdition.com
1. What? And spoil my great sex life?
2. Why aren’t you dating/divorced yet?
3. It gives my Mother/Father something to live for.
4. I’m not willing to give up on love just yet.
5. Just lucky, I guess.
6. I already have enough laundry to do, thank you.
7. Is this a proposal?
8. Because I think it would take all the spontaneity out of dating.
9. I’m waiting for you to get divorced so I can marry your wife/husband.
10. It didn’t seem worth a blood test.
11. The mail order bride/groom hasn’t arrived from Russia yet.
12. “I’m not done boozing and whoring”
13. Because having both a husband and a child would be redundant.
14. I’d have to forfeit my billion dollar trust fund.
15. I’m waiting for your son/daughter to turn 18.
16. Because your [wife/husband] won’t leave you
17. Why settle for just one.
18. “Because I haven’t found a partner who can make me as happy as I make myself.”
19. So I don’t have to cheat on my left hand.
20. My prince charming made a wrong turn

©2009 Mediashop PR Blog. All Rights Reserved.

             

Today, the company announced that The Purely Anion bulb (”The Clean, Green Light Bulb”) will be available at Lowes stores nationwide. The Purely Anion bulbs are energy efficient and also have a built-in negative ion generator that removes air pollutants and increases serotonin levels to relieve depression and symptoms of SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder).

For more information on this bulb, please visit: http://www.purelyproducts.com/products/purely-anion/

The full press release is pasted below. Please contact Jill for more information.

____________________________________________
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Jill Feldman, jill@mediashoppr.com
Mediashop PR, 212-867-8778 x228 or 917-362-4794

PURELY PRODUCTS LAUNCHES “CLEAN, GREEN LIGHT BULBS”;

PURELY ANION^TM BULBS NOW AVAILABLE AT LOWES

Energy-Efficient Bulbs Also Have Built-in Negative Ion Generator to Combat Air Pollutants

Knoxville, TN - December 16, 2008 - Purely Enterprises, a green products development and distribution company, today announced that the new Purely Anion^TM energy efficient light bulbs will be available at Lowes retail locations beginning today.

Purely Enterprises focuses on identifying and developing innovative green products that contribute to healthy lifestyles. Founded in 2006, Purely Enterprises distributes a wide range of green lifestyle products to leading retail locations nationwide.

The newest product for clean, green living is Purely Anion^TM, an energy efficient, revolutionary new bulb with a built-in negative ion generator.

Known as “The Clean, Green Light Bulb^TM,” Purely Anion^TM bulbs use one-fifth of the energy of traditional incandescent light bulbs and are estimated to last for approximately two years. The bulbs also include a built-in negative ion generator that removes “positive ions” created by fluorescent lighting, electrical devices like televisions and computers, as well as smoke, pet dander, dust, mites and other airborne contaminants.

According to Myron Mullins, CEO and Founder of Purely Enterprises, the bulbs were introduced on the PurelyProducts.com in January 2008. Beginning today, Purely Anion^TM bulbs will be available at more than 500 Lowe’s stores in the U.S., selling for less than $15.00 each.

For photos, product samples or more information, please contact: Jill Feldman by email (jill@mediashoppr.com) or by phone (212-867-8778 x228).

About Purely Enterprises:
Purely Enterprises (www.purelyproducts.com) is a company that focuses on identifying and developing innovative green products that contribute to healthy lifestyles. Founded in 2006, Purely Enterprises distributes 6 product brands and over 750,000 product units annually in retail locations nationwide.

The company’s signature products include: Purely UV^TM, the leader in replenishment germicidal ultraviolet (UV-C) bulbs; Purely Anion^TM, energy efficient compact fluorescent light bulbs that save significant energy while cleaning the air of smoke, dust, germs and pet dander; The Pocket Purifier^TM, a handheld germ eliminating light that sterilizers objects exposed to its UV-C light; The SunMate^TM UV Index Monitor, which measures the intensity of the sun’s ultraviolet rays so the user can take action to protect themselves from the harmful effects of the sun; and IonicLifestyle, the most compact negative ion generators that increase serotonin helping to alleviate depression, relieve stress, and boost daytime energy. For information on Purely Enterprises products, please visit: http://www.purelyproducts.com/products

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©2009 Mediashop PR Blog. All Rights Reserved.

             

Last year, YouTube introduced this partner program that allows its most popular users to add advertisements to their videos.  Google’s YouTube splits the revenue with the video sharer.  These ads are making users thousands of dollars- so much so that some users are quitting their day jobs because their profits are so large.

Michael Buckley reports making over $100,000 a year from these advertisements, placed in his pop culture/celebrity gossip show, “What the Buck.”  Before joining the program, Buckley was spending about 40 hours a week on his YouTube videos.  This time-consuming hobby was transformed into a very lucrative job.

Even more impressive is 15-year old Lucas Cruikshank, who brings in tens of thousands of dollars a month in ad revenue and sponsorship.  He’s bringing in even more money in merchandise sales and licensing his character’s name and image to Hot Topic. Lucas puts my after-school jobs to shame with that kind of money.  Some users are even making money off of product placement and other traditional forms of advertising.

YouTube hasn’t released how much money its partners earn on average, but it is expected that many partners earn thousands of dollars a month.  While this option is incredibly beneficial to the most popular YouTube video sharers, it also helps the problem Google has been facing since it purchased YouTube for over 1 billion dollars in 2008.  Google was having problems profiting from videos, largely due to videos being uploaded by anonymous users who don’t always own the rights to the content they post.  Though only 3% of videos are supported by advertising, it definitely is more financially beneficial to the company.

For more information:

CNBC: YouTube’s Recession-Proof Cottage Industry

New York Times: YouTube Videos Pull In Real Money

©2009 Mediashop PR Blog. All Rights Reserved.

             

BEHAVIOR/TODAY: Robot That Does Everything — New York Daily News
A 33-year-old computer geek too busy for romance has built himself a robot with an hourglass figure who speaks two languages and does, well, almost everything. I would love to get feedback on what would move someone to do this — and whether it’s possible to ever find love with a robot. If not love, then what is it possible to find? Contact: XXXXX, xxxxxxx@nydailynews.com
 

RELIGION: Has Hanukkah Become Hip? — Cloaked
A journalist with a Midwest daily sends the following query: Over the past two decades, Hanukkah has moved from a mid-level Jewish holiday that usually got token attention to almost a full-blown cultural phenomenon — at least in secular American pop culture. Perhaps starting with Adam Sandler’s Hanukkah song (and its reprises) in the early 1990s, Hanukkah has become more and more prominent in our nation’s culture and more accepted. There’s Jon Stewart singing about it on Comedy Central. There’s Marge Simpson in an episode of “The Simpsons” shopping at Shlomo’s Judaica Dreidel Blowout Sale. Over on Sirius/XM Radio, an entire channel will play Hanukkah music starting the evening of the Dec. 21. And, there are plenty of other examples. I’m working on an article on the emergence of Hanukkah in our culture and would love to talk to experts on the subject. What has happened to Hanukkah along the way? Why is this emergence happening now? What’s fueling it? What does it mean for American Jews? For Christmas-celebrating folks? Now that Hanukkah is becoming a parallel to Christmas, how does that affect the holiday’s meaning in Jewish life? What are some other examples of Hanukkah’s emergence? Can Hanukkah be called “hip”? [This reporter has asked us to withhold his name and contact information and to direct all responses to his ProfNet inbox.]
 

PARENTING: What Should Parents Say About Santa? — St. Joseph News-Press (MO)
I am looking for professional or religious opinions about telling kids about Santa. What should parents say if children ask if there really is a Santa? Contact: xxxxxxxxxx, xxxxxxx@npgco.com
 

SAFETY/TODAY: Holiday Hazards — Quality Health
I’m a writer for Qualityhealth.com, a top 10 comScore health destination. I’m writing a story to be featured in one of our newsletter e-mails, which reach a huge audience. The topic is “Top 8 Holiday Hazards and How to Avoid Them.” I’m thinking along the lines of Xmas trees, decorations, poisonous holiday plants (poinsettias, etc.). I’m looking for quotes via e-mail. Contact: xxxxxxxxxx, xxxxxx@mtscorp.com
 

POP CULTURE: Media Influence on Sarcastic Teens — Freelancer
For a piece in a national women’s magazine, I’m looking for a quick comment from a media expert who can talk about how sarcastic, snarky TV characters and other role models in the media influence tweens and teens. Also, why is the media (TV, movies, pop music) aimed at tweens/teens seemingly so saturated with sarcastic dialogue, etc.? Do kids get a sense of sophistication, or feel more grown-up when they copy sarcastic celebrities and TV characters? What’s the long-term effect on kids’ communication skills? Contact: xxxxxxxx, xxxxx@aol.com

©2009 Mediashop PR Blog. All Rights Reserved.