Coming in like a lion

+ A slogan that sells? Uniquely Singapore. That's the tagline of a new campaign for Singapore tourism. "It's a catchy name. We think people will like it," says Mr Ken Low, director of brand management at the Singapore Tourism Board, which unveiled the country's latest marketing tagline last night. "It neatly encapsulates the Singapore experience - we are unique. Two words that express so much," he adds. But others aren't as impressed with the tagline. Mr David Ketchum, chief executive officer of branding firm Upstream Asia, says: "They should not be a slogan of words that you put on promotional literature. When the campaign is executed, it'd better explain to me why Singapore is unique." He adds: "Uniquely Singapore stops halfway. It sounds more like a description."

+ Coors in trouble for health claims. "A leading brewer has come under fire from the advertising watchdog after claiming beer is good for you, and blaming beer bellies on "late-night kebabs and curries".
The Food Commission complained to the Advertising Standards Authority after Coors, the company behind Carling lager, claimed beer drinkers could enjoy a series of health benefits - including protection against heart disease and reduced blood pressure.
In a four-page magazine insert, Coors also claimed beer was an "excellent source of vitamins, especially B vitamins, and minerals such as magnesium and potassium", and compared the fat and calorie content of foods such as eggs, tuna and oranges with those of beer."

+ Coke ad at night...uh oh... - "Alexander Lavrynov, a spacecraft designer, has devised a way to get ads placed in space, which could be seen from Earth.
"Space commercials could embrace huge areas and a colossal number of consumers," he said. "This would literally be intercontinental coverage."
He said the satellites would be visible in the night sky by employing sunlight reflectors, with multiple satellites linked together to create a message large enough to be seen.
"People would be able to see writing in the skies from the Earth no worse than they see the stars," he said." Is this guy serious? There's no way that any one would let this fly. People complain about billboards ruining the scenery, and in the sky, well, it would be that much worse. Ads in the night sky really isn't necessary. Exploiting the view of the cosmos is a horrid idea. Let's hope this never flies.

+ Selling milk and patriotism in Hong Kong

There is a faint whiff of cheesiness to the whole production. Mainland companies have yet to master the art of advertising, and in a city where Ralph Lauren, Bang Olufsen and Apple compete for consumers' attention, they are bound to lag in the cool-looking ad stakes. (There is also, of course, a limit to the inherent sexiness of milk.)
What makes Mengniu's subway campaign eye-catching, however, is not its unsophisticated air but its overt appeal to Hong Kongers' sense of patriotism. "Mengniu Milk," the ad proclaims in bold Chinese characters, "Strong Chinese People." The astronaut motif is clearly an attempt to cash in on the fame of Yang Liwei, the astronaut who triggered a nationwide patriotic frenzy last October when he became China's first man in space. Just in case one misses the association, the ad proudly declares Mengniu to be the "special milk for China's astronauts."
The ads appear just as Hong Kong is wrestling with the whole concept of patriotism. Recent weeks have seen a war of words between pro-Beijing and pro-democracy figures over what "patriotism" means and over who qualifies to be a "patriot."

+ Different kind of outdoor poster. Flashes as you drive past. Might be a bit distracting. (hat tip Dab.)