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Showing their support of the proposal to legislate in favour gay marriage in the UK, Ben & Jerry’s, the Unilever ice-cream brand, will change their name of their “Oh My! Apple Pie” ice-cream to “Apple-y Ever After”.

Not only have they change the name, they have also redesigned the packaging to show a male couple standing on top of a wedding cake, after they partnered up with Stonewall, the charity that campaigns and lobbies for the rights of gay, lesbian and bisexual people.

The renaming of their popular fruity ice cream came about because this week the UK Government is set to open its consultation on how to implement the legislation that will give equal marriage rights to gay people. It’s not the first time Ben & Jerry’s have been in support of gay rights. In America to celebrate the introduction of gay marriage legislation in the brand’s home state of Vermont, Ben & Jerry’s renamed its “Chubby Hubby” ice-cream to “Hubby Hubby”.

To gain interest in their renaming and to help others show their support for gay marriage, Ben & Jerry’s have dedicated part if their UK website, to show information on the proposed legislation and why they have changed the name of their apple flavour ice cream. You will also find links from their website to the Facebook app and a drafted letter that consumers can use to send to their local MP.

On gay rights issues, Ben & Jerry’s said it has been an advocate for equal rights, regardless of sexual orientation, since the brand was created.

Laura Doughty, deputy chief executive, Stonewall, said: “We’re truly moved by Ben and Jerry’s support for same-sex marriage in Britain. All people want is to call their long-term relationship by the same name as everyone else. Our strong advice to those who disapprove of same-sex marriage is just not to get married to some-one of the same sex”

VW Up!

Volkswagens, latest car, the Up! will see an outdoor campaign launched through Facebook, which is a prime example on how social media is now at the forefront of many companies advertising campaigns. This latest VW model will see comments about the car left on Facebook to drive the content of ads.

The Volkswagen up has been designed for young urban drivers and so the campaign will reflect this, using Facebook with its ‘Big up the Up!’ campaign. You will be invited by VW to “big up” the car on Facebook by sharing a number of complimentary statements about Up! with their friends. In turn, VW will return the compliment on its digital billboard ads.

According to Kirsten Stagg, national communications manager for VW, the company is looking to grow its market share by reaching new audiences in the UK, which they hope, the campaign for the Up! will do. They are looking for an increase of current 9.2% market share to 10% by next year.

Kirsten Stagg, said: “The new car market is traditionally older because of the available disposable income, but with the Up! model there is a definite opportunity to reach a different audience. Consumers aren’t interested in hard sell messages from brands on social media so we wanted to do something fun that raised awareness and talked about the benefits of the model.”

The new ads will be running across Ocean Outdoor’s digital sites in London and Liverpool and there will also will be TV and press activity and traditional outdoor billboards to run with the social media campaign. Also for images and data to be used in billboard apps users will need to give permission for the app to use them first.

Our teeth have to last us all our lives and they are obviously an integral part which is why they need to be looked after. You can’t miss the many, many TV adverts for dental care, whitening toothpaste, bacteria removing mouthwash and other whitening treatments so really there is no reason not to look after them.

Unfortunate now here in the UK tooth care can prove to be very expensive, with limited NHS dentist places in most areas or private care which can be very expensive. Dentists in Leeds normally have waiting lists for NHS treatments which can be around six months, you still have to pay for them but no way as much as private. If you need urgent treatment sometimes paying outright for private care can be the quickest way.

If you haven’t been to the dentist since you were forced to go as a kind then you will probably have to register again, many unused places were lost when dentists changed from NHS to private. If you don’t need any urgent work then you can try and find a NHS dentist and get on waiting list, NHS dental prices depend on the level of work that needs to be carried out and generally follow a fixed price plan. Private dentists in Liverpool will have price plans which vary from dentist to dentist so some research is needed to find which one offers you the best prices. But also remember you can get dental insurance through certain private dentists which if you go regularly and need treatment can make paying a lot easier.

If you are lucky enough to have good teeth then you will only need a check-up every six months, after an initial consultation which normally includes x-rays, examinations, scales and polishes.

Picture courtesy of Mike Burns

A new £5million campaign by VisitEngland is being launched with the hope of shoring up the domestic market this year, in particular during the Olympics. It is in partnership with commercial operators and fellow tourist boards and features a host of stars.

It will be called; “Holidays at Home are Great” and hopefully inspire UK residents to take a holiday at home this year whilst the country is hosting both the London Olympics and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee to help mitigate “against a potential Olympic sag”.

Because of the importance of the 2012 Olympics, commercial partners are offering a 20.12% discount on accommodation, dining, attractions, transport and more for the UK. The contributors include; Thomas Cook, leisure group Merlin Entertainment, Travelodge, Bourne Leisure and Hoseasons Group.

Launched today (7th March) the campaign advertisements will feature stars such as Stephen Fry, Rupert Grint and Julie Walters at various locations, supported by the tourist boards for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

You can enjoy Julie Walters at Tate Liverpool and in the Lake District, Rupert Grint in Anglesey and on Bridlington beach and Michelle Dockery on Giant’s Causeway. Some of the strap lines also include “No passports, no jabs, no visas and no Euros” in an attempt to bring some light heartedness to the campaign.

Some of the destinations which are to be showcased during the adverts for about ten seconds include Blackpool, Skegness, Yorkshire and Liverpool.

VisitEngland chief executive James Berresford says: “This is the largest domestic tourism campaign ever undertaken and aims to inspire UK residents to take advantage of the fantastic events taking place in the country this year.”

Even with some f the financial constraints faced by many home owners, home improvements keep steadily rising. It probably has to do a lot with the stagnant housing market and the lack of investment from banks for people looking to move to bigger homes.

Although there is a rise in home improvements a lot tends to be more modest. Rather than the lavish kitchen and bathrooms of the past people are looking to give their homes an improvement on more of a limited budget, undertaking some of the more simpler jobs themselves rather than employing a trades person.

If you thinking about home improvements don’t be put off by some of the doom and gloom reports in the press. You can still get some really good deals for new kitchens or bathrooms. Many offer different payment schemes and some such as UK Bathrooms also offer a wide range of products at very reasonable prices so you should be able to find something to suit your budget.

Depending on what you want from your house, depends on the type of work you invest in. If you want to make a quick buck from your home then major improvements may see a good return although the way the housing market is you may end up spending more that you can get back when you sell.

If however your house is to be your home for the foreseeable future then you can possibly take more time with your improvements. Finding the best deals will save you money in the long run and plus it will ensure you get what you want for your family’s needs.

Toy giant Mattel, who own Barbie and most recently acquired Thomas the Tank Engine own Hit Entertainment are looking to use marketing so they can make an emotional connection with parents, in an effort to boost sales.

Over the years the company has grown, most famously known for Barbie, Mattel have also recently acquired Hit Entertainment who had under their belt; Thomas the Tank Engine, Bob the Builder, Fireman Sam, Angelina Ballerina and Pingu making them one of the biggest players in the toy industry.

In an effort to keep up with their sales growth (7% worldwide) they are turning their attention to marketing their brands rather than individual products and thus helping those who buy the products. According to their newly promoted marketing director, Jenny Watson “Our marketing used to be very functional, telling mum about the five main benefits of a product.” Now the company seems to be going for a more indirect approach, trying to gain interest of specific brands rather than just products.

Last year Mattel launched a campaign for Fisher-Price with a softer, more emotional appeal, focusing on the joy of learning. As part of this new approach they have also made numerous changes to their website. So instead of searching for a specific product you now search their collections based on your child’s age to make sure you get the right products for your child’s needs.

Adding to this more personal touch from the company, Mattel have shot their new advertising campaign with an intimate feel, which simulates a hand-held video camera. Also instead of using models, they have used real families to show the genuine connection between mother and child.
According to marketing director, Jenny Watson, What we’re giving mothers in the TV ad is that emotional connection and just the key words they can search to find products. Fisher-Price is a long-lasting brand but it’s had a bit of dusty feel to it and this has been about injecting a bit of modernity.”

Part of embracing modern technology, Mattel has designed the Apptivity case, which launched earlier this year. It has been designed so that it makes your iPhone child safe. It’s a protective cover that lets babies and toddlers play with it safely so no damage is not caused to your iPhone nor is your baby in any danger.

It seems there probably isn’t much that cannot be customised; the latest celeb themed product is Celebrity Cereal. There has been a selection of celeb cereals to come from Kellogg’s one of the recent ones is from the Charlatans lead singer Tim Burgess has now got his own one off custom cereal. After he tweeted about what would be in his dream breakfast bowl, Kellogg’s got in touch to make it happen and now he can enjoy a bowl of his Totes Amazeballs!

The ecstatic Salford-born singer, 44, cereal is a mix of Coco Pops, shortbread, raisins and marshmallow, and pays homage to his favourite Rocky Road chocolate bar. The lead singer of the popular band which rose to fame in the 1990’s with hits such as The Only One I Know and North Country Boy, declared it ‘the Jazz Odyssey of breakfasts’.

He said: “We were thinking of something you’d eat at a festival that would get you back on your feet. Something when you wake up a bit hungover that will get you out of your tent – it’d make sure you’re raring to go!”

Kellogg’s have since been inundated with requests for the cereal from Mr Burgess’s 20,000 Twitter followers, unfortunately though Kellogg’s are limiting it to a one-off.

Mr Burgess is not alone in having his own cereal, other celebs include TOWIE star Joey Essex who has Joey Pops – a special box of Coco Pops with the slogan ‘totally chocolatey, totally reem’, after he revealed his love of Coco Pops on Twitter. Singer Calvin Harris has also been lucky enough to get his own one off cereal, Calvin Flakes from Kellogg’s after tweeting how he loved to mix Cornflakes and Bran Flakes together.

Kellogg’s started off their customising trend back in 2010, when the England Football Team travelled to South Africa for the World Cup, with Kellogg’s cereals keeping the team fuelled up. The tailor made breakfasts included Rio Cicles for Rio Ferdinand, Crunchy Nut Crouch for Peter Crouch and Kai Kai Pops for Wayne Rooney – an edible tribute to his son Kai.

Kellogg’s spokeswoman Jessica Noon said: “I think it’s great that cereal can be really cool and we’ll welcome any more requests from celebrities. It also shows the power of social media – most of these ideas came about from a single tweet.”

For the most, personalised greetings cards are a relatively new phenomenon however greeting cards have been around longer than many people imagine, with the ancient Chinese the first people to use them as a way of sending goodwill messages. The early Egyptians also used to send a version of the greeting card, written on papyrus, to send thanks and notes. By the time the 15th century arrived handmade cards were very popular in Europe although, due to the cost of paper, they were mainly found being used by the wealthy. The oldest Valentine card in existence is in the British Museum and dates from the early to mid-15th century. It was not until the invention of the printing press and postal service that greeting cards really became popular and widely used. The first Christmas card appeared shortly after the introduction of mass printing and was sent in 1843. In the 1860s companies began mass-producing greeting cards using well-known artists.

Nowadays greeting cards are a part of our culture, with one available for seemingly every imaginable occasion. Personalised birthday cards have become exceptionally popular as they offer an affordable yet thoughtful way of sending good wishes to friends and family members. There is a wide range of greeting cards available, from standard to personalised, musical or electronic. Together these cover every occasion that is celebrated and even a few that are commiserated. It is estimated that people in the UK spend one billion pounds a year on greeting cards.

Virgin Media has proudly announced that ‘TV on Demand’ (its catch up television service) has reached the very important 1 billion views milestone. Nearly 490 million hours of television is watched in this way.

The Virgin TiVo box was launched last year. Since then, Virgin Media has managed to increase the number of users to its catch-up service by 14 per cent since 2010.

Virgin is putting the rise in percentage down to the innovations found in its set-top, including the likes of backwards EPG functionality, not to mention the amount of personalisation the TiVo service offers – that, with the addition of the famous Sky Anytime on its platform.

According to Virgin Media, the most watched boxset the much-loved ‘The Vampire Diaries’. ‘Paul’ has been the most watched film of the year, according to the company and traditional Coronation Street was the most-watched TV for the second year in a row.

Cindy Rose, the executive director of digital entertainment at Virgin Media explained about the numbers: “Essentially people are watching more TV; whether that’s On Demand, suggestions recorded for them, or as a result of new and exciting interactive experiences. We know On Demand is incredibly popular as it’s watched more than any channel except for BBC1 or ITV1 but we far surpassed our expectations in 2011.The TV world is changing, with TiVo’s powerful functionality and ease of use giving people even more control over what they watch and when. The advocacy we’re seeing from users is vociferous with over half telling us they’re recommending the service to their friends and family.”

Samsung Galaxy Y Review

This is Samsung’s entry level smart phone, ideal for anyone not wanting to spend a fortune on a handset but still have a good range of capabilities. The Samsung Galaxy Y comes with a 3.0″ 240 x 320 pixel display which isn’t fantastic however it is great considering the price. You also get a 2 megapixel camera, GPS, WiFi and 3.5G support, so pretty standard.

Inside you will also find an 832 MHz processor which should cope with a fair few applications, although it may struggle with more demanding ones. This handset comes with Android (2.3) and has a very capable web browser, email client and media player. And also for some it also offers a wealth of support for social networking and other applications, which again is superb for the price.

The phone size and weight is 104mm x 58mm x 11.5mm and 97.5g, which isn’t very big, but when you consider the size of the screen it shouldn’t be. Back to the screen, it doesn’t have a very high resolution however it’s better than its predecessor the Samsung Corby. Unfortunately though video capture is also poor, at just 320 x 240 pixels at 15 frames per second.

That being said, it’s a great cheap alternative handset for someone who wants internet accesses with app options and ease of social networking. So if you looking for a handset for your son or daughter but don’t want to pay the amounts for Apple or Blackberry then this might be it! PAYG your looking around £100 mark for the handset and on contract the handset is free with the most basic of packages at around £15 per month.

Samsung Galaxy Y