Benetton pays for Pope kiss

Benetton is making a donation to a Catholic charity to end a legal dispute with the Vatican over an ad the Italian fashion brand deployed in a campaign showing Pope Benedict kissing an imam on the lips.


Game on for Pepsi on Xbox

pepsi-maxMicrosoft Advertising has joined forces with Pepsi to launch a mini interactive game on Xbox Live based on the current Pepsi Max Kick In The Mix TV advertisement featuring leading footballers. The custom game features three levels, with users and their avatars getting the chance to take on Pepsi Max footballers in a game of skill while running across the crowd (re-creating some of the scenes from the ad).


Into the Tee with Gap

gap-teesGap has launched two digital marketing tactics as part of its Be Your Own T global campaign based on the not-so-humble T-shirt. The TIY experience – in partnership with Threadless – offers consumers buying new Gap tees new ways to upcycle their old T-shirts into fashionable accessories in six steps or fewer, including the likes of flip flops beach bags, laptop sleeves and dog toys. TIY will reside primarily on the brand’s Facebook page, share-able via Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.


Tumblr adds ads

tumblrTumblr is experiencing a healthy growth spurt – it passed the 50 million-blogs mark in March – and brands may be able to capitalise on it now that the company has opened itself up to advertising, says eMarketer.However, while some marketers are keen to tap into Tumblr, others have reservations about how it might perform as an advertising platform.


Gimme ad control

iab-ukNearly half of UK consumers would like to control the type of advertising they see online and 40% want easy access to the information being shared about them, according to a report published by the IAB UK and ValueClick, based on research carried out by Kantar Media. Six in 10 UK consumers are concerned about online privacy.


Brands buzz with second screen

waitroseBig annual events like the Super Bowl, the Grammys and Christmas have been garnering viewers and buzz as social media and second screens create a ‘digital watercooler’, says JWT in its 10 Ways Marketers Are Using The Second Screen report.


Youth wants OOH engagement

out-of-home-advertisingAudiences want brands to engage them on the move, and younger, more tech-savvy consumers are currently the most engaged and ready to experiment with brands out of home, according to the Outdoor Media Landscape Is Changing report from Interactive Europe and CBS Outdoor. But audiences expect something of value in return for investing their time in exploring brands more deeply. They want to interact and engage with brands that are more fun and more rewarding.


Facebook seeks mobile dollars

“Mobile is a key area of growth for Facebook,” says Sheryl Sandberg in a video for prospective Facebook investors. The Social Network’s chief operating officer believes one of the company’s main sources of revenue will be mobile advertising.