Just before the IPL -2012, the Shahrukh Khan’s Kolkata Knight riders got a makeover. The new logo had been designed by Sophie Lutman of lambie-nairn agency. Talking about the new logo, SRK stated, “The golden color was because I like gold and the black has been changed because I was told that it was not lucky. And last year since we couldn't make it to the last four I can't even argue with it.”

Brand Profile: American Girl

The company was established as Pleasant Company in 1984, founded by Pleasant T. Rowland, a former renowned educator and author of educational materials. When Pleasant T. Rowland started the Pleasant Company in 1984, she announced that she was going to make dolls for girls between 8 and 12 years of age that were both educational and dealt with the topic of girlhood. Her idea found its root during a Christmas shopping trip in 1984, while trying to buy dolls for her two nieces. She felt her only options were Barbie dolls or Cabbage Patch Kids, neither of which appealed to her. On the one hand Barbie dolls encourage girls to grow up and be adults, whereas the Cabbage Patch Kids promoted motherhood, but neither of them focused on girlhood itself. doll maker Pleasant T. Rowland realized that most dolls either depicted girls assuming the role of adults or mothers and none of them dealt with girls just being girls.

The catalog of the brand was made ​​by the first three characters (dolls): Samantha Parkington (a girl in the early 20th century), Kirsten Larson (a Swedish immigrant) and Molly McIntire (a girl from the Midwest during the Second World War). Today it includes:
Kirsten Larson: Kirsten Larson is one of the original three American Girl dolls released, and hers is the only story that hasn’t been changed. She is a Swedish immigrant whose family became pioneers in Minnesota in the mid-1800s.

Samantha Parkington: Samantha Parkington, one of the three original American Girl dolls, is also one of the most popular. She lives a life of luxury in the first years of the 20th century.

Molly McIntire: Molly McIntire, who grows up during World War II, was also one of the three original American Girls. Her father is in Europe aiding the war effort, and Molly must adapt to her changing world.

Nellie O’Malley: Although Nellie O’Malley is an Irish servant and Samantha is a wealthy little girl, the two are friends.

Addy Walker: Addy Walker is an escaped slave fleeing north to Philadelphia with her mother near the end of the Civil War. Addy has been produced since the early ‘90s, prior to the Mattel era.

Kaya: Kaya, a young Native American in the Nez Perce tribe, lives in the West in 1764. The doll’s image and dress are faithful to Nez Perce culture.

Josefina Montoya: Josefina Montoya lives on a New Mexico rancho in the 1820s, just as Americans begin to settle and trade in the area. She was the first Hispanic doll in the American Girl line of dolls, and she was the last doll created before Pleasant Rowland left the company.

Felicity Merriman: Felicity Merriman is a colonial girl who lives just before hostilities erupt in the Revolutionary War. She was the first doll to have a flesh-colored body.

Kit Kittredge: Kit Kittredge lives in the Midwest during the Great Depression. Her family struggles with poverty after her father loses his job.

Trivia:
In 2005, American Girl teamed with Julia Roberts' Red Om production company and to create the first American Girl direct-to-video movie, Samantha: An American Girl Holiday. The film spawned a franchise that was followed by Felicity: An American Girl Adventure (2005), Molly: An American Girl on the Home Front (2006), along with the 2008 theatrically released film Kit Kittredge: An American Girl.

American Girl Place is a store that sells American Girl dolls, clothes, and accessories. The flagship and first store debuted in Chicago followed by stores in New York City, New York and Los Angeles.

American Girl launched Innerstar University, an online virtual world featuring the My American Girl contemporary doll line, on July 13, 2010. Access to the online world is via a Campus Guide (available separately for a limited time, normally bundled with purchase of one of the 44 My American Girl dolls which contains an access code for the creation of a doll avatar that then navigates the various games, shops, and challenges of the virtual campus of Innerstar U.

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Brand Profile: Glock

Glock handguns are used police and military forces worldwide, including the FBI, the U.S. Navy Seals (principal special operations force of the U.S. Navy).

History:
It all started in 1963 in Deutsch-Wagram, a small Austrian town near Vienna, where the engineer Gaston Glock, specializing in alloys and combinations of steel and polymers, decided to start a company to manufacture metallurgy and plastics products.
In the following decade the company became a supplier of accessories for machine guns, grenades exercise, holsters, knives and blades field for the armed forces of his country.
The company's story began to change direction in 1980 when the Austrian army opened a competition for the acquisition of a new pistol-sized semi-automatic for its military. Among the requirements were that the gun should be 9 mm in diameter, have the ability to at least eight cartridges being ambidextrous be disassembled without tools, having less than 58 parts could be changed without major adjustments and still be capable of firing 10,000 shots showing a maximum of 20 faults. The army of Austria called the pistol of this bid "P-80." It was then that Mr. Gaston made ​​a survey of experts from various segments of public safety, military and civilian shooters to gather information that would be the ideal gun. After six months of intensive research, he presented his pistol that should be called to assess the Austrian army and verify that it met the tough operational requirements of that force.
The company filed for an Austrian patent on April 30, 1981 and called it as Glock 17, a pistol that was capable of firing 17 rounds. It was however named so since it was Mr. Glock's seventeenth patent. Glock 17 was soon selected as the official weapon of the Austrian army.

GLOCK, Inc. Opens in U.S.

In November 1986, the company opened its U.S. headquarters, GLOCK, Inc., in Smyrna, Ga. Shortly thereafter, the semi-automatic GLOCK 17 pistol revolutionized the law enforcement industry with the redefining of the modern pistol.

Trivia:
GLOCK has become known worldwide as "plastic pistol". It was named after the large number of parts made ​​of synthetic material.

Brand Profile: Alaska Airlines

The airline originated in 1932 when Linious "Mac" McGee started his own airline, McGee Airways. In 1934 they teamed up with Star Air Service, which at that time, with a fleet of 15 aircraft, was the largest airline in Alaska. Another expansion occurred in 1937 with the purchase of Interior Alaska Airlines. The company then became known as Star Air Lines. Finally on May 2, 1944 the airline made ​​its first flight with the name of ALASKA AIRLINES.
In 1987, the company acquired control of Horizon Air regional airline founded in 1981, and Jet America. Horizon was then transformed into a subsidiary of ALASKA, and soon after adopted the new standardized image of the parent. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the airline also operated regular flights to the Russian Far East, but these were suspended in 1998 due to financial crisis in Russia.

The airline uses special paints in some of its planes to draw attention to their corporate image through color and unusual shapes. Three of them represent the characters in Disney cartoons, and its main task is to promote holidays in Disneyland Resort in California. Others refer to themes commonly associated with the state of Alaska, for example, a Boeing 737-400 painted with a giant salmon (dubbed the "Salmon Thirty Salmon"), or The Spirit of Alaska Statehood, whose painting is very colorful composed by Eskimo sled being pulled by dogs and belugas, which represent the spirit of Alaska.

Logo:

Trivia:
1. It was the first U.S. airline to issue tickets online in 1995 and four years later, a pioneer in offering check-in and boarding pass via the Internet.
2. In 2009, the airline was ranked 7th among 100 best companies to work for, according to the Seattle Business Magazine. It was the only airline listed in the rankings. The airline also received a similar award in 2010 from the Human Rights Campaign Foundation for the airline's treatment of LGBT employees, investors and customers.

Brand Profile: ETIHAD AIRWAYS

It all started in July 2003 when a royal decree by Sheik Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan decided to create an airline of the UAE flag. The new airline would have to reflect the warm and exceptional responsiveness Arabic, besides providing services of the highest level. It was named as ETIHAD AIRWAYS (the word "Etihad" means "union" in Arabic), and so a symbol of the bonding among the seven emirates that constitute the UAE.

In 2005, the first time, Etihad Airways carried more than 1 million passengers. In August 2006 the company launched ETIHAD GUEST, an effective loyalty program that currently has over 1 million members. Efforts to transform ETIHAD AIRWAYS an icon of the segment were rewarded in 2008 when the company was considered the 10th best airline in the world. In August 2009, through an investment of U.S. $ 70 million, the company developed a new concept of first class, named Diamond First Class, in which the service and comfort reached a hitherto unprecedented level for the segment. By 2010, Etihad Airways plans to touch 70 international destinations.

Etihad Airways currently sponsors the English club Manchester City Football Club, including the naming right of their stadium, the Ferrari team and also the main sponsor of the Abu Dhabi F1 Grand Prix (even created a special painting for one of its planes , as seen below in the image).

Trivia:
● Due to an agreement with its rival Emirates Airlines, the two airlines do not compete for the same routes.
● Sophisticated flight attendants' uniforms were designed by Italian Ettore Bilotta, and reflect the Arab culture in a global context.
● Etihad Airways, owns 29.2% in Air Berlin and 40% stake in Air Seychelles.

The Psychology of Color

Chevy Sonic Says “Let’s Do This”

Chevrolet’s new campaign called “Let’s Do This” features the Sonic performing a variety of extreme stunts including skydiving and bungee jumping showing everyone that the all-new Chevy Sonic is up for adventure. It’s turbocharged, connected and fun to drive.

Read More: http://letsdothis.com/

DC’s new logo

DC scrapped the "Spin" logo that they've used since 2005 and are moving into the digital age with a new logo to portray the variety of properties that they offer.

"We didn't want a static logo, but a living identity that could capture the power of our characters and storytelling," says Amit Desai, senior vice president of franchise management. "What is special about DC content is the notion of a dual identity. When you think about our DC Comics superheroes, there's a secret identity. When you think about Vertigo, it's this notion of good vs. evil in many of the stories. And so, in addition to flexibility, the new logo communicates this idea of dual identity: There's more than meets the eye. You have to take a closer look to understand the richness of our characters and stories."

Nine things you don't know about Amazon

Source: Frugaldad.com

The Weight of Walmart

Source: http://frugaldad.com

You Are What You Tweet: 2011 in Review

Source: http://frugaldad.com

Messi become an EA SPORTS Ambassador

Argentine football star Lionel Messi has signed a multi year endorsement deal with Electronic Arts Inc to front its EA Sports FIFA Football franchise. The partnership will see Messi serve as a Global Ambassador for EA Sports and play a central role in its advertising and marketing campaigns both on packaging and through social media. EA Sports will also team up with the Leo Messi Foundation to support social, educational and health care related initiatives for children around the world.

Wake N Shake

There's only one way to shut off the alarm, by shaking the hell out of the iPhone. No snooze button, no mercy! Wake N Shake will wake you up feeling energetic, ready to make the most out of your day.

Read More: http://wakenshakeapp.com/

Wonderbra launches Ultimate Plunge bra campaign with bungee jump

Aimed at those who want to wear the daring necklines favoured by stars such as Jennifer Lopez, the Ultimate Plunge bra promises to do away with the need for tape to protect their modesty.

To launch their new Ultimate Plunge bra, Wonderbra projected a picture of their newest model, Adriana Cernanova, onto the side of Battersea Power Station in London.They then invited women to bungy jump down in front of the model's cleavage.

Karisma Kapur turns investor in Babyoye.com!

babyoye.com, the leading online store for baby and mother care products announced that superstar and super mom Karisma Kapoor has invested in the company. Karisma has an undisclosed stake in the company and is the largest individual shareholder in a company whose other investors include Accel Partners and Tiger Global.

H&M Under Fire For Using Virtual Models

Swedish clothing giant, H&M, has come under fire for using computer generated bodies paired with the heads of real models to sell swimwear and other items in its newest catalog.

The company does not indicate on the photographs or on their website that the images are computer generated. Rather, Norwegian website Bildbluffen first noticed that the models' arms, legs and chest were all positioned in the same manner, which later proved the images were fake.

Brand Ambassador -Kajal Aggarwal: Bru Coffee

Kajal Aggarwal has been signed to be the brand ambassador of Bru Coffee.

Tainted history of the iconic Shell scallop logo

The iconic corporate logo used by Shell and the Nazis

By John Donovan

In 1904, the scallop shell or pecten replaced Shell Transport’s first marketing logo. In various forms it has remained in use ever since, becoming one of the best known corporate symbols in the world.
The above information is taken from the: “The beginnings“, which forms part of a shell.com online feature – “Our history” – covering Shell from its inception to the new millennium. A whole page is devoted to “The History of the Shell logo“ and there is more information on a downloadable document: “The History behind the Shell emblem,” in which this slogan appears:

“The Shell emblem – or Pecten – remains one of the greatest brand symbols of the 20th Century”

The authors of this judiciously selected online history have unsurprisingly neglected to mention the Nazi association with the pecten.
It was used by the German subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell, Rhenania-Ossage, in the years before and during World War 2, when the company was in partnership with the notorious IG Farben, the German chemical company which produced synthetic gasoline by hydrogenation. IG Farben had championed the hydrogenation process since the 1920′s.
By 1939, synthetic gasoline covered nearly a third of oil consumption in Germany. Shell had a one-third stake in the Politz hydrogenation works.
Hermann Goering, a close friend of the Nazi leader of Royal Dutch Shell, Sir Henri Deterding, was commander of the German air force and in charge of the four-year plan to raise synthetic gasoline output to fuel Nazi military ambitions.
Following Hitler’s annexation of Austria and Czechoslovakia, Shell Group managing directors sanctioned Rhenania-Ossag taking over the Shell companies in those countries.
The Nazis continued to use the Shell pecten logo in Germany after the appointment of a Verwalter (administrator) for Rhenania-Ossag in January 1940. The Verwalter appointed a Shell Dutch Nazi general manager, J. H. W. Rost van Tonningen to a new pro-German board. He had previously held the post of Shell Group technical inspector visiting installations in Italy, Austria, Hungary, Yugoslavia, and Romania. Rost had developed a keen interest in fascism, joining the Dutch Nazi party. He was on one occasion suspended from work because of his political allegiance, before being reinstated, probably due to the influence of his brother, a prominent leader of the Dutch Nazi movement. Many employees of Royal Dutch Shell in Germany and the Netherlands were Nazis.
Hauptmann Eichardt von Klass, the former research director of Rhenania-Ossag, was appointed in January 1940 as Verwalter to manage Royal Dutch and had full powers to act on behalf of the concern in occupied Europe.

After the end of World War 2, Royal Dutch Shell regained control of Rhenania-Ossag and retained some of the same management who had helped to fuel the Nazi war machine.
Shell rehired former Shell employees who had been involved as Nazi party members in forced labor programs. Robert Finn, a senior employee of Rhenania-Ossag involved in the forced labor programme as a member of the Nazi party, became a director of a Shell Chemical company in Germany after the war.
Directors of IG Farben, which had used slave labor and supplied Zyklon-B gas to the Nazi death camps, were found guilty of war crimes.
The Shell pecten was used by the German Shell operating company Rhenania-Ossag, before, during, and after World War 2. No other global brand logo is as closely associated with the Nazis.

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