SUPER BOWL XLVI: Is Honda Behind the Ferris Bueller Resurrection?

Jalopnik Reports It Has Solved the Mystery of the YouTube Teaser

Ferris Bueller's back, and this time he's driving a Honda. Maybe.

The short-lived mystery about a Super Bowl ad teaser put up on YouTube Thursday may have been unraveled on Friday, when Jalopnik reported that Matthew Broderick's character, the sausage king of Chicago, would be central to a spot for the company's refreshed mini SUV, the 2013 CR-V.

The 10-second clip echoes a scene from the original film, when Broderick, who was 24 at the time, looks at the camera and says, "How can I possibly be expected to handle school on a day like this?" In the teaser, a much more mature Broderick, wrapped in a white robe, exclaims, "How can I handle work on a day like today?" The date of Feb. 5 -- Super Bowl Sunday -- then flashes on the screen.

The clip set off a whirlwind of speculation on the web, leading some to believe a sequel to "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" was in the making, though Broderick himself has in the past said a sequel wouldn't make much sense.

A source at American Honda Motors in California would not confirm that Broderick is in its ad and would only tell Ad Age that the company expected to issue a press release about the ad on Monday. Honda agency RPA has not responded to a request for comment. American Honda's Acura division also has a spot in the game. And online sleuthing yesterday had a couple of Ad Age staffers leaning toward Chrysler as the culprit.

Even if Jalopnik turned out to be wrong -- and the site seems pretty confident in its reporting -- it seems unlikely that the marketer behind this tease would be able to keep the secret safe until game day. It's one thing to keep your campaign under lock and key, another to put a teaser on YouTube in 2012 and not expect someone among the millions of people on social media and blogs to ferret it out.

According to Jalopnik, the spot, which was the work of Todd Phillips, who made "The Hangover," would use the 1986 comedy as a theme, updated to 2012 sensibilities. The auto-enthusiast site reports that during the iconic scene of the two valets jumping a hill, the red Ferrari will be replaced with a CR-V.

Honda -- or whatever company is behind this -- could be playing with fire. The top two comments on YouTube at the moment are from people outraged that a sequel is not in the offing.

The first reads: "If this is a commercial for honda, im keying every honda car i see in the street."

And the second: "Surely this can only fail as an advert. I hate Honda more than I can say right now. They show us a glimpse of something we can only dream about, then replace it with a crappy car. FUCK YOU HONDA. SAVE FERRIS."

Jay-Z Signs Deal to Become Partner & Spokesman for Duracell Powermat

Jay-Z has more good news to announce. Duracell Powermat, LLC, a joint venture formed in September 2011 by Protcter & Gamble's Duracell brand and Powermat Technologies, announced today that the Grammy award-winning rapper has signed a multi-year agreement as an investment partner and spokesman for the brand. 

"I believe in the future of wireless energy and I believe that Duracell Powermat is the company to bring on the revolution," said Shawn Carter in a press release. "I'm partnering with Duracell Powermat because they're providing the solutions for the future."

Duracell linked up with Powermat in September of last year to help the wireless charging company better reach the consumer market. When first released, Powermat's main product, a strip that allowed users to power their gadgets with inductive charging negating the use of plug-in chargers, was cool but failed to make a large dent in the consumer market. With the help of Duracell and, now, Jay-Z, the hope is that will change in the future. 

'We are proud to work with such an inspiring icon, whose music and success speaks to an entire generation all over the world. Our common vision and voice will pave the way for the upcoming wireless power revolution," said Ron Rabinowitz, CEO of Duracell Powermat, LLC.

Jay-Z On Taxes And Occupy Movement! "I'll Pay More Taxes"

The Nets unveil the final ‘New Jersey Nets’ logo

The New Jersey Nets won't have new jerseys for their final season in New Jersey, but they will have a new logo to go on their old jerseys, one that celebrates the 35 years the team spent in New Jersey following time in New York, before they develop new jerseys for their move next year to New York.

With more accuracy and fewer annoying plays on words, the New York Times (via Pro Basketball Talk) sums up the addition:

The Nets will unveil a special logo as early as Wednesday to coincide with the announcement of the 2011-2012 season schedule. The logo is actually pretty snappy. In the center is a tri-color basketball with the Nets name written in 1970's era script, an homage to the team's A.B.A. past. The number 35 in the middle. Below are the years 1977 and 2012, bookends to the team's often-withered years in the Garden State. A tiny outline of the state is at the bottom in white.

It's an open question is whether true blue Nets fans in New Jersey will want to shell out $20, $30 or more for merchandise produced by a team that is leaving town in the spring. The Nets, however, feel that it is the right thing to do.

"It will be our farewell moniker," said Fred Mangione, the team's chief marketing officer. "As we go out, we want to go out the right way."

"Jersey strong, Brooklyn ready," though? That would be tough to take, even if New Jersey fans haven't exactly made the Nets part of their stately pride, so to speak, as the team has moved from East Rutherford to Newark.

Any move to recognize New Jersey, though, is a good one. The Nets upset some a few years ago when it moved to take the words "New Jersey" off of their uniform before prepping for the move to Brooklyn, and it's the least they can do in another quasi-rebuilding season (a shortened one, at that) to throw Newark a wave.

And anything that involves something remotely hinting at an ABA existence (the Nets won the 1974 and 1976 ABA championships as the New York Nets) is a major plus, in our eyes. Sound addition, Netsies.

JAY-Z NARRATES RIHANNA "TALK THAT TALK"

Rihanna on WhoSay

On Thanksgiving Day (November 24) Rihanna gave fans a glimpse into her personal life, with a short video clip that captures some memorable moments with her family. The 23-year-old singer enlisted her mentor, Jay-Z—who appears on the title track of her Talk That Talk album—to narrate the heartfelt piece, which finds her spending downtime with her mother, grandmother and brother Rajad in her hometown Barbados.


Rihanna is super casual in the clip, sans makeup and without fiery red hair, while hanging with her family, flipping through old pictures, bestowing her ‘Gran Gran’ with a new Cartier necklace and even giving her brother a pep talk about balancing school and social life (Rihanna’s mother insists on textbooks instead of Facebook during the week).

Jay-Z provides narrative for the entire clip, breaking at the intervals where Rihanna and her family are chatting each other up, but here’s what Hov’s message sounds like in full:

“There’s nothing like family. These are the people who make you who you are. They’ve helped you grow, they’re responsible for the countless lessons in life that you’ve learned. It’s the memories of who you were that make them proud to see what you’ve become. They’re the ones who filtered your dreams and provided the fuel to making it a reality. They constantly give you an example of what it takes to make something happen. They give from the heart. They don’t change. There’s no way that you can ever repay them for everything that they’ve done for you, but that doesn’t matter. What matters is that they know your love for them will never change.”


The Dean's Notes: It looks like ROC NATION is really maximizing their online presence with intimate footage from J. Cole on his quest at becoming hip-hop's new Prince, then Kanye "The Louis Vuitton Don" West and King HOV gave the world what we were all waiting for with their fly on the wall footage of the thought process and mini recording process of Watch The Throne and now we have Princess Rihanna allowing us to peep through her Barbados window shades.

Watch the Throne edition Nike Lebron 9

When Jay-Z and Kanye West’s Watch the Throne Tour made it’s stop in Miami (the home of NBA's most hated trio: D. Wade, Lebron and Bosh) who they even recognized on the WTT album (Wade and James). The leaders in global marketing, in my personal opinion 'Nike' released the Watch the Throne edition Lebron 9′s.

Shout out to our friends over at sidelinestoriez.com

REWRITING THE RULES

2 Chainz Interview With FORBES

Jay-Z: The college course only at Georgetown University

It’s not yet possible to declare Jay-Z as a major. But at Georgetown University, a group of lucky students is taking a course devoted to intense Hova study.


As noted by MTV’s Rapfix blog, Georgetown — otherwise known as the institute of higher learning unofficially endorsed by Justin Bieber — is offering a fall-semester-only class called “Sociology of Hip-Hop: Jay-Z.” The three-credit, twice-weekly lecture is taught by professor, author and Jay-Z proponent Michael Eric Dyson, who tells MTV about the course: “We look at his incredible body of work, we look at his own understanding of his work, we look at others who reflect upon him, and then we ask the students to engage in critical analysis of Jay-Z himself.”

Presumably that critical analysis does not involve speculation regarding ridiculous rumors involving Jay-Z’s wife Beyonce and their baby, aka Sasha Fetus.

Hip-hop has frequently been the subject of university classes; Duke University offers an African American studies class called “Sampling Soul,” which focuses on hip-hop, black cinema, social movements and other topics. And last spring, Bun B of the Underground Kingz served as a distinguished lecturer at Rice University, where he taught a religion and hip-hop course.

But focusing so intensely on a single rapper is somewhat rare. And it presents the unique opportunity to write a killer paper titled “Get That Dirt Off Your Shoulder: Obama, Politics and the Social Implications of ‘The Black Album.’ ”

No word on whether Kanye West will eventually be the subject of a course. If he is, I humbly recommend that it be called “The College Class on ‘The College Dropout.’ ”

Steve Stoute, Kendrick Lamar, and Jameel Spencer Speak On Rocawear’s Tanning Effect

Rocawear deserves credit for evolving so fluidly over its twelve-year history. What started solely under the umbrella of “urban” fashion where jeans and T-shirts reign supreme, has consciously rebranded itself, refining its image. As part of its current “That’s Rocawear” campaign, the clothing line released a video with commentary from Steve Stoute, Kendrick Lamar, and Rocawear Chief Marketing Officer, Jameel Spencer, detailing the company’s transition and how they’ve been able to survive the flood of urban lines spawned by the hip-hop culture.


Interestingly enough, Rocawear’s continued relevance reflects it’s astute attention to the needs of its consumer while embracing the changing definition of the term “urban.” In the 2000s, “urban” is no longer confined to physical locations, but representative of a mind state. Recent advertisements featuring Zoe Saldana, Kevin Bacon, Naomi Campbell, and Victoria Beckham, as well as exotic photo shoots in Thailand and Africa are examples of Rocawear’s recognition of—as described in The Tanning Of America—a truly cross-cultural consumer, without sacrificing brand authenticity.

“Urban wear has become a little bit more sophisticated because the customer has become more sophisticated,” celebrity stylist, June Ambrose says in the video. “Even this brand from inception was about the urban lifestyle, urban culture. And I think that consumer has truly grown up.”

Steve Stoute: How hip-hop changed marketing in America...

Beyonce Releases PULSE fragrance in NYC

Jay-Z’s “Chrysler 2012 300″ Commercial

Much like the commercials that featured Eminem and Dr. Dre, Chrysler uses Jay-Z’s “Heart Of The City (Ain’t No Love)” for their latest commercial, featuring the 2012 300.

SUPER MODELS COVER "EMPIRE STATE OF MIND" FOR FASHION WEEK

Steve Stoute Talks Writing His Book, The Gap’s Blunder & Digital Music

This is the first installment of Javid’s full length interview with Steve Stoute on his new book “The Tanning Of America”. In this clip Steve gets into the writing process for the book which he says took him 3 years and talks about what “tanning” means to him. Steve also tells the story of how Jay-Z’s famous “who’s the best MC, Biggie, Jay-Z or Nas” lyric raised his stature and recalls the time LL Cool J used The Gap to make a commercial for FUBU. And finally, he gives his thoughts on the digital music revolution explaining how Sony Muisic dropped the ball and what Jimmy Iovine saw in Steve Jobs’ idea for iTunes.

Sept. 11 TV Advertising: What Do You Think About How Marketers Observed 9/11?

From Spike Lee's State Farm Ads to the Latest Incarnation of Budweiser's Tribute Spots

State Farm, Anheuser-Busch and Verizon were among the marketers that observed 9/11 in their TV advertising. What did you think of the efforts? Who did it the right way? Did anyone do it the wrong way?

Exclusive Series Highlight: Steve Stoute, ‘The Tanning Of America'

Steve Stoute, the former music executive, has long played matchmaker between popular culture and corporate America. He launched Translation Consultation & Brand Imaging in 2004, and linked Justin Timberlake to McDonald's for the fast food chain's “I’m Loving It” campaign, helped seal LeBron James’ partnership with State Farm Insurance, Gwen Stefani's pact with Hewlett-Packard, Lady Gaga’s deal with MAC Comestics, and Jay-Z’s exclusive line with Reebok.


Stoute --- never at a loss for words --- is also debuting a new book, "The Tanning Of America: How the Culture of Hip-Hop Rewrote the Rules of the New Economy," out this week. To coincide with "Tanning," he is developing a video series, “The Tanning Effect" with AOL HuffPost Media Group. Check out the exclusive trailer above, featuring Jay-Z, Pharrell Williams, Lady Gaga, and music industry impresario Jimmy Iovine.

And below, you can read an excerpt below from "Tanning," in which Stoute recalls watching up close how Run-DMC’s alliance with Adidas helped save the sneaker company from extinction.

JAY-Z x KANYE WEST :: NIGGAS IN PARIS :: ARTWORK

Jay-Z and Kanye West unveil the official single cover to their controversial club banger "N****a In Paris" off their collaborative LP Watch The Throne. The Hit-Boy and Kanye West-produced track will serve as the third official single off Watch The Throne and is expected to impact rhythmic radio next week.


"Paris" is already making rounds on Billboard's Hot 100 debuting at number 75 and on the US Billboard Hot Digital Songs at number 58.

Hit-Boy—the 24-year-old producer responsible for the hit—recently spoke with Rap-Up last month and confirmed that a video was being shot for the Throne single.

IDRIS ELBA’S FOR ‘SMARTWATER’

Emmy-nominiated actor and DJ Idris Elba has been chosen as the new face of popular water brand, Smartwater! The East London-native is featured in these two black & white print ads, which will run in the upcoming issues of GQ, Men’s Journal & Essence.

In related news, the 39 year-old received two nomination for this year’s Emmys! He’s up for ‘Best Actor in a Miniseries’ for Luther and ‘Best Comedic Guest Actor’ for The Big C.

This campaign was created by Steve Stoute (Translation Marketing and Advertising)

Video Music Awards Bring Record Audience to MTV, Record Posts to Twitter

Beyonce Shows Off Pregnancy and Delivers 'Record Bump' for Twitter

Not only was Sunday's Video Music Awards the most-watched MTV telecast ever -- with a record 12.4 million total viewers and 8.5 million of those 12-to-34 years old, according to Nielsen Media Research -- it was a Twitter ratings buster, too.

"Last night at 10:35pm ET, Beyonce's big MTV #VMA moment gave Twitter a record bump: 8,868 tweets per second," Twitter's global PR account said Monday. That was when when Beyonce performed her song "Love on Top" and concluded by rubbing her newly pregnant belly, which MTV complemented with a reaction shot of her ebullient husband and father-to-be Jay-Z.

MTV also claimed Sunday's most-watched telecast across all TV, with NBC topping broadcast ratings at 9.42 million total viewers for its coverage of the NFL pre-season match between the New Orleans Saints and Oakland Raiders. CBS finished second with an episode of "Big Brother 13," which was watched by 8.17 million total viewers, according to Nielsen.

Beyond Beyonce, many theories abound as to how MTV scored its biggest ratings to date, from the scheduling of its "Jersey Shore" lead-in to the impact of Hurricane Irene, which kept many viewers on the East Coast from leaving their homes over the weekend. A high volume of VMA-related tweets kept the show top of mind throughout its two-and-a-half-hour runtime, too -- from opener Lady Gaga (who appeared in male drag as alter ego Jo Calderone) to awards for major pop stars such as Kanye West, Katy Perry, Britney Spears and Adele. MTV Digital properties were viewed by more than 2 million unique visitors during the telecast, MTV said, with traffic from social networks increasing by 76% over a year ago.

The marketers who scored big with the VMAs' record ratings include Verizon, which sponsored the show's Twitter Tracker; Wrigley's 5 Gum, sponsor of the event's Viewer's Choice Award; and Lionsgate, which premiered a teaser trailer for its highly anticipated March release "The Hunger Games." Other sponsors included Procter & Gamble's Cover Girl, Unilever's Dove Go Fresh deodorant, Kia Motors America, PacSun, Sharpie, State Farm and Taco Bell.