Mountain Dew, longtime home of the sugariest and most caffeinated sodas, is now looking to bring high-energy beverages to your breakfast. Set to launch February 25th, Kickstart is aiming to become an early morning alternative to coffee and tea for millennial males.  While some critics find the idea of such a sugary boost disgusting, initial testing came as the result of experimentation already seen in the market. 

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The Super Bowl is traditionally the biggest (and most expensive) venue for advertisers all year, with brands laying down big bucks for face time with over a hundred million viewers.  However this year, amidst the blackout, Beyonce, and the Baltimore Ravens win- Twitter ended up as the place to be.  Off the cuff and completely free tweets from Oreo and to a lesser degree Tide, Audi, Calvin Klein, and Volkswagen garnered just as much or more attention than traditional spots. 

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In its first foray on social media site Twitter, Budweiser has asked its fans to name the newest member of its Clydesdale family.  The featured foal was only seven days old when it made its debut in a shoot for their Superbowl ad, titled "Brotherhood".  The spot is one of several produced for game day by Anheuser-Busch InBev this year, including the first promos for new product Budweiser Black Crown.

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British department store Selfridges is promoting a more zen shopping experience with in-store meditation, Silence Rooms and a line of logo-free products to eliminate unnecessary noise and lower customer stress levels.

The limited edition “No Noise” line features products from iconic brands like Levi’s, Clinique, Heinz, Marmite, and Beats by Dre. While the goods have been stripped down, marketers need not fear as each remains easily identifiable by look and feel. While the new minimalist style at Selfridges may calm customers, it remains to be seen if it will also have them reaching for their cash.

(Source: fastcoexist.com)

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Facebook has released a new, more complete for users way to search.  Graph Search, live in a limited capacity as of this morning, will allow users to search by dozens of new categories including city, employer, school, friendship, post content, and more.

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Starbucks is looking to upscale fashion house Rodarte to bring some design prowess to its in-store experience.  The coffee giant has asked the Mulleavy sisters to collaborate on special edition items such as mugs, totes, and cup sleeves. 

The move hopes to recapture some of the customers lost during the economic downturn and to reestablish Starbuck’s as the thought and market leader in the category after creeping competition from Dunkin Donuts, McDonalds and others.

(Source: NPR)

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Online eye wear purveyor Warby Parker has taken another step away the web with their latest pop-up store, a restored and revamped school bus.  Complete with a ping-pong table and photo booth, the “Warby Parker Class Trip” will make nine stops nationwide, focusing on younger urban areas where the team can connect with Warby Parker class reps at colleges and universities. The WP team along for the ride will also be tweeting and instagramming from the East Coast to the West.

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As part of the Moving the Still: The Online GIF Festival & Exhibition taking place at Miami Art Week 2012, sponsors Smart Water and Tumblr partnered with LEGS Media to create a short and sweet history of the internet’s beloved GIF.  Using a mix of mediums to explain the birth of another, the film chronicles the most enduring platform on the world wide webs.  Click on the photo below to enjoy the clip and maybe even learn a little.

(Source: thesfegotist.com)

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Delta has created an ever-evolving in-flight video to catch the attention of weary, repeat travelers.

The airline partnered with Wieden + Kennedy NY to add some humor and energy to their standard pre-flight safety videos.  Several portions of each spot were recorded many times with varying characters and will then be continuously rotated to ensure that each flight features a unique mix of small, humorous details for a completely new safety experience.

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Bravo, the network built on plasticy housewives and millionaire everything, is now bringing its viewers social television.

“Play Live”, an app available on desktop, mobile, and tablet devices, made its debut on “Watch What Happens Live”, the after-hours talk show of Bravo head-honcho Andy Cohen.  The app will allow Bravo lovers to weigh-in and vote live on hard hitting topics such as “Hottest Housewives” to unlock exclusive online promos and coupons.

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