Marketing

Japan's Kit Kat chocolate bars are legendary for their seemingly endless variety of flavors, sizes and formats. How does one top that kind of success? By turning an ephemeral snack into an online game that keeps your interest - long after the candy is gone! read more »

Too lazy to write your own love letter to your significant other this Valentine's Day? read more »

Piggy You Diet Doll

Valentine's Day is just around the corner and that means that once again you are confronted with a holiday that is likely to put a little extra meat on your bones. The irony of all this is that that extra meat on your bones often greatly decreases your chances of being someone's Valentine! So, what will you do if you've resolved not to eat any chocolates this coming Thursday? How about looking to the United States Patent Office for a couple of incentives to help you with your resolve? read more »

Love is in the air... if you love garlic, that is! "Black Power" Garlic Chocolates, marketed by a Japanese garlic company just in time for Valentine's Day, use only the finest black fermented garlic for a truly scent-sual romantic experience. read more »

Yes, Anti Valentine; your time has come. It's now HOT and COOL to be single, mate-less and totally available on Valentines Day. And to prove that you're not just a sullen, lonely, bitter, ostracized person, that you're welcome and even respected in certain circles, Anti-Valentines have made it to the very selective group of observations recognized by GREETING CARD COMPANIES!

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Effective Alarm Clock

I've read that some of the most successful inventions are those that respond to an everyday need. If that's the case, then Samuel S. Applegate holds the patent for what could be the most effective alarm clock ever. read more »

How many ways can Japan's smokers be told to be considerate and well-mannered while puffing away? Seventy-three, it seems. We covered the first 10 in the series last month; here are numbers 11 through 20. read more »

Musical Condom

In my previous blog, A Big, Long D*ck for Valentine's Day, I alerted you to a patent that could help you realize your manly potential. But I'm here to tell you it's not all fun and games. Today, more than ever, sexual prowess cannot occur free of responsibility. So if you love your partner, or even if you don't and you only love yourself, you owe it to yourself to practice safe sex. That's why today I am providing you with a patent that reconciles safety with fun. read more »

Many companies around the world are doing all they can to incorporate Valentine's Day into their messaging this time of year. read more »

Instant Face Lift

Although plastic surgery is America's favorite branch of medicine, many of us are still wary of going under the knife for purely vain reasons. As a result, we tend to turn to less trustworthy methods of maintaining our good looks, such as unregulated herbal supplements. That's why the next three patents are of such interest. All promise to deliver some of the benefits of cosmetic surgery without the dangers often associated with surgery. Of course, it's anybody's guess as to whether or not the results are noteworthy, but hey, it's worth a shot. read more »

The Discovery Channel provides factual variety programming focused primarily on the themes of popular science, history, and general knowledge about the world. Thesre are usually showcased as documentaries globally. read more »

The Philadelphia International Auto Show kicks off today bringing both foreign and domestic as well as a few exotics. Here is just a brief overview of what's already there, going to be there and what you can do while you're there. read more »

Valentine's Day can be 24 hours of misery for those going through a break-up with their loved one. How nice, then, that one Japanese company offers heartbroken employees paid time off to nurse their wounds while browsing the shops! read more »

When is a tissue too good to be used as a tissue? When it's 'Nose Celebrity', a premium tissue paper from Japan that's nothing to sneeze at and something to honk about! read more »

Believe it or not, Americans will buy 189 million stems of roses for Valentine's Day, according to the California Cut Flower Commission. read more »

Frito-Lay, makers of Cheetos, Doritos and a variety of other crispy snack foods worldwide, often tailors new products to local tastes. Have they gone too far with their new strawberry flavored Cheetos, just introduced in Japan? read more »

What an ingenious way to give shelter dogs a voice... and get them homes too! Chatterdogs.com has designed clothing for shelter dogs that speaks for them. Adopt me! Pet me! Take me home! I love cats! (Well, that last one is definitely special order....) read more »

McDonald's is one of the largest fast food restaurants and one of the largest advertisers in the world.  Here are 9 fun and creative ads from recent McDonald's advertising campaigns designed to make you hungry for McDonald's:

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Feces Scale

I have a friend who tries to calm my food fears by reassuring me that something that doesn't weigh a pound cannot make me gain a pound. Fine! But what about the bag of chocolate covered nuts (they're filled with protein) I ate this morning? The one I forgot to weigh on my food scale? How much of that have I got sitting inside of me, threatening the needle of my bathroom scale? read more »

 

The delicate balance between negative and positive space can say a lot, especially when using these crafty alphanumeric display and analog dot tapes. rAndom International has teamed up with SuckUK to produce and distribute this tenacious collection for all your interactive labeling needs. read more »