Articles in the Marketing Category

Disney Pixar CARS: Beware McQueen With Hair Shoes – Recalled!
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Posted in Advertising, Film, Internet, Marketing, Retail, Toys, TV on 18 April 2009
Stats: and 10 Comments

I know these look like counterfeit but they are apparently real licensed products … And no, the crime isn’t against common design decency but that it’s that the tires come off and kids can choke on them … So, you don’t have to admit you bought one of the 73,000 pairs here but please bring […]

Mattel Financial Numbers Q1 2009: Not So Good But Not So Bad …
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Posted in Advertising, collecting, diecast, Film, Financial, Marketing, Mattel Disney Pixar CARS, Retail, Toys, TV on 17 April 2009
Stats: and 27 Comments

As expected, sales are down … “This quarter’s results met our expectations, with revenues negatively impacted by foreign exchange rates and retailer inventory reductions,” said Robert A. Eckert, chairman and chief executive officer of Mattel. “We’ve made good progress on several strategically important fronts, and will continue to manage costs and expenses in light of […]

You Could Wake Up Canadian!
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Posted in Advertising, Internet, Marketing, Politics, Science, Travel on 17 April 2009
Stats: and 34 Comments

You go to sleep all grumbly but voila! (as French is required), you could wake up Canadian! Thanks to a new law, Canada will bestow citizenship Friday on what its government believes could be hundreds of thousands of unsuspecting foreigners, most of them Americans. The April 17 amendment to Canada’s Citizenship Act automatically restores Canadian […]

Disney Pixar Diecast CARS: A Trip to the $.99 Store
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Posted in Advertising, collecting, diecast, Film, Internet, Marketing, Retail, Toys, TV on 17 April 2009
Stats: and 49 Comments

Okay, technically the $.99 Store is the $.99.99 Store now – I kid you not. They needed to raise prices and couldn’t figure out how to do it until some lawyer jumped in … of course, they round to $1 … though technically, does this mean some other lawyer is going to file a class […]

Mattel Disney Pixar Diecast CARS: The Cars of CARS, Part 2
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Posted in Advertising, collecting, diecast, Film, Internet, Marketing, Mattel Disney Pixar CARS, Retail, Toys, TV on 16 April 2009
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Part I of this post mostly covered the tuners which offer clues but nothing definite … the rest of the CARS here, are mostly licensed as indicated by the info on the cards or the trademark info … Here are some obvious ones … though of course, CARS is great on two counts – the […]

eBay to Referee Customer Disputes: This Should End Well
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Posted in Advertising, collecting, Financial, Internet, Marketing, Media, Retail, Toys on 15 April 2009
Stats: and 13 Comments

eBay started out a welcoming friend. eBay then became a demanding friend. eBay “unfriended” nearly everyone. eBay then became “too good for us.” eBay sent out e-vites for a holiday get-together and no one showed. eBay then tried being “nice.” eBay is now trying desperation. “eBay today announced it will take a more active role […]

Mattel Disney Pixar Diecast CARS: Pit Race Off Launcher Roundup News
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Posted in Advertising, collecting, diecast, Film, Marketing, Mattel Disney Pixar CARS, Retail, Toys, TV on 15 April 2009
Stats: and 50 Comments

The Pit Race Off Launcher portion of Mattel’s Pixar Diecast CARS seems to be run by bushed squirrels … We never got CASE A. We did get CASE B and now, CASE C was skipped and shipped to Germany … From “Sylt,” the cases are double the original US boxes … Interesting that the fronts […]

Mattel Disney Pixar Diecast CARS: TRU Clearance?
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Posted in Advertising, collecting, diecast, Film, Marketing, Mattel Disney Pixar CARS, Retail, Toys, TV on 15 April 2009
Stats: and 24 Comments

Not sure if this is nationwide or just one store … Carrying Case “launcher,” Mini Playsets, “Step on” Track with stolen 2-piece Lightning McQueen, Radiator Springs Challenge and the oval Carrying Case …

Mattel Disney Pixar Diecast CARS: The “Real” Cars of CARS
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Posted in Advertising, collecting, diecast, Film, Internet, Marketing, Mattel Disney Pixar CARS, Retail, Toys, TV on 15 April 2009
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Most of the cars of CARS that are based mostly on a real life CAR is evident by the “licensed” logos and trademark/trade dress indication on the cards. The tuners are a little different as they seem to be mostly “inspired by.” Now, whether that’s because they wanted to have design liberty with the tuners […]

Mattel Disney Pixar Diecast CARS: It’s In the Bag
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Posted in Advertising, collecting, diecast, Film, Internet, Marketing, Mattel Disney Pixar CARS, Retail, Toys, TV on 14 April 2009
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And now, the geekiest post of all … the bags of CARS … Of course, most CARS come on cards or in boxes but the mail-aways have mostly come with bags so here’s a review since there are a lot of questions about “authenticity.” In this case, it is important because you want to be […]