It doesn’t matter that I was always more of a Pillsbury Toaster Strudel kind of guy, or that I haven’t actually had a frosted breakfast pastry since the Clinton administration, because this blog at Consumerist really makes me want to visit Kellogg’s pop-up Pop Tart store in Times Square.

The new store, Pop Tarts World, opened to the public yesterday and is a regular Pop Tart-palooza. From designing your own Pop Tart t-shirt to customizing your very own variety pack, the store offers a hands-on experience for a product that’s identity previously was pretty limited. The chef at the Pop Tarts store has whipped up some crazy creations that have already created headlines and sound-bytes, the main one being Pop Tart sushi. Compromised of three different chopped pop tarts rolled in tasty fruit leather, the sushi thankfully stays away from incorporating seafood into the mix. Other concoctions on the menu include a sandwich of tarts with marshmallow in the center called the Fluffer Nutter and a pop tart version of Ants on a Log.

For the circus-like Times Square that also plays home for stores of Hershey and M&M’s, Pop Tarts World makes sense. The goal isn’t to create the next Pinkberry but to create an odd, headline-grabbing showtique that places the brand on a global stage. So far, the little plan by Kellogg’s has worked. Everywhere from The New York Times to this very blog has run with the story.

It’s the kind of brand awareness that is over-the-top — but it ties into our collective curiosity while playing on memories of our childhood. Granted, not every business can plunk down the $1,000 a month per square foot to have its own wacky Times Square store, but surely anybody can tap into brand creativity that will help create a buzz and a bump in business.

An automobile made by Ford is currently generating major publicity and its eco-friendly?!? No, it’s not one of the signs of the apocalypse; it’s the new Ford Explorer. Crazy but true, the new Ford Explorer has driven into new territory perhaps signaling a positive change for American made cars. The major source of this Ford Tough brand reinvention? Social media marketing.

The 2011 Ford Explorer redesign unveiled Monday by CEO Alan Mulaly in an exclusive preview is a smoother ride than the previous rough and tumble models providing a smoother ride and it is now 20 percent more fuel efficient. The new Explorer made its debut Monday in Manhattan a top of a man-made mountain. Ford filmed the whole unveiling event, streaming it live on Facebook in an effort to please the Explorers some 48, 000 fans. Facebook users were giving an exclusive preview that also included live chats with engineers and tons of recently updated photos. Dubbed the online “Reveal”, Explorer’s Facebook page was a one-stop for new product info and also served as a media guide for news outlets that caught wind of the Ford Manhattan publicity takeover.

Ford has been pretty vocal about how important social media marketing is to the future of the company that in 2008 battled image problems and low sales. Ford has dozens of Facebook pages devoted to its different models as well as Twitter pages that are product specific. In the era of car makers facing the firing squad for botched safety features and let them eat pavement attitudes (hello, Toyota!) Ford has tapped into the power of social media marketing. Ford is using the channels to give consumers a sneak peek into new products like the Explorer while creating discussion. GM and Chevy have also leaned on social media heavily over the last two years for promotional blitzes like Ford’s Explorer campaign.

But what do you readers think- does a smart social media campaign change your mind about older, somewhat beleaguered products? Tell us in the comments section below!

Old Spice’s YouTube responses, albeit clever and buzzed about, will not be discussed in this blog today. Nor will I be the 47 millionth writer to kick the iPhone 4 where it hurts. That’s because the biggest news in media, online marketing and social media is… wait for it — radio.

That’s right, cowboys and cowgirls. The little fuzzy sounding square where you used to listen to Doctor Demento is back. In truth, radio never left; rather, it has morphed into a do-it-yourself media tool that is accessible to everyone and, as it turns out, listened to by millions.

Yesterday the Guardian ran a piece about how smart phones have revitalized radio in the UK. A recent survey found that 20 percent of all smart phone users surveyed have a radio app installed on their phones. The same report says that 31 percent of all radio listeners listen to it online while 16 percent have downloaded a podcast. This is big news globally as well, since podcasts are now receiving bigger numbers and downloads and keeping up with streaming radio.

The comeback could be attributed to a lot of things. Primarily, I see it as the same anti-media media that YouTube belongs to. Online folks want to pick out their stations and not have a lot of corporate mumbo jumbo. The popularity of the iPhone NPR app is a testament to that. While many online stations and podcast have sponsored blocks, they are far less frequent and annoying than traditional radio.

For marketers, radio is good news. Online radio advertising rates are ridiculously low. Plus many offer options like sponsoring full hours or even entire days with multiple brand references. The other great marketing possibility of radio is that now small businesses can even start their own stations and podcasts that social media followers and newsletter readers can tap into.

Consider this all an after-effect of the Clear Channel domination of radio more than a decade ago. Now advertisers and marketers aren’t being told there is only one way to have a presence on radio. We’re being told that radio has infinite marketing possibilities just waiting for us to grab them.

But don’t touch that dial! Let’s hear from you now. What are some of the Internet radio stations you listen to during your workday (I’m a big fan of wherewolfradio.com)? What’s your dream radio station sound like? And lastly, any advice you want to disperse to the rest of us about radio marketing? What’s your frequency, Kenneth? Sound off in the comments section below!

Corn Syrup is the devil. Diet colas actually make you fat. Soda is the cause of childhood obesity. Blah blah blah. In the worlds of online branding, social media marketing and online advertising, ignorance is bliss when it comes to promoting America’s favorite fizzy beverages. Sure, they’ve taken some major PR hits in the past decade. But if you were to glance at soda companies’ online presence, you’d think everything was hunky dory. The publicity and promotional value of online marketing is not lost on the likes of Coke and Pepsi, and therefore every avenue has to been put into play in hopes of turning the carbonated tide of public opinion.

Pepsi has received kudos for its overhaul of Mountain Dew. Mountain Dew (or White Trash Red Bull, as it is called in certain circles) went right to social media marketing to give its trailer park image a boost. The company had big success with its “DEWmocracy” promotion, which allowed online visitors to vote for their favorite new flavor. So popular was the promotion that the company once again let the public decide on a new flavor, and the numbers this time around are even more impressive. According to an interview with Mountain Dew marketing guru Brett O’Brien in Adweek, the company has seen an increase of nearly 800,000 Facebook fans since June 2009. Consumers voted online, via text message and on social media sites. The winner? MTN Dew White Out, a clear version of the neon green, highly-caffeinated soda. Pepsi deserves a pat on the back for taking Mountain Dew out of the gutter and back on the minds of young soda drinkers.

Maybe they could help out the folks at Diet Coke. If there ever were a beverage that suffered a groin kick it would be Diet Coke. DC, the ’90s drink for models trying to get off cocaine, has been in a slump thanks in large part to bad press and a stagnant image problem. Sadly, despite Coca-Cola’s best efforts, the brand seems stuck in an era gone by. The website tries to imitate a health-conscious sort of lifestyle magazine with recipes and a video series aimed at the US Magazine crowd. It’s a clunky, slow-moving website with a flatter taste than a Fresca left out in the sun. Facebook and Twitter are in play, but again, they aren’t really being fully explored so it’s hard to say how effective they are.

Still, it appears that all soda companies are doing something right. Time magazine reported last week that sales are up 2.5% for the first time in five years. But let’s hear from you, Popheads. Spill you favorite guilty pleasure soda or gripe about bad beverage ideas in the comments section below!

Last week was a watershed moment in the history of catfights. First, the celeb world was rocked by news of a Madonna and Gwyneth breakup after 10 years of gal-pal bliss. Next, news of Katy Perry tweeting snarky comments about Lady Gaga polluted the blogs at warp speed. Yet none of these snits compares to the smack down happening between Apple and Google. This latest roll in the mud centers on Internet advertising and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is stepping in as referee.

This battle of web ads started a few months back when Google gobbled up AdMob, prompting Apple to scream “No fair!” The FTC was brought in that time, too, but found nada to back up the claim that Google would be the sole dictators of the mobile ad market. The FTC silenced the beef largely more…

This week’s Brandsplat Video report episode covers Medseeks’s use of fake personas, digg.com’s loss of viewers and a Brandsplat newsletter giveaway.  Wait, what?…GIVEAWAY?  Check it out! Or click here for more Brandsplat vids.

This week’s Brandsplat Video report covers fake retro style viral commercials from Toy Story 3, Facebook’s new window decals for businesses and how Flash is faring for the future. Find out here! Or click here for more Brandsplat vids

The reality TV juggernaut American Idol, which somehow manages to generate more tabloid covers and Entertainment Tonight reports than any television show ever, has run out of gas. Simply put, nobody cares this year and the hot button water cooler buzz that surrounded AI has now evaporated. Likewise, the new batch of summer movies is failing to excite in previews as the majority of them are sequels. From Toy Story to Iron Man, there’s a cultural sense of deja vu going on. Entertainment, still one of the this country’s highest grossing exports, seems a little tired; like it could use a time out and a nap.

New media and marketing have also experienced a dip in creativity as of late. Shortly put, when the best Facebook press of the week involves Hamster torture, the well appears to have dried up. The climate can truly lead to feeling uninspired and exhausted. So it is easy to hop on the everything sucks and nothing is original bandwagon in times like these. But have no fear- I rustled up a few examples of marketing lights at the end of the tunnel.

To start things off, I think a special shout out is order for Hanes and their commercial that touts the company’s foray into using environmentally friendly fabrics. The clip features a Hanes wearing guy who an announcer tells us is doing the right thing while his friend James, whom he strolls through the mall with, is not. James receives menacing looks from babies and toddlers (read: the future generation) who look as though they’re ready to take the guy out for not being environmentally friendly. It’s a funny spot with a good message from Hanes. It also marks a departure in style from those ”Look! Jennifer Love Hewitt in a bra!” ads of a few years back.

Also on the environmental tip, is this ad for Sun Chips. User created by Heather Kramer of Brooklyn, this sweet little commercial promotes the new 1005 compostible Sun Chips bag. Kramer, who was chosen by Al Gore as the winner of a nationwide contest, provides a voice over while a the chip bag takes a little journey. Chosen as AdWeek’s clip of the week, the Sun Chip commercial is a step in the right direction for the brand.

Lastly, Diesel jeans gives there “Be Stupid” campaign a shot in in the arm by leaning on Twitter and Facebook to spread the word that stupid is the new smart. The company’s website and Facebook page feature contests and videos submitted by fans on how to do crazy dances. Sounds a little uh stupid, right? That’s the point and Diesel in the meantime is reinventing themselves by returning to the edgy marketing that put them on the cultural map during the 1990′s. The whole  dumb thing turns out to be pretty ingenious.

Still not inspired? Looking to the past is a good way to start the juices flowing and to combat our current state of cultural boredom. Old movies, vintage television shows, and bad ass art books are a good place to start. But enough from me- how do you, dear readers, fight the media blahs? Any tips you’d like to share with the class?

This week’s Brandsplat Video report  covers Twitter Advertising, the amazing taste of Sabra Hummus and a very expensive Drunk Driving Campaign. Check it out! Or click here for more Brandsplat vids

“Ball of confusion, that’s what the world is today. Hey. Hey.”   - The Temptations.

The new health care package, the lady from eBay who wants to be governor, the gravity defying awesomeness that is Justin Bieber’s hair are all things I really do not understand. In fact, at the risk of sounding like Ed Anger or Andy Rooney, there’s a bunch of things I don’t understand.  So thank God for the more…