Awhile ago McDonald’s introduced their chicken ranch snack wrap. It was well received as a healthier, cheaper, snackier, and solid tasting option.
A couple months back KFC launched an aggressive advertising campaign touting their new Toasted Wrap as the superior option in chicken wraps. KFC’s attack on McDonald’s now serves as the initial move of what has turned into the Chicken Wrap World War that now includes Wendy’s and Sonic.
The only reason this is blog worthy is because essentially the products are exactly the same. The usually consist of a) chicken b) a wrap c) some zingy ranchesque sauce d) some lettuce e) cheese (optional).
I have only had one of them (KFC toasted wrap) but think its just hilarious that Fast Food super powers have seemingly started a chicken wrap arms race.
So the verdict is in America likes chicken wraps. Will any other fast food superpowers join the war? Who will surrender first? In the future will all meals be chicken wraps?
You can stop freaking out that benkoo.com has not been updated. Travel and some other issues have cut into blogging time, but I am back and back with a vengeance (and a big announcement soon)
But before we jump into bigger and better things, thought I would give a shout out to my latest commercial of the week.
Below is a series of promos for the NBA playoffs entitled “There Can only be One” The NBA is back after a slow couple of years after Jordan’s retirement. These new ads are interesting, cool, and visually stimulating. The pairings of the split screens are also interesting as the two talking players may bump into each other in the playoffs although most of those scenarios are unlikely. Overall a good ad campaign that is adding some buzz to an already interesting NBA playoff picture.
Lots of stuff going in the world of Buckeye. Below are some highlights.
-Ohio State held its annual spring game. QB Joe Bauserman, LB Etienne Sabino, DE Thadues Gibson, and WR Taurian Washington were some of the surprise standouts.
The real story was who was in attendance, as Ohio State hosted a hoard of top tier prospects from all over the country. Since the Saturday spring game, the Buckeyes have capitalized on recieving commitments from Jordan Hall, Darrell Givens, and Dorian Bell with others believed to be coming soon.
Bell’s commitment is one among many top tier linebackers either currently on the roster or in the talent pipeline. Below is my latest buckntus article making the case that Ohio State has now become the official Linebacker U.
- For awhile I have been following the story of Justin Boren, a Michigan football player who had previously announced his plans to leave the program. Today Boren announced his intention to transfer to Ohio State, an unprecedented move in the history of the rivalry.
I have indicated that this was likely to happen in previous blogs, but its still quite a shocker considering Boren was a Michigan starter in addition to having a U of M football player dad and cheerleading mom.
Boren’s transfer is motivated by the coaching change in Ann Arbor where Rich Rodriguez has caused an uproar with his harsh treatment of the players.
Pat White who was Rodriguez’s QB at West Virginia was recently asked about how the new coaches compare to Rodriguez to which he replied “The new staff doesn’t scream and cuss at players and embarrass them.”
- As reported on his blog on YardBarker.com, Greg Oden plans on taking classes this summer at Ohio State. Odd for an active NBA player to want to get back in the classroom with a degree so far away, but its pretty cool.
I would have had no clue today was Earth Day, but thankfully the major online search engine and portals remembered. Its become the industry standard of late for online portals to create event specific banners to celebrate holidays. Below are some examples of the Earth Day banners. Ask.com had a similar one , but its too big and also who really goes to ask.com.
So rather than pointing out how online companies utilize graphics to get in the spirit of holidays, I thought it would be a good time to bring attention to a couple of interesting investments in Green Technology.
Its clear that corporate America has come around in acknowledging the need to be viewed as a environmentally responsible company. At the forefront of this is GM and Chevron, who are spending millions touting their green technology initiatives. Unfortunately I view most of this self proclamation of a change of heart, as being too little too late.
2 initiatives that do stick out as being whole hearted attempts to be more eco friendly is Tesla Motors and Boone Picken’s recent investment in wind energy.
Below is a video from a year ago highlighting the initial proposal.
Picken’s wind farm upon completion will be about 5x the largest wind farm in the world, will cover 200,000 acres, and will generate enough electricity to power one million homes.
Yeah this should have been done years ago, but its encouraging to see one of the world’s most notorious oil tycoons turning the corner and investing in a cleaner form of energy.
Next up is Tesla Motors who makes the car below.
The Tesla Roadster is lightning quick going 0-60 in under 4 seconds, has RPM redline of 13,000, and is the premier car for Silicon Valley CEO’s and Hollywood’s A list. Why you ask? Because its electric.
With a 220 mile range and a MPG equivalency of 135 mpg, the Roadster doesn’t sacrifice much and has been compared very favorably to other sports cars (MotoTrend review below)
Tesla is slowly rolling out the Roadster to those who have pre purchased and hopes to ramp up production through out 2008. The good news is that Tesla is hoping to release a luxury sedan and an economy car in the coming years.
While building a car company from the ground up is nearly impossible, Tesla is well funded and is backed by a powerful assortment of VC firms and Silicon Valley CEO’s. Below is a recent video of the first Roadster being assembled in San Carlos.
I have been following Tesla for awhile and have even met a couple of their employees. I am an avid fan of what they are doing and am optimistic that the future is bright for them as they begin to ship more cars and develop different cars. Clearly the idea of $4 gas is going to drastically change our buying preferences for cars, and Tesla has the product and vision to deliver on this unfulfilled market.
I saw a handful of good commercials (I really liked the Diet Mountain Dew yo yo commercial), but in the end opted for this slapstick advertisement promoting Stride Gum.
Simply put, its random and hilarious. It doesn’t really make sense, but what’s not to like.
Usually I stay away from commercials that are this simple, but the pure impact and unexpectedness from the initial collision is worthy enough to win commercial of the week
For die hard college football fans there are 6 portions of the year that are essential for following
1) summer camps (pre season practices, position battles)
2) the regular season
3) bowl prep and bowl season
4) national signing day
5) The Spring game (last years below… big crowd)
6) the draft
Luckily the draft and spring game are usually at the same time of the year, giving fans a much needed burst of activity to get them through the offseason. Also year long recruiting efforts have become all the rage for addicts like myself.
With Ohio State’s Spring game tomorrow, I thought this was an interesting find.
Below is a series of videos documenting the draft of for the spring game. Some schools just split up teams for the annual spring scrimmage, but Jim Tressel holds a draft so soon to be Seniors can pick their teams.
The below videos gives unprecedented access to this process and has some very candid moments for a program that isnt as media friendly as lets say USC or Florida.
Silicon Valley is home to the lion share of technology companies in the US. However, not in this great area is Microsoft, a company that tends to draw the ire from IT business professionals across the valley.
Recently a spoof video Microsoft made for their sales teams has surfaced on youtube (below) and is approaching 200,000 views in its first full week on the web. I can honestly say, I don’t know if I have ever seen anything this lame since (insert Nicholas Cage movie)
Whether its a serious attempt at motivating the sales organization or a spoof like they claim, its still a pretty expensive yet lame video.
Steve Ballmer is the head of Microsoft and doesn’t fare too well on the world’s largest video depository.
Leading off is Ballmer going nuts at a presentation. Rumor is this outburst caused him to have throat surgery immediately after. Its been viewed over 1 million times despite the audio and video quality being off
Next up is Ballmer covered in sweat, leading an odd chant and dance. Its been viewed over 125,000. I guess this event site lacked AC.
Last is a clip of Ballmer laughing off the threat of the Iphone in a 2007 interview. Its approaching a million and a half views and is a big hit with the apple audience.
While I am sure plenty of other tech CEO’s have their share of blunders, the tech world’s disdain for the goliath software vendor has only fueled the reach of these embarrassing videos. Although I am neutral in my opinion of Microsoft, I got to admit that the above content is low hanging fruit for for bloggers, journalists, and Micrsoft detractors.
Unfortunately for Yahoo, if they don’t find a different company to partner with soon, Mr. Ballmer may bring his act to a company meeting in the near future.
Last night the MTV’s Gen Y cult hit Rob and Big came to an abrupt end with an unexpected series finale in which Big announces the pending arrival of a his first child and subsequently moves out of the house.
Rob and Big has garnered an expansive audience in just under two years (3 seasons) and was establishing itself as a staple of pop culture amongst younger crowds. It was one of my favorite shows and was seemingly embraced by a large majority of people I know. It was an entertaining show that will be missed. Below is some personal commentary on its rise and abrupt conclusion.
The Premise:
(starts 20 seconds in)
Rob is 30 something professional skateboarding mogul and successful entrepreneur. Big (short for Big Black) is his bodyguard, roommate and best friend. With no real responsibilities, a comfortable lifestyle, and comedic chemistry, the rambunctious duo tackled a variety of shananingans on a weekly basis.
Their 2 year reign as pop icons included the procurement and ownership of 2 new pets ( bulldog and Mini house), the setting of 23 Guinness World Records, the production of a R rated but hilarious R and B music video, and trips to all over North America yielding entertaining adventures.
Bobby Light Video (R Rated)
Why so Popular?
Simply put the duo was consistently entertaining, but there is more to this story than their comical hijinks. Rob and Big and their circle of friends was a window into a lifestyle hoards of young people dream of.
With no real jobs, a personal assistant on payroll, and ample wealth, the two were free to create their own adventures and fun. Rob and Big’s enthusiasm for adventure, new experiences, creative luxury and satirical expenditures, and dedication to optimism and goofy satirical comedy, really resonated to younger audiences hoping that adulthood could only be this perfect.
Rob and Big were young at heart and seemed to embrace the idea of never growing old. Their corky friendship and sporadic choice of activities captivated young audiences who dreamed of living such spontaneous and worry free lifestyle.
The Abrupt Ending:
Although there were reports that Rob and Big was ending due to Big Black starting a family, these reports flew under the radar as the show neared its completion. Suddenly it was clear that last nights hour long season finale was more likely a series finale as Black lets Rob in on the news that he has a child on the way.
We never meet Big’s girlfriend, making the finale all that more sudden. Rob takes the news pretty harsh, but is supportive of Black.
The final scenes show Big’s new baby and Rob’s terrified state upon holding a baby for the first time. Black is beaming with pride and seems focused on the chapter of his life, while Rob is shell shocked that his partner in crime is moving on… and out.
In the end Black moves out of the house, but not before Rob gives him a going away gift. Rob gives Big two nostalgic gifts highlighting Rob’s ownership of the lamest jacket ever created (one for Big and one for his baby). They have a final laugh as Big drives away to his new home with his new family. Rob looks dejected and subsequently throws his jacket in the trash.
I am sure we all know the feeling as good friends we are close to move away seemingly pre maturely for college, jobs, girls, etc.
The show seemed to be hitting its stride and was growing in popularity which probably could have enabled both co stars to continue making the show but for a higher price. Instead Black opted to move out and focus on his new family, a rare mature decision the world of reality tv.
I think we’ll see the duo again, but for now its definitely sad to see their commitment to fun on hiatus due the responsibilities of parenthood.
Congrats to Big Black on his kid, and I am sure Rob could have his own reality show trying to find a new roomate to wreak havoc with including myself. Rob and Ben Koo? Should be sweet.
2 months removed from its ending, I find myself going through withdrawal. There is a plethora of entertaining and comical shows out there that I enjoy, but in terms of captivating me with realistic compelling drama and thought provoking contemporary issues : nothing holds a candle to the glory that is The Wire.
There are a handful of shows that are similar in style and subject, but the depth, accuracy, and sheer brilliance of The Wire is unmatched.
Below is an interesting video with clips of a British columnist giving his 2 cents of why the show is the best of the last 20 years. I agree with his sentiment and hope The Wire potentially is produced into a movie or maybe even makes a comeback because there is definitely a massive void in the media without it.
Just a quick note one of my favorite shows, The Office, is coming back tonight with new episodes on NBC.
I was just getting into The Office after ignoring its first couple of seasons. Unfortunately the writer’s strike killed my office groove as the new season abruptly went into hiatus.
The Office is a great show with goofy dialogue, ridiculous characters, and comedic commentary about office culture.
What really propels to show to a broader audience is the relationship of Jim and Pam. Similar to Friends’ Ross and Rachel in the nineties, viewers seem to enjoy embrace their journey as a potential couple.
For whatever reason people worry about and root for their relationship. The depth of the relationship would not seem to fit in such a light hearted show. However male viewers young and old seem to identify witty and nice Jim’s struggles to be more than a friend while female’s identify with corky but sweet Pam’s inability to break out of other tumultuous relationships.
This current season was the first year they actually got together. Time will tell if the writers decide to embrace their new founded relationship or come up with compelling storylines that challenge them.
Either way I am glad this great show is back. If you care to catch up on the office but dont feel like paying check out hulu.com.
