Boomers get Fiit for the holidays

by Jean Crawford
Published October 6, 2010 in Tech

I’m so sad the new Christmas campaign for Wii Fit is not airing in the US. The UK Telegraph reports that Helen Mirren is one of the new endorsers for the gaming consol.

Dawn Paine, Marketing Director at Nintendo UK, mentions that, “we will be helping the nation play together and have fun whatever their age.” Usually we say everything cannot be for everyone, but this is a great example of smart boomer marketing. Perhaps she’ll buy Wii Fit in the hopes of playing with their grandkids, spouse or friends? And who tends to splurge on gifts around the holidays and has the disposable income to do so?

It’s about time to acknowledge women’s presence in the gaming industry where female gamers total 40% of players.

I’m interested to see how the campaign is received, but I’m happy that Nintendo is paying attention to the power of the consumer when usually boomers are an afterthought. Thanks for putting her front and center, does this mean I can get abs like Dame Mirren?

Tags: Baby Boomers, Celebrities, Telegraph, Wii

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Same Old Song

by Mary Lou Quinlan
Published September 8, 2010 in New Ideas

Funny, GM just announced that Tim Allen will be the new voice of Chevrolet which spends hundreds of millions on the brand, and today I see that Campbell’s has signed Tim Allen as their spokesman for a $100 million campaign. Both brands see themselves as the all-American choice, so they chose kind of a Mr. Dad to speak on their behalf’s.

Can’t help but wonder if we aren’t ready for a woman to sell soup and Chevy’s, if we aren’t more diverse than this in 2010, if hearing the same voice dominate the TV air won’t make it that much more homogenous annd irrelevant. Tim’s a great handyman/Santa/swell guy, but doesn’t this feel a little 1985?

Tags: Campbell Soup Company, Celebrities, Chevrolet, GM

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We’re Finally Talking Real Beauty, Right?

by Jen Drexler
Published April 14, 2010 in Fashion

So if you are a celebrity, appearing in photographs without retouching is the new craze. It’s like saying “see how normal I am?” Or is this the kind of faux honesty that often works just as good as the genuine kind? I will venture to say that these photos versus photos of regular, “real” women will drive women to buy products/magazines.

This trend seems to be picking up steam. Jamie Lee Curtis did it first and in the most dramatic way. She waited until she was of a “certain age” and really exposed herself on a magazine cover with uncolored hair and wrinkles. But, let’s be honest…if she hadn’t done that would we be talking about her at all? Would she have gotten the Activia – ‘now I can poop’ job?

Now news has hit that Britney Spears is insisting that Candie’s show both her unretouched and retouched shots for their new campaign. In the raw shots, you can see a little dimpling on her thighs and a slightly thicker waist but let’s keep in mind that we are still talking about Britney. Even during her crazy, bald, tattoo period she had a rockin bod. Good for her for making the gesture. Will it sell more shoes? That remains to be seen but I have to say I’m impressed by Candie’s risk taking and Whole Truth chutzpah.

Jessica Simpson is on the cover of Marie Claire without any makeup. Her effort to boost self esteem in women is being eclipsed, however, by negative nellies who are trying to say that she has traces of leftover makeup on for the picture. Don’t you think it is time someone left this poor girl alone?

What makes these gestures work is that we are basically dealing with women who are already pretty fantastic looking. When you put makeup on Jessica Simpson she just gets prettier not less ugly. We (regular women) like to see celebrities looking more like normal people. It’s comforting even if their level of beauty is still supremely out of reach.

Tags: Celebrities, Marie Claire, Real Beauty

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